THE EFFECT OF LIFE DOMAINS ON GIRLS POSSIBLE SELVES

Adopting a framework of ''possible selves,'' this paper examines the r elative importance of life domains by exploring the suggestion that wo men's work orientation can be identified as careerist, adaptive or hom e-centered, and that the choices women make about employment are made relatively early (Hakim, 1991). Sixth-form grammar school girls (N = 2 40) taking advanced level subjects were categorized as careerist or no ncareerist, and differences between the two groups in terms of attainm ent, subject choice, attitudes toward career and family, interests and confidence in traditional and nontraditional occupations, and psychol ogical variables such as general self-efficacy, sex-role orientation, person/object orientation, scholastic competence, autonomy, and self-w orth were examined. It is suggested that work orientation and the impo rtance of life domains may be useful factors to consider in girls' pos sible selves and may add to the wide-ranging debate as to why girls ar e underrepresented in the higher status, higher earning occupations.