Work values and college major choice

Our study sought to clarify the nature of the known individual differences in work values associated with academic college major choice, specifically the question whether these precede or follow the choice of an academic major. To rule out environmental influences during academic study, group differences in five value orientations were evaluated in prospective college students, thus before being admitted to any specific academic major. The Work Importance Study and a questionnaire assessing the behavioral intention to enroll in different faculties were administered to 886 last-year students from different senior high schools. Among the value orientations, Challenge and Self-Orientation have been found as explanatory variables predicting high-school students' expressed choice for their academic career. These findings give an empirical support to the hypothesis of the pre-existence of group differences in work values at the moment of their choice for a specific academic career. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

► We review studies on work value differences among students enrolled in different majors. ► Individual differences in work values are associated with academic college major choice. ► We evaluate group differences in five value orientations in prospective college students. ► Challenge and Self-Orientation predict students' expressed choice of future major. ► The results are robust to confounding factors of sex and attended high-school type.