Browsing by Author "Dik, Bryan J., advisor"
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Item Open Access A pictorial version of the RIASEC scales of the Personal Globe Inventory(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009) Enke, Serena, author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Bloom, Larry J., advisorHolland's theory of six work personalities has become a staple of vocational psychology, providing a robust and simple model for understanding the structure of vocational interests. Though Holland's types provide a common vocabulary for vocational psychologists working with a variety of populations, until this point there has not been a measure of Holland types that is accessible to vocational clients with reduced reading levels. In an effort to fill this gap in assessment materials, a pictorial Holland-based vocational interest inventory was created by translating the short form of the Personal Globe Inventory (PGI; Tracey, 2002) into images. Each item on the short-form PGI was translated into two line drawings representing a woman and a man engaging in each activity. The pictorial translation was used to assess 290 women and 247 men who also completed the target PGI items in English. Evidence for reliability and validity of the scale scores was assessed; scores on the pictorial translation scales were shown to be internally consistent and stable over two weeks. Scores from the pictorial PGI were also shown to correlate strongly with corresponding scale scores on the verbal PGI. Analyses using Circular Unidimensional Scaling demonstrated that the results from the pictorial instrument fit Holland's circular model of interests as well as his proposed order of scales around the circle. Implications for counseling practice and directions for future research and scale development are explored.Item Open Access Alexithymia, meaning, and well-being: how emotional processes relate to meaning in life and calling in career(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) O'Connor, William F., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Rickard, Kathryn M., committee member; Peila-Shuster, Jacqueline J., committee memberEmotional factors such as positive affect and empathy have been proposed as key factors influencing the constructs of meaning in life and calling in career. Alexithymia, or difficulty identifying and describing one's emotional experience, represents an emotional factor that has not been examined in relationship to either meaning in life or calling. This study used self-report measures to examine relationships between meaning in life, alexithymia, and psychological well- being along with relationships between calling, alexithymia, and career development well-being. Results revealed a significant, negative relationship between alexithymia and meaning in life. Furthermore, analyses provided evidence that meaning in life partially mediated the relationship between alexithymia and psychological well-being variables. The relationship between calling and alexithymia was non-significant. Results suggest that the ability to identify and describe one's emotions and discernment of meaning in one's life are linked and jointly influence psychological well-being. Limitations of the current study and implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.Item Open Access Calling and meaningful work among student military veterans: impact on well-being and experiences on campus(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Doenges, Timothy Joseph, author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Steger, Michael F., committee member; Swaim, Randall C., committee member; Banning, James H., committee memberThe population of military veterans in the United States is now greater than 23 million people, and the number of veterans attending college is increasing as a result of the passing of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Very little research has examined the role of meaningful work in the experiences of student veterans who are transitioning from military service to civilian life and student life. The present study utilized a mixed-method design. Regression analyses examined the role that meaningful work and calling play in the levels of well-being reported by military veterans in college. This study also examined the role of social support in student veterans' well-being, and utilized qualitative research methods to gather data about student veterans' college experiences. Results indicated that calling, meaningful work and social support are significantly associated with the components of well-being. Social support was found to moderate the relationship between meaningful work and negative affect. Qualitative data revealed themes of frustration with college administrative procedures, positive regard for military service and its impact on college performance, and social relationships that are significantly impacted by veteran status.Item Open Access Conceptualizing calling: a typological approach(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Shimizu, Adelyn B., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; Becker, Anthony, committee memberThe topic of calling, the work orientation associated most deeply with a sense of meaningful work (e.g., Bunderson & Thompson, 2009), has received increased interest and research within the last several decades. However, the field is plagued by confusion regarding what the calling concept entails and for whom. This present study addresses these two concerns within a sample (N = 588) of U.S. undergraduate students. First, a two-step cluster analysis method was employed to build upon the only previous typological study of calling (i.e., Hirschi, 2011) with the purpose of better understanding the patterns of vocational identity characteristics for those with a sense of calling. A two-cluster solution was determined which differed significantly on sense of calling; other key differences between the two clusters included the importance placed on work versus religion and the emphasis on self-enhancement and prosocial work values. These two clusters are similar to two of Hirschi's (2011) three calling clusters and the similarities and differences between the two studies findings are discussed. Second, the taxometric method was also used to discern if this lack of consensus and the diverse array of scholarly definitions of calling is reflective of two distinct