Early Experiences As Factors Influencing Occupational Choice in Counselling and Psychotherapy

Abstract

Vocational choice can be defined as the process by which an individual comes to follow a certain occupation, to enter a specific field of work. The theme of vocational choice has largely been explored by occupational psychologists and career guidance officers. Various theories have been developed, regarding how the actual choice is made, what process(es) one goes through, and what factors act on the process and influence the final decisions.Although theories about vocational choice have been put forward from various disciplines, the ones that will be presented here come primarily from the psychology field. These theories deal primarily with aspects within the individual which play a role as motivating forces and/or as part of the process, and include psychodynamic theories and need theories, self theory of occupational choice, and the developmental and the differentialist theories.