The role of perceived barriers in career development: A social cognitive perspective

Recent research has verified the claim that high school and college student s perceive a variety of career-related barriers. Lent, Brown, and Hackett's (1994, 1996) social cognitive career theory and Weiner's (1979, 1985, 1986 ) attribution theory are useful approaches to increase understanding of the role that perceived barriers play in career development This article prese nts a brief overview of the primary components of each theory as they relat e to career-related barriers, discusses counseling implications associated with each approach, and provides ideas for future research to explore the u tility of these theories in explaining career-related barriers.