| Career maturity refers to how well one is coping with the vocational developmental tasks for his/her chronological age but has become somewhat antiquated as a career development construct (Brown & Brooks, 1990; Super & Overstreet, 1960). In this exploratory study, a new way of understanding career maturity is proposed and explored. Sixty-six senior-level high school students were surveyed and interviewed. Career maturity was assessed from interviews and compared to scores on standardized measures of parenting, part-time work attitudes, school attitudes, identity status, decidedness, self-clarity, and information about occupations and training. There were significant relationships between career maturity and the following: self-clarity, achievement identity status, moratorium identity status, diffusion identity status, and overall identity status. Relationships between career maturity and knowledge about occupations and training, parenting styles, part-time work attitudes, and school attitudes did not reach significant levels. Participants who were highly career mature were more aware of their traits, interests, strengths, and weaknesses in making career choices. Also, those participants who were highly career mature were more likely to have an achieved identity status and were less likely to be in moratorium or in the diffusion statuses. Suggestions for future refinement of the career maturity construct are also discussed. |