Young Adults’ Self-Regulatory Responses to Positive Career Goal Discrepancies: Testing Cross-Lagged Relationships

Researchers have assessed young people’s outcomes when they do not meet their career goals, but little is known about the consequences better than expected (positive discrepancies). We (a) tested cross-lagged relationships between positive goal discrepancies and career-related of upward revision, exploration, coasting, (b) indirect discrepancy through self-efficacy outcome expectations. Using a sample 314 adults (76% female, M age 19.13 years), we found that standard causation model was most parsimonious. Positive predicted more revision exploration less coasting after 6-month time lag, both directly indirectly The findings highlight importance appraisals in goal-setting, management clarify roles agency (self-efficacy expectations) as explanatory mechanisms these relationships.