Realistic major previews in the school-to-college transition of Italian high school students

Industrial/organizational researchers have reported that realistic job previews diminish prospective workers' expectations but promote the satisfaction and persistence of those who ultimately accept a job assignment. The authors applied this strategy to the context of school-to-college transition; 354 Italian high school students were provided with a 2-hour lecture designed to simulate exposure to a college major of their choice. Students showed moderate pre-post increases in subject matter knowledge but reported small decreases in interests and outcome expectations (but not self-efficacy) related to the academic major to which they were exposed.