Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
This chapter explores the benefits of applying decision theory to the analysis of adolescent career choices. The problems and challenges adolescents face when making career choices are conceptualised from a decision-theory perspective, and decision-theory concepts are used to discuss ways to facilitate decision-making. First, decision theory and its basic assumptions are presented and reviewed. Then, features of the career decision-making process are discussed, highlighting the unique characteristics of adolescents as decision-makers. Then, a decision-theorybased taxonomy for describing and understanding career decision-making difficulties is presented and its applicability for locating the focuses of adolescent career decision-making difficulties is demonstrated. Based on this theoretical framework, possible ways of facilitating adolescents’ career decision-making are discussed.