Self-Efficacy Perceptions and Outcome Expectations in the Prediction of Occupational Preferences
Outcome expectations, as conceptualized by expectancy-value theories, and self-efficacy perceptions have often been employed for the prediction of career-related behavior. The relationship, however, between these two cognitive mechanisms has not been adequately examined. On the basis of Bandura's 1986 and Lent, et al.'s 1994 formulations it was hypothesized that combining measures of these two variables in a single model would improve prediction of occupational preference. This hypothesis was supported in two studies with undergraduate students ( ns = 105 and 64) expressing occupational preferences. Employing a within-subjects analysis, a multiplicative combination of outcome expectations and self-efficacy perceptions gave better prediction of expressed occupational preferences than either self-efficacy or outcome expectations alone.