Patterns of Career and Identity Interference for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Young Adults

Abstract

Researchers have hypothesized about the potentially competing demands of sexual identity development and career development (e.g., Chen, Stracuzzi, & Ruckdeschel, 2004; Fassinger, 1996; Morrow, 1997; Schmidt, 2004). In the present study, we explored these hypotheses focusing specifically on career decision making. Using cluster analysis, we identified three groups of lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who differed in terms of the conflict experienced between sexual identity and career development: career conflict group (n = 11), sexual identity conflict group (n = 45), and those who experienced low levels of conflict between the two domains (n = 71). Differences were found between the clusters in levels of career decision making supports, career decision making barriers, and career decision making self-efficacy. Results tentatively suggest the importance of considering within-group differences when using Social Cognitive Career Theory to understand the career decision making of this population.

KEYWORDS:

• career development
• sexual identity
• career identity
• Social Cognitive Career Theory
• career self-efficacy

An earlier draft of this research was presented at the American Psychological Association's Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA, August, 2006.

The authors thank Bob Lent for reviewing measures and providing comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. The authors also thank Jon Mohr for reviewing measures.

Notes

1. In the two-cluster solution, the first cluster members indicated high levels of career-to-sexual identity interference (1.28 standard deviations above the total sample mean) and moderate levels of sexual identity-to-career interference (.09 standard deviations above the total sample mean). The second cluster members reported moderately low levels of career-to-sexual identity interference (–.54 standard deviations below the total sample mean) and moderate levels of sexual identity-to-career interference (–.04 standard deviations below the total sample mean).