Career Locus and Career Adaptabilities: A Self-Determination Perspective for Turkish University Students' Case

Using self-determination theory (SDT), this study aimed to examine the impact of awareness and choice on career-related outlooks and emotional-social associates in career domain among university students. Awareness (being more aware of feelings and sense of self), and choice (feeling a sense of choice with respect to behaviors) were expected to positively predict stress management and general positive mood throughout the career development process of students; and, this impact was expected to be via higher career adaptabilities and lower external career locus of control. With a sample of 595 students from Ankara University and relevant measures of constructs, a model testing was conducted. Path analysis revealed that: 1) choice positively predicted general positive mood through career adaptabilities, as expected; 2) awareness positively predicted stress management, and general positive mood directly (as expected) but indirectly through external career locus unexpectedly. Being the first paper examining the emotional social-intelligence indicators along with career-related outlooks within SDT-based career research, these results are not contrary to SDT. Rather, these associations well-displays the labor market characteristics of Turkey and cultural background of differences in autonomous behaviors; emphasizing the practical and social implications of awareness and choice varying with locus of control and adaptabilities