A test of a social cognitive model for middle school students: Math and science

This study tested Propositions 1, 3, and 4 of the R. W. Lent, S. D. Brown, and G. Hackett (1994) social cognitive model with ethnically diverse middle school students (N = 380): that an individual's vocational interests are reflective of his or her concurrent self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectations, that self-efficacy beliefs affect choice goals and actions, and that outcome expectations affect choice goals and action. R. W. Lent et al. (1994) also proposed that demographic and individual difference variables (such as gender or race-ethnicity) mediate learning experiences that play a role in forming self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectations. The study investigated a model in which age and gender were represented as antecedent conditions to learning experiences. Self-efficacy was modeled to have both a direct influence on interests and an indirect influence on interests through outcome expectancies. Finally, intentions were modeled to be influenced by self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and interests. Results support the R. W. Lent et al. Propositions 1, 3, and 4 for this middle school population.