'Adulting' when 'The Struggle Is Real': Does Executive Function Predict Career Adaptability in Emerging Adults
Abstract
This study utilized a concurrent triangulation mixed method design to investigate the relationship between career adaptability and executive function impairment in a non-clinical sample of emerging adults. The study sought to determine whether impairment in executive functioning predicted career adaptability. The second aim was to explore the relationship between these constructs through phenomenological qualitative inquiry using a constructivist lens. The total sample consisted of 111 individuals between the ages of 21 and 29. Results demonstrated that low career adaptability was associated with greater executive function impairment. Regression analyses also demonstrated that executive function skills significantly predicted overall levels of career adaptability, with shifting emerging as the only statistically significant predictor. Phenomenological analysis from interviews with nine women revealed six major themes. Overall, each method yielded similar results with few contrasting findings. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed along with recommendations for future research.
Subject Area
Counseling Psychology|Developmental psychology|Personality psychology
Recommended Citation
Schibuk, Heidi Arona, "'Adulting' when 'The Struggle Is Real': Does Executive Function Predict Career Adaptability in Emerging Adults" (2022). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI28860743.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI28860743
