a strategy has been shown to be an effective component of decision
making and is associated with reduced postdecisional regret and
increased postdecisional satisfaction and tenure (Janis & Mann,
1977). The overall goal of these strategies is to help E narrow the
range of possibilities that she is considering by basing her decisions
on relatively complete and accurate expectations of likely outcomes
for each choice and on a careful analysis of potential social resources.
Conclusion
We have offered an introduction to the social cognitive models of
career-academic interest development, choice, and performance.
Our evolving framework builds on earlier efforts to extend the gen-
eral theory proposed by Bandura (1986) to the understanding of
career development. SCCT highlights the interplay of social cog-
nitive variables (such as self-efficacy) with other key person, con-
textual, and experiential-learning factors, such as gender, culture,
support systems, and barriers. It emphasizes the means by which
individuals exercise agency in their own career development, as
well as those influences that promote or constrain agency. This
theory-building effort is aimed, in part, at complementing and help-
ing to bridge certain aspects of existing career theories. In addition
to considering the basic theory and its empirical base, we high-
lighted some ways in which SCCT can be used to inform develop-
mental and remedial career interventions and pondered how it
might be employed specifically in the cases of K and E.
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302 CAREER CHOICE AND DEVELOPMENT