Career Goal Development and Self-Regulation in Young Adults
Summary
Career goal development and self-regulation in young adults is characterised by the dynamic interplay between personal aspirations, emotional control and goal-directed behaviours during the transition to adulthood. This process entails the gradual crystallisation of short- and long-term objectives, shaped by self-reflective practices and external influences such as parental expectations, peer norms and institutional structures. Effective self-regulation enables emerging adults to maintain focus on desired career outcomes, manage setbacks and harness feedback to refine their trajectories. Cognitive mechanisms like future orientation and self-continuity promote coherent identity formation, supporting purposeful decision-making in educational and occupational domains. Social and cultural contexts modulate the salience of various career goals, while digital tools offer both opportunities and distractions for self-guided career planning. Insights into these processes inform interventions by educators, counsellors and policymakers aiming to foster adaptive vocational development across diverse global settings.
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Career Goal Development and Self-Regulation in Young Adults publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in career goal development and self-regulation in young adults across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Career goal discrepancy: The gap between an individual’s desired career objectives and their actual progress or external expectations.
Self-regulation: The capacity to manage thoughts, emotions and behaviours in pursuit of long-term goals.
Future orientation: The tendency to consider and plan for one’s future outcomes and life trajectories.
Vocational delay of gratification: The willingness to forgo short-term rewards in order to achieve longer-term career aims.
Career indecision: A state of uncertainty or difficulty in making or committing to career-related choices.
References
- The interactive effects of self- and parent-referenced career goal discrepancies on young adults’ career indecision. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance (2024).
- The relationship between college students’ self-identity and future orientation: a moderated chain-mediating model. Frontiers in Psychology (2025).
- How Vocational Delay of Gratification Affects Employees’ Job Performance: Organizational Climate as a Moderator. Journal of Service Science and Management (2015).
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