types of calling within its latent structure. An indicator set was created to fully represent all understandings of the concept of calling using a combination of one dimension representing a "Modern" understanding of calling (i.e., the Calling Scale - Dobrow and Tosti-Kharas, 2011) and three dimensions representing Neo-Classical understandings of calling (i.e., the Calling and Vocation Questionnaire - Dik et al., 2012). This indicator set was then analyzed using three statistically non-redundant taxometric procedures (i.e., MAXEIG, MAMBAC, and L-Mode). These taxometric results strongly support the latent structure of calling as dimensional (i.e., not categorical) and therefore did not support the hypothesis. These findings have important practical implications for causality, labeling, and measurement. While subsequent research is needed, the results of the present study point to the possibility that differences in how individuals define calling are reflective of personal characteristics influencing which aspects of calling are emphasized.Item Embargo Development of the situational momentary meaningfulness questionnaire (SMMQ)(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Marsh, Dylan R., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Steger, Michael F., advisor; Eakman, Aaron M., committee member; Tompkins, Sara, committee memberMeaning is widely considered an important component of well-being (Diener et al., 2010; Ryff, 1989; Seligman, 2012). Research on meaning has burgeoned within the social sciences with the preponderance of extant literature on the construct focused on individuals' senses of meaningfulness in their overall lives. This focus has led to a relative shortage of conceptual and empirical literature on meaningfulness as it may occur at more granular levels of subjective experience. In turn, there is a paucity of psychometrically sound instruments capable of measuring meaningfulness at more immediate levels of experience. The present research sought to help ameliorate these concerns by (1) presenting a framework delineating levels at which meaningfulness experiences may occur and (2) creating the Situational Momentary Meaningfulness Questionnaire (SMMQ), a scale designed to measure situational momentary meaningfulness (SM-Meaningfulness) across three interrelated dimensions: coherence, purpose, and significance. To develop the SMMQ, the present research involved conducting two studies, which were cross-sectional surveys administered to samples of undergraduate students. Study 1 was designed to establish an appropriate factor structure for the SMMQ using factor analytic methods, as well as examine psychometric qualities of reliability regarding the SMMQ and its dimensions. Study 2 was designed to (1) test the replication of the factor structure identified in Study 1 in a separate sample, (2) examine correlations between SMMQ scores and an array of criterion variables toward establishing validity evidence, and (3) use t-tests to discern if the SMMQ and its dimensions could detect differences between two situations which would be sensibly expected to significantly vary in their levels of SM-Meaningfulness. These studies resulted in establishing an SMMQ composed of factors of SM-Coherence, SM-Purpose, and SM-Significance, which demonstrated good fit across both studies. Study 2 showed preliminary evidence of construct validity through mostly expected correlations between SMMQ scores and other variables. Results of t-tests suggested that all dimensions of the SMMQ were significantly higher for self-reported meaningful situations in comparison to randomly selected prior-day situations. Directions for future research that could expand upon the preliminary findings presented herein are discussed.Item Open Access How women's calling for science careers relates to psychological predictors of persistence in science(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Reed, Kaitlyn A., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Henry, Kim, committee member; Bloodhart, Brittany, committee member; Chavez, Ernest, committee member; Fischer, Emily, committee memberSociety is lacking numbers and diversity of trained scientists to address important key problems. Undergraduate women have been identified as a group that leaves the science-career pipeline at high rates (NSF, 2015), though researchers have highlighted science self-efficacy, identity, values, and intentions, as critical predictors of their persistence (Estrada et al., 2011). The current study proposes and investigates a new predictor of women's persistence in science: perceiving a calling as a scientist. Perceiving a calling predicts career development tasks and outcomes that are similar to known predictors of women's persistence in science (Hirschi, 2012). The present study explores if and how calling as a scientist relates to undergraduate women's science self-efficacy, identity as a scientist, interest in science, scientific community values, and intentions to pursue science. Bivariate correlations suggest perceiving a calling as a scientist is positively related to undergraduate women's science self-efficacy, identity as a scientist, prosocial values of the scientific community, and intentions to pursue science. Using Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as a framework, the hypothesis that the relationship between perceiving a calling as a scientist and intentions to pursue science is mediated by science self-efficacy and science identity (respectively) was supported. Explanations and implications of all investigated relationships are discussed. This study establishes calling as a new predictor, and SCCT as useful framework, for continued investigation of women's persistence in science.Item Open Access Meaning making and faith-work integration: a qualitative study of university students(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Alayan, Alexandra J., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Crain, Tori, committee memberRecent interest in the interface of religion, spirituality, and work has grown, with scholarly developments in the areas of the Faith at Work movement, workplace spirituality, and vocational psychology. Most research exploring religion/spirituality and work has focused on working adults. To date, research examining religion/spirituality and career choice and development has been sparse, despite calls for further research in this area. The current