Career Regret among University Students from Turkey: A Test of the Social Cognitive Career Theory

Abstract

Drawing on the Social Cognitive Career Theory satisfaction model (Lent & Brown, 2006; 2008), the current study aimed to test the predictors of career regret among university students. Survey data was collected from 180 university students from Turkey. The results of the multiple serial mediators model (Model 6) test using PROCESS macro (Hayes, 2018) showed that higher levels of negative affect was associated with career regret because of low career self-efficacy and outcome expectations from one’s career. This study has extended the Social Cognitive Career Theory satisfaction model (Lent & Brown, 2006; 2008) by testing career regret as an outcome. Using the findings of this study, career counselors can identify clients who are at risk of developing career regret and work on enhancing their self-efficacy as well as outcome expectations to minimize future career regret.