Thesis Title: Autonomy, Gender Stereotypes and Career Decision Making Self- Efficacy among High School Girls
Student Name: Hafsa Yasin
Supervisor: Mujeeba Ashraf, PhD
Degree: MSc
Year: 2016-2018
Abstract
The current study was conducted with the aim to find out the relationship between autonomy, gender stereotypes and career efficacy among high school girls from private and public schools and colleges of Lahore. The sample was recruited by using convenient sampling. It was hypothesized that perceived autonomy and career efficacy will be positively correlated; however, gender stereotypes and career efficacy will be negatively correlated. Along with that it was also hypothesized that perceived autonomy and gender stereotypes predicted career self-efficacy. Career Decision Self-efficacy Scale (Betz, & Taylor 1983) was used for assessing the career efficacy. Modern Sexism Scale (Swim, Aikin, Hall, & Hunter, 1995) was used to measure the gender stereotypes and perceived autonomy was assessed by Career Decision Making Autonomy Scale (CDMAS; Frédéric Guay, 2005). Spearman correlation and backward regression were used to analyze the results. The results of spearman correlation explained that three facets of career autonomy i.e., intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and identified regulation were positively correlated with career self-efficacy, and gender stereotypes negatively correlated with career self-efficacy. In addition the results of backward regression showed that only one facet of perceived autonomy i.e. identified regulation and gender stereotypes predicted career efficacy. This study adds in existing awareness of women’s occupational development in terms of their career efficacy.
Keywords: Autonomy, gender stereotypes, career decision making, self-efficacy, high school girls.
