Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

New perspectives on career counseling and guidance in Europe pp 23–37Cite as

Life Design in Adolescence: The Role of Positive Psychological Resources

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

When adolescents face times of crisis, two key resources are determinant for their personal and professional development: career adaptability and courage. Career adaptability is vital to increase adolescents’ ability to accept and handle the uncertainty and ambiguity of the world of work, whereas courage is crucial in this current period of historic change, as it seems to be a key resource for career decision-making in relation to perceived future risks. After a review of international research on these two dimensions, we present a cross-cultural study on the predictive role of career adaptability and courage among French, Greek, and Italian adolescents. Finally, we provide specific suggestions for career counseling and guidance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 469–480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blossfeld, H.-P., & Hofmeister, H. (2006). Globalization, uncertainity and women’s careers. An international comparison. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Brenot, J., Bonnefous, S., Marris, C. (1998). Testing the cultural theory of risk in France. Risk Analysis, 18, 729–739.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnham, J. J. (2009). Contemporary fears of children and adolescents: Coping and resiliency in the 21st century. Journal of Counseling & Development, 87, 28–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, C., & Huang, X. (2017). An exploration of courage in Chinese individuals. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12, 141–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danzin, E., Simonnet, V., Trancart, D. (2011). L’impact de la crise sur les trajectoires professionnelles des jeunes [Impact of economic crisis on youths’ career paths]. Centre d’Études de l’Emploi, Document de travail 146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duarte, M. E., & Rossier, J. (2008). Testing and assessment in an international context: Cross- and multi-cultural issues. In J. A. Athanasou, R. van Esbroeck (Eds.). International handbook of career guidance (pp. 489–510). Germany: Springer Science.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Eurofound (2012). NEETs–Young people not in employment, education or training: Characteristics, costs and policy responses in Europe. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eurostat (2016). Unemployment statistics. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Unemployment_statistics.

