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A Phenomenological Study of Career Anxiety Among College Students
Author(s) -
Pisarik Christopher T.,
Rowell P. Clay,
Thompson Laura K.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the career development quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.846
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 2161-0045
pISSN - 0889-4019
DOI - 10.1002/cdq.12112
Subject(s) - anxiety , psychology , phenomenon , phenomenology (philosophy) , psychological intervention , qualitative research , existentialism , perspective (graphical) , social psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , sociology , social science , philosophy , physics , epistemology , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , computer science
This study explored the phenomenon of career anxiety through a qualitative investigation of the experiences of 7 traditional‐aged college students who were in various stages of their undergraduate degree programs. Using Moustakas's ([Moustakas, C., 1994]) method of transcendental phenomenology, the authors conducted in‐depth interviews to answer the following questions: (a) What are coresearchers’ (participants') experiences with the phenomenon of career anxiety? and (b) In what contexts do the coresearchers experience career anxiety? Seven themes emerged: general symptoms of anxiety, existential concerns, pressure, lack of career guidance, cognitive distortions, social comparisons, and economic/occupational uncertainty. The findings provide a contextual and developmental perspective on career‐related anxiety that can guide counselors in the implementation of interventions for reducing anxiety associated with career choice and development.