THE NEUROTIC DIMENSION OF VOCATIONAL INDECISION - GENDER COMPARABILITY

This study examines the relationship between neuroticism and career in decision in separate samples of men and women. College students (151 m en, 183 women) constituted the samples. Career indecision was measured by the Career Decision Profile (CDP; Jones, 1989). Constructs used in the study that assess neuroticism included perceived stress, positive and negative affectivity, and state-trait anxiety. In addition, five life history factors predictive of vocational decision-making were als o included. Separate cluster analyses were performed for each sample, resulting in two 2-cluster solutions. The first, the maladaptive clust ers (high in stress, anxiety, and negative affectivity), emerged for b oth genders. The second clusters did not replicate across gender. Wome n in the second cluster, who were well-adapted, exhibited strong acade mic and scientific interests. The second cluster for men, although exh ibiting low stress and anxiety, did not have high scores on any career decision-making variables. The results are discussed in the context o f gender differences and the neurotic dimension of career indecision.