  • Ginevra, M. C., & Capozza, D. (2015). Il coraggio: dalle definizioni ad alcune considerazioni per le attività di counselling [Courage: From definition to some suggestions for counseling activities]. In L. Nota, S. Soresi (Eds.). Il counselling del futuro (pp. 111–122). Padova: Cleup.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ginevra, M. C., Pallini, S., Vecchio, G. M., Nota, L., Soresi, S. (2016). Future orientation and attitudes mediate career adaptability and decidedness. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 95–96, 102–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guichard, J. (2015). From vocational guidance and career counseling to life design dialogues. In L. Nota, J. Rossier (Eds.). Handbook of life design: From practice to theory and from theory to practice (pp. 11–26). Göttingen: Hogrefe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Han, H., & Rojewski, J. W. (2015). Gender-specific models of work-bound Korean adolescents’ social supports and career adaptability on subsequent job satisfaction. Journal of Career Development, 42, 149–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hannah, S. T., Sweeney, P. J., Lester, P. B. (2007). Toward a courageous mindset: The subjective act and experience of courage. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2, 129–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hannah, S. T., Sweeney, P. J., Lester, P. B. (2010). The courageous mind-set: A dynamic personality system approach to courage. In C. L. S. Pury & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), The psychology of courage: Modern research on an ancient virtue (pp. 125–148). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Howard, M. C., & Alipour, K. K. (2014). Does the courage measure really measure courage? A theoretical and empirical evaluation. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9, 449–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indices in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koerner, M. M. (2014). Courage as identity work: Accounts of workplace courage. Academy of Management Journal, 57, 63–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindwall, M., Barkoukis, V., Grano, C., Lucidi, F., Raudsepp, L., Liukkonen, J., et al. (2012). Method effects: The problem with negatively versus positively keyed items. Journal of Personality Assessment, 94, 196–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, A. J. (2011). Courage in the classroom: Exploring a new framework predicting academic performance and engagement. School Psychology Quarterly, 26, 145–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Negru-Subtirica, O., & Pop, E. I. (2016). Longitudinal links between career adaptability and academic achievement in adolescence. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 93, 163–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norton, P. J., & Weiss, B. J. (2009). The role of courage on behavioral approach in a fear-eliciting situation: A proof-of-concept pilot study. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 23, 212–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nota, L., Ginevra, M. C., Santilli, S. (2015). Life Design and prevention. In L. Nota & J. Rossier (Eds.), Handbook of Life Design: From practice to theory and from theory to practice (pp. 183–199). Göttingen: Hogrefe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pine, D. S., & Cohen, J. A. (2002). Trauma in children and adolescents: Risk and treatment of psychiatric sequelae. Biological Psychiatry, 51, 519–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porfeli, E. J., & Savickas, M. L. (2012). Career Adapt-Abilities Scale–USA Form: Psychometric properties and relation to vocational identity. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 748–753.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pouyaud, J., Vignoli, E., Dosnon, O., Lallemand, N. (2012). Career Adapt-Abilities Scale – France form: Psychometric properties and relationships to anxiety and motivation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 692–697.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pury, C. L. S., Starkey, C. B., Breeden, C. R., Kelley, C. L., Murphy, H. J., Lowndes, A. Y. (2014). Courage interventions. Future directions and cautions. In A. C. Parks, S. M. Schueller (Eds.). The Wiley Blackwell handbook of positive psychological interventions (pp. 168–178). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rachman, S. J. (1990). Fear and courage. 2nd ed New York: W.H. Freeman and Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rate, C. R., Clarke, J. A., Lindsay, D. R., Sternberg, R. J. (2007). Implicit theories of courage. Journal of Positive Psychology, 2, 80–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renn, O., & Rohrmann, B. (2000). Cross-cultural risk perception: A survey of empirical studies. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Rossier, J. (2015). Adaptability and life designing. In L. Nota, J. Rossier (Eds.). Handbook of life design: From practice to theory and from theory to practice (pp. 153–167). Göttingen: Hogrefe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Savickas, M. L., Nota, L., Rossier, J., Dauwalder, J.-P., Duarte, M. E., Guichard, J., et al. (2009). Life designing: A paradigm for career construction in the 21st century. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 75, 239–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savickas, M. L., & Porfeli, E. J. (2012). Career Adapt-Abilities Scale: Construction, reliability, and measurement equivalence across 13 countries. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 661–673.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, D., Argyropoulou, K., Drosos, N., Kaliris, A., Mikedaki, K. (2015). Exploring career management skills in higher education: Perceived self-efficacy in career, career adaptability and career resilience in Greek university students. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 14, 36–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, D., Mikedaki, K., Mylonas, K., Argyropoulou, K., Kaliris, A. (2016). Career Adapt-Abilities Scale – Greek form: Psychometric characteristics and relationships to self-esteem, gender, semester of study and working status in a sample of Greek university students. Manuscript submitted for publication.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soresi, S., Nota, L., Ferrari, L. (2012). Career Adapt-Abilities Scale - Italian Form: Psychometric properties and relationships to breadth of interests, quality of life, and perceived barriers. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80, 705–711.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van de Vijver, F., & Tanzer, N. K. (2004). Bias and equivalence in cross-cultural assessment: An overview. European Review of Applied Psychology, 54, 119–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vilhjálmsdóttir, G. (2015). Career counseling and the uniqueness of the individual adolescent. In L. Nota, J. Rossier (Eds.). Handbook of Life Design: From practice to theory and from theory to practice (pp. 103–116). Göttingen: Hogrefe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkins, K. G., Santilli, S., Ferrari, L., Nota, L., Tracey, T. J. G., Soresi, S. (2014). The relationship among positive emotional dispositions, career adaptability, and satisfaction in Italian high school students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 85, 329–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodman, D. (2011). Young people and the future: multiple temporal orientations shaped in interaction with significant others young. Nordic Journal of Youth Research, 19, 111–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuen, M., & Yau, J. (2015). Relation of career adaptability to meaning in life and connectedness among adolescents in Hong Kong. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 91, 147–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the significant support we received from several colleagues who contributed greatly to this research in all participating countries: Dr. Katerina Argyropoulou, Nadia Baatouche, Prof. Elisabetta Camussi, Dr. Julia Dimillo, Anthi Fountouka, Miltiadis Kanavos, Sotia Kaliri, Prof. Todd Lubart, Dr. Gian Luigi Lepri, Rosie McCready, Prof. Rachel Mulvey, Prof. Laura Nota, Prof. Patrizia Patrizi, Artemis Polydorou, Prof. Hazel Reid, Prof. Despoina Sidiropoulou-Dimakakou, Laurie Simpson, George Voulgaris, Panagiotis Vrakas, and Prof. Franck Zenasni.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paris Descartes University, Boulogne-Billancourt, France

    Laurent Sovet

  2. University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy

    Chiara Annovazzi & Maria Cristina Ginevra

  3. University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Andronikos Kaliris

  4. University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

    Ernesto Lodi

Authors
  1. Laurent Sovet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chiara Annovazzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Maria Cristina Ginevra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Andronikos Kaliris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ernesto Lodi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laurent Sovet .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. INETOP, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métie INETOP, Paris, France

    Valérie Cohen-Scali

  2. Inst. of Psych,Geopolis 4207, University of Lausanne Inst. of Psych,Geopolis 4207, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Jerome Rossier

  3. Dipartimento di Filosofia, Sociologia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata, Università di Padova Dipartimento di Filosofia, Sociologia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata, Padova, Italy

    Laura Nota

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Sovet, L., Annovazzi, C., Ginevra, M.C., Kaliris, A., Lodi, E. (2018). Life Design in Adolescence: The Role of Positive Psychological Resources. In: Cohen-Scali, V., Rossier, J., Nota, L. (eds) New perspectives on career counseling and guidance in Europe . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61476-2_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61476-2_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-61475-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-61476-2

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation