Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Education

Supervisor

Dr. Alan Leschied

2nd Supervisor

Dr. Don Saklofske

Joint Supervisor

Abstract

The general purpose of this dissertation was to examine how perfectionism might influence career planning through its relationship with career decision making self-efficacy, career goal setting, and career outcome expectations in Canadian university student-athletes. Specifically, this dissertation addressed two main research questions: Does perfectionism enhance or inhibit career planning in university student-athletes; and is this in turn influenced by the relationship between perfectionism (strivings and concerns) and the social cognitive variables of the SCCT (i.e., career decision making self-efficacy, career goal setting, and career outcome expectations)?

In order to validate and test the measurement models of perfectionism, decision-making self-efficacy, career goals, outcome expectations, and career planning in a population of Canadian university student-athletes, factor analyses were conducted. In addition, path analyses were conducted to test for the multiple mediation model of perfectionism via self-efficacy, career goals, and outcome expectancies.

The results provide important answers to the research questions posed and suggest that depending on the dimension of perfectionism observed (strivings or concerns) perfectionism either enhances or inhibits post-sport career planning in university student-athletes via the mediating influence of career decision-making self-efficacy. In addition, the results confirm the interrelationships among the social cognitive career theory variables in a population of Canadian university student-athletes, and confirm that career decision-making self-efficacy and goal setting as mechanisms underlying post-sport career planning in university student-athletes.

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