Family system profiles and career decision self-efficacy among Chinese university students: a latent profile analysis

Abstract

Family system generally consists of family structure and process, and plays substantial yet varied roles in university students’ career decision self-efficacy (CDSE). However, previous research has mainly employed the variable-centered approach, which overlooked the diversities of family systems in light of individuals’ CDSE. Adopting latent profile analysis, the present study examined the relationships between various family structural (socioeconomic status) and processual factors (parental career-related support) with CDSE among 917 Chinese undergraduates (Mage = 21.41, SD = 0.84; females, 53.87%). Five distinct family profiles were identified: “powerful and supportive” (N = 377, 41.12%), “powerful but unsupportive” (N = 61, 6.65%), “powerless but supportive” (N = 104, 11.34%), “powerless and unsupportive” (N = 62, 6.76%), and “ordinary powerful and supportive” (N = 313, 34.13%). The scores of CDSE significantly differed among the different family system profiles. The order from the lowest to highest CDSE was “powerless and unsupportive” (M = 3.48, SD = 0.08), “powerful but unsupportive” (M = 3.53, SD = 0.07), “powerless but supportive” (M = 3.74, SD = 0.05), “ordinary powerful and supportive” (M = 3.77, SD = 0.03), to “powerful and supportive” (M = 3.86, SD = 0.03). Additional regression analyses, after controlling for demographic variables, further confirmed the findings from multivariate analysis of variance and follow-up post hoc tests regarding the differences of CDSE among different profiles. The findings underscored family system patterns in shaping CDSE, and provided implications for improving career development among Chinese college students.