study used a meaning- making approach to explore religion/spirituality and work integration related to career development in an undergraduate student population. Written responses from 170 religiously- identifying students were coded and analyzed using a six-phase inductive qualitative thematic analysis approach. Several themes related to students' experiences of faith-work integration emerged, including support and comfort, calling/purpose, guidance and influence on ethics and values, path/plan, prosocial, separation/boundaries, lifestyle impact, work fact, personal fit and fulfillment, talents/strengths, and work ethic. Of note, many participant responses were coded into two or three themes. These findings indicate that for many undergraduate students who identify as highly religious, their religious belief systems do play a role in their career development process. Also, undergraduate students seek to integrate their religion/spirituality and their career development process in ways that do not neatly fit into single integration strategies, particularly during developmental stages characterized by discovery, exploration and crystallization. Future research should continue to explore formal integration typologies related to career development within undergraduate student populations to provide added insight in this area.Item Open Access Randomized trial of a narrative career intervention on college student calling and career development(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Dale, Kaitlyn A., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Prince, Mark, committee member; Davalos, Deana, committee member; Rickard, Kathryn, committee member; Pela-Shuster, Jackie, committee member"Who am I?" and "What is my purpose?" are questions salient of emerging adulthood; a stage characterized by active self-exploration and reflection (Arnett, 2016). Autobiographical narrative reflection is a mechanism by which individuals develop greater continuity and clarity of self (Habermas & Bluck, 2000; McAdams, 2001). Recent career development theories apply this lens, emphasizing the importance of developing and maintaining a sense of vocational identity useful in navigating career transitions (Savickas, 2005). Consistent with these models, the concept of calling (i.e., a transcendent summons toward purposeful work that serves the greater good) offers a pathway through which individuals can connect their career lives with their deepest values and goals (Dik & Duffy, 2009). Although numerous studies have linked calling to positive career and wellbeing outcomes, research on calling interventions is sparse. The present study aims to address this gap in the research literature by experimentally testing a calling-infused narrative career intervention with the intention of boosting participant's career calling and career development. This study also introduces a new mechanism for engaging in narrative meaning-making processes: peer-to-peer storytelling. Using a randomized control trial (RCT) design, this study compared the effectiveness of a writing intervention to a peer-sharing intervention with the intention of increasing participants' career exploration, career adaptability, search and presence of calling, and search and presence of meaning. Potential moderators of these effects including participant gender and perceived authenticity were examined. While many results were non-significant due to insufficient statistical power, several small to medium effect sizes were identified. Compared to the control condition, presence of calling increased in both experimental conditions. When search for calling was examined as an outcome variable, a significant interaction occurred; participants in the writing condition reported decreased search for calling and participants in the peer sharing condition reported increased search for calling. Results provide initial support that engaging in narrative reflection to foster a sense of calling is useful for promoting college student career development. Limitations and future directions are discussed.Item Open Access Structure of calling and vocation across gender and age cohort(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2010) Eldridge, Brandy M., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Byrne, Zinta S., committee member; Feller, Richard William, committee member; Swaim, Randall C., committee memberThe Calling and Vocation Questionnaire (CVQ) is a measure based on Dik and Duffy's (2009) theoretical conceptualization of calling, which includes three dimensions: (1) a transcendent summons, (2) deriving or expressing meaning or purpose through work, and (3) prosocial orientation in work. Additionally, this definition posits two overarching aspects of calling: presence and search. Research has established the CVQ as a reliable, valid psychological instrument for the purpose of measuring calling. The present study sought to evaluate the structure of the measurement model of the CVQ by conducting confirmatory multigroup analysis within the structural equation model paradigm using four groups of college students: women and men in the first year, and women and men in the last year of their undergraduate degree program. The purpose was to assess the utility of the CVQ as a psychological measure for college students in general; that is, if the measurement model operates similarly across groups, the CVQ can be employed with increased confidence with college students, regardless of their subgroup membership (e.g., year in school, gender). Participants were students recruited from an institution of higher education in the Western United States. Results indicated that the initially proposed measurement model of the CVQ did not provide a good fit to the data. The model was modified by assigning all prosocial orientation items related to search for calling to the presence of calling factor, resulting in good model fit for all groups. Multigroup analyses indicated the revised measurement model remained consistent across all four groups, with the exception of one factor loading. Additional analyses were conducted assessing differences in means scores between the four groups. Results indicated no significant differences in presence of or search for calling across age cohort. Significant gender differences were found, whereby women scored higher than men on both presence of and search for calling. These results were confounded, however, by unequal