Racial ideology in predicting social cognitive career variables for Black undergraduates

This exploratory study expanded Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) by incorporating the personal variable of racial ideology (Sellers, Rowley, Chavous, Shelton, & Smith, 1997). The association of racial ideology (i.e., nationalist, humanist, assimilationist, and oppressed minority) to self-efficacy variables, outcome expectations, career interests, and perceived career barriers was examined for 141 Black undergraduates enrolled at a historically Black university. Regression analyses evidenced support for two of the four racial ideologies (nationalist and assimilationist), both independently and in combination, in predicting career self-efficacy, outcome expectations, career interests, and perceived career barriers. Support was also found for the general applicability of SCCT with Black undergraduates at a historically Black university in that interests were most predictive of career consideration. Future research directions applied to the SCCT model are discussed and practice implications for Black college students are considered.