Perceived career compromise, affect and work-related satisfaction in college students

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of career compromise on positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and work-related satisfaction (WRS). Career compromise refers to the modification of occupational preferences under pressing external circumstances [Gottfredson, L. S. (1981). Circumscription and compromise: A developmental theory of occupational aspirations [Monograph]. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 28, 549–579]. Prior research has shown that career compromise leads to diminished satisfaction and higher depression [Carr, D. (1997). The fulfillment of career dreams at midlife: Does it matter for women’s mental health? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 38, 331–344; Hesketh, B., & McLachlan, K. (1991). Career compromise and adjustment among graduates in the banking industry. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 19, 191–208; Ocansey, F. (2000). Career compromise and adjustment among non-professional graduate teachers. Ife Psychologia, 8, 84–95]. Based on Gottfredson’s Theory of Circumscription and Compromise, Higgins’ [Higgins, E. T. (1987). Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect. Psychological Review, 94, 319–340] Self-Discrepancy Theory, and Michalos’ [Michalos, A. C. (1985). Multiple Discrepancies Theory (MDT). Social Indicators Research, 16, 347–413] Multiple Discrepancies Theory career compromise was expected to have a positive relationship with NA, and a negative relationship with PA and WRS. It was also expected that the larger the career compromise, the more pronounced the effects. Participants consisted of 188 college students assigned to four compromise conditions (no compromise, minor, moderate, and major compromise) and presented with a hypothetical career option, whose desirability they had rated previously. The hypotheses were confirmed. Linear trend analysis showed that the higher the degree of compromise, the higher the NA, the lower the PA, and the lower the WRS. This study provides an extension to Gottfredson’s theory and constitutes a springboard for further exploration of the effects of career compromise.