distribution of majors between women and men. Based on these results, it was concluded that the CVQ shows promise as a measure with utility across various groups of college students. Future directions for research and practice are also explored.Item Open Access The dark side of calling: a partial test of the work as calling theory (WCT) using the veterinarian occupational well-being study (VOWS)(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Moody, Adelyn B., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Fisher, Gwenith, committee member; Conner, Bradley T., committee member; McGrew, Ashley K., committee memberAlthough research on the concept of calling has blossomed in the last several decades, less is known about how and when having a calling may lead to less desirable outcomes (i.e., the so-called "dark side" of calling). Recently, the Work as Calling Theory (WCT - Duffy, Dik, Douglass, England, & Velez, 2018) proposed certain working conditions and individual characteristics that may lead to these negative outcomes. Many veterinarians experience lower psychological well-being (e.g., depression, thoughts of suicide, moral distress) as a result of occupational stressors and job characteristics. According to WCT, this may paradoxically be attributed to the reported likelihood that a high number of veterinarians find their work deeply meaningful and identify their work as a calling, often from a very early age. Using path analysis techniques with a sample of associate veterinarians (n = 149), the current study found support for the hypothesized relationships between living a calling and job satisfaction, which was mediated by the disengagement aspect of burnout. The relationship between living a calling and disengagement was found to be moderated by perfectionistic standards, in that, for individuals with both high perfectionistic standards and high sense of calling, increased disengagement was reported. Furthermore, while interpretation should be made with caution, the results indicated that the exhaustion subscale of burnout was also associated with living a calling and job satisfaction and acted as a mediator. Finally, the hypothesized moderators of living a calling and several characteristics of the work environment (i.e., coworker and supervisor support) and personality traits (i.e., conscientiousness, need for achievement, and self-esteem) demonstrated some relationships with burnout, and provide tentative, initial starting points to be more fully explored in other studies. This study contributes to the field in providing initial support for some of the proposed relationships within WCT and has several practical implications for veterinarians.Item Open Access The experience of career change driven by a sense of calling: an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Ahn, Jina, author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Rickard, Kathryn, committee member; Fisher, Gwen, committee member; Eakman, Aaron M., committee memberThe present study used a qualitative methodology to examine how a sense of calling is related to the career change process. Interviews were conducted with eight career changers who perceived their career transition as a way to fulfill a calling. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), eight categories were elicited: prior to career change, pre-transition period, process of discerning a calling, definition of calling, challenges of pursuing a calling-infused career, ways of dealing with challenges, impact of a calling-infused career change, and unique aspects of a calling-infused career change. Generally, interviewees were satisfied with their calling-infused career transitions and reported greater levels of well-being in the area of work and personal life. In-depth self-exploration and making meaning from challenging experiences were addressed as a way to discern a calling. Interviewees defined calling as a source of fulfillment, a way to serve the greater good at work, a spiritual conviction that one is doing what one is meant to do, and a part of one’s identity. As unique characteristics of calling-infused career change, interviewees indicated that their career changes happened with altruistic motives and in the pursuit of intrinsic rewards. Interviewees also reported feeling blessed to be able to live out their calling and viewed pursuing a calling as an ongoing process.Item Embargo Vocational Discernment Through Faith Scale: development and validation(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Alayan, Alexandra J., author; Dik, Bryan J., advisor; Anderson, Sharon, committee member; Prince, Mark, committee member; Gibbons, Alyssa, committee memberPeople who identify as religious/spiritual may pray for direction and then wait until a clear response is received, however, theologians have argued that God has historically guided career paths indirectly through one's utilization of resources aiding in self-reflection and career discernment. Practical career development recommendations have encouraged students who may identify as religious or spiritual to take active discernment approaches instead of passive discernment approaches within the career decision-making process. There is a paucity of research quantitatively exploring the role of religion/spirituality in one's career decision-making process. The current project involved two studies designed to comprehensively explore and investigate the validity and reliability of the Vocational Discernment Through Faith Scale, which quantitatively measured the constructs of passive discernment and active discernment approaches to the career decision-making process. Participants were undergraduate students at Colorado State University, a large Western (U.S.) public university, recruited from the population of students enrolled in introductory psychology courses. Results indicated initial evidence of psychometrically sound qualities of a condensed two-factor scale that showed adequate to good fit across factor analysis processes using both Exploratory Factor Analysis (Study One) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (Study Two). Results also suggested strong internal consistency reliability for the two dimensions of the scale, and promising test-retest reliability results. These results are promising, and point to the need for future research that continues to investigate the factor structure of the Vocational Discernment through Faith Scale.