Roe Personality Development Theory

Roe’s Personality Development Theory

Roe believed that people make career choices based upon psychological needs that come from interaction between children and their parents or caretakers.

Roe created a classification system that consisted of eight groups and six levels of complexity.

The eight groups are as follow:

•  Service
•  Business contact
• Organization
•  Technology
• Outdoor
• Science
•  General Culture
• Arts & Entertainment

The classification levels are based upon the amount of responsibility required in each career.  (See attached tables)

Roe believed that intelligence and temperament are determined by genetics.  She also believed that there are things beyond one’s control such as socioeconomic factors, race or gender, and cultural competencies that affect one’s career choice.

Roe believed that attitudes and interests are not genetic predispositions and are determined by one’s satisfactions and frustrations early in life.  Interests are determined by the degree of need satisfaction.  The more intense the needs, the more intense the drive to be successful.

Lent, Brown, & Hackett Cognitive Career Theory

Lent, Brown & Hackett's Social Cognitive Career Theory is based on the social cognitive theory by Albert Bandera.  There are three important building blocks including self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and personal goals.

• Self-Efficacy- one's personal belief about ability to succeed
• Outcome Expectations- beliefs about the outcome of particular behaviors
• Personal Goals- one's determination to engage in an activity or influence an outcome

This theory outlines that one is attracted to activities in which they can be successful.  Attitudes and values are tied to outcome expectations and self-efficacy.  Gender and ethnicity also influence self-efficacy and outcome expectations.

One's beliefs about their ability to be successful in a certain career and their beliefs about outcomes influence the development of interests.  

• Clients need to examine specific experiences they have had that have helped to develop their current career path.
• It is very important to research how previous learning has shaped a clients self-confidence or self-efficacy about their career, how it has shaped outcome expectations and career interests.  

Counselors should assist clients in setting positive and realistic expectations for themselves and setting specific goals to meet those expectations.  

For more information visit http://www.guidance-research.org/EG/impprac/ImpP2/new-theories/social-cognitive. 

Krumboltz's Career Development Theory

John Krumboltz developed a career theory that includes three distinct parts:

1) Social Learning Theory of Career Decision Making
2) Learning Theory of Career Counseling
3) Planned Happenstance Theory

The Social Learning Theory of Career Decision Making includes four factors that are influential on the career path of an individual.  These four factors are:

• Genetic endowment and special abilities:  athletic abilities or talents (such as music or art), sex, race, gender, and physical attributes
• Environmental conditions and events:  things beyond one's control such as advances in technology, societal changes, economical changes, political forces, natural disasters, and cultural changes
• Learning experiences:  instrumental and associative learning, whether positive or negative
• Task Approach Skills:  how one completes tasks such as work habits, emotional responses, and standards of performance

As a result of these four factors, one develops self-observation generalizations and world-view generalizations.  As a result of all of this, one will behave in such a way that leads to a certain career path.

The Learning Theory of Career Counseling works to take skills, interests, beliefs, values, work habits, and personality and create a life of satisfaction within a constantly changing work environment.  

• Clients should explore new activities and interests so they can expand their capabilities.  This will help to maximize career options.
• Clients should prepare for changing tasks in the workplace instead of assuming that work tasks will remain constant. 
• Clients should be able to take action in implementing a career choice.
• Counselors should be able to assist clients with all work related problems throughout the client's career, not just assisting them in finding a career.  

The Planned Happenstance Theory is perhaps the most popular theory developed by Krumboltz.  Happenstance describes factors such as chance or unexpected events that have an influence on one's career path.  Krumboltz believed that indecision should be viewed as an opportunity for expanding one's possibilities.  It is important to prepare for the unexpected and even create those opportunities if possible.  Fives skills are developed within individuals including curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism, and risk taking.  It is important to explore one's options, interests, and abilities.  One should also be able to take a new opportunity when it arises.  

One good explanation of planned happenstance is being laid off from a job and finding a career in a new field.  It is important to counsel clients to take a negative condition and respond to it in a positive manner.  

For more information about Krumboltz's Planned Happenstance Theory visit http://web.stanford.edu/~jdk/HappenstanceLearningTheory2009.pdf.