This article examines the role of parent-adolescent attachment relatio
nships in the-career exploration process. We propose that college stud
ents who report secure attachment relationships with their parents wou
ld engage in greater environmental and self-exploration, as well as gr
eater nontraditionality of exploration, as measured by the degree of g
ender traditionality of their primary occupational preference. One hun
dred and thirty-seven undergraduates (50 men, 87 women) completed meas
ures of parent attachment, career exploration, and a demographic form.
The results of a canonical correlation analysis indicated that attach
ment to parents associated positively with environmental exploration.
However, the results indicated that parental attachment was not associ
ated with traditionality of exploration. An examination of relevant de
mographic variables suggested that age played a significant role, wher
eas gender did not. The article concludes with a discussion of the imp
lications of these findings for career theory and practice.