Maladaptive repetition and career construction

The role of repeated maladaptive relationship patterns established early in life has been widely studied with the goal of understanding the various factors and processes that contribute to and occur during development and psychological adaptation. The effects of maladaptive patterns have also been studied with regard to the goal of guiding interventions. The present article is intended to highlight the contribution of Career Construction Theory (CCT) for the integration of the concept of maladaptive repetition into the theory and practice of career counseling. It begins with a constructivist conceptualization of maladaptive repetition and proceeds to situate this concept within the contexts of both CCT and the constructivist conception of career indecision. The article then presents a case study, discusses difficulties that arise during career decision-making, and analyzes the maladaptive cycle rupture considering the client's perspective about her transformation

Drawing on the Innovative Moments Model during Career Construction Counseling to explain and foster client change

Career Construction Counseling (CCC) is a narrative intervention that supports individuals in the elaboration of narrative identity and career construction. The theory, research, and practice of this approach to career counseling has benefited from the Innovative Moments Model (IMM) to explain client change. Similar to CCC, the IMM is grounded on a narrative conception of human functioning, in which psychological difficulties arise from problematic self-narratives that constrain the meaning-making. Change takes place when clients challenge problematic self-narratives and construct new meanings that lead to new ways of behaving, thinking, or feeling. These novelties are termed innovative moments. The integration of IMM into the study of CCC has provided empirical evidence about the processes of client change throughout this intervention. Findings show that the transformation of a client’s self-narrative is associated with the aims of each session revealing a movement from a focus in structuring the past to an increased engagement in projecting the future. Moreover, results suggest the possibility of using IMs as process markers to guide counselors in facilitating client change during counseling sessions. The purpose of this chapter is to explain the contribution of IMM to CCC theory, research, and practice. We begin by presenting the Innovative Moments framework. Then we review CCC process research using the Innovative Moment’s framework. Finally, research implications for theory and practice of CCC are discussed

The effects of low-cost countries on Portuguese manufacturing import prices

This paper estimates the direct effect of low-cost countries on Portuguese manufacturing import prices, using detailed data both by product and by geographical market for the period 1997-2006. The results point to a negative but modest direct effect when compared with studies available for other countries. This is understandable given the lower share of low-cost countries in Portuguese imports. However, besides this direct effect, import prices were influenced by several other factors, some also related to the increasing presence of low-cost countries in international markets. Overall, this lower direct effect was not reflected in a differentiated evolution of manufacturing import prices in Portugal as its evolution was very close to the average of the euro area countries

What is behind the recent evolution of Portuguese terms of trade?

This paper analyses the evolution of Portuguese terms of trade over the last decades. Firstly, their evolution is described: (i) terms of trade registered an upward trend since the second half of the 80s, after the apparent stability observed since 1950; (ii) this was a generalized phenomenon across OECD countries; (iii) and it was specially linked to a very contained evolution of import prices. Secondly, terms of trade are broken down by groups of products, and their evolution is decomposed into two components. The first component results from differences in the composition of import and export baskets of goods (inter-sector specialization), while the second emerges from deviations from the law of one price in each sector (intra-sector segmentation). The results show that terms of trade developments were dominated by the specialization effects related to the evolution of oil prices. Excluding energy and focusing in the manufactured goods, the increase in terms of trade is strongly connected with the positive evolution of relative prices inside each sector, in particular in the usually designated traditional sectors: textiles, clothing and footwear. The effects of globalization on import prices and the structural changes in those manufacturing sectors in Portugal are pointed out as explanations for this phenomenon.

Life Design Counseling Group Intervention with Portuguese Adolescents: A Process and Outcome Study

This article examines the process and outcome of a life design counseling group intervention with students in Grades 9 and 12. First, we applied a quasi-experimental methodology to analyze the intervention’s effectiveness in promoting career certainty, career decision-making, self-efficacy, and career adaptability in a sample of 236 students. Second, focus groups comprising 33 participants were conducted, examining participants’ perceptions of the intervention process and outcome. Our findings showed that the intervention had a significant effect on both career certainty and career self-efficacy,but it had no effect on career adaptability. Our results also showed that My Career Story (MCS) had a stronger effect on Grade 12 students. Focus group participants reported on the usefulness of MCS, as well as on its benefits, which include increased information as well as a sense of direction, self-discovery,connection, and increased self-awareness. Grade 9 participants expressed more difficulties in narrating self-experience than Grade 12 participants did. Implications for future research and practice are discussed

Avaliação das expectativas de auto-eficácia nos papéis da carreira: O Inventário de Crenças de Auto-Eficácia Relativamente aos Papéis da Carreira

After the application of the Inventário de Crenças de Auto-eficácia Relativamente aos Papéis da Carreira (Vale 1997; ICARPC: Portuguese acronym for Self-Efficacy Beliefs Related to Career Roles Inventory) to a sample of 1005 Portuguese high school students, 488 grade 9 and 517 grade 12, the psychometric characteristics of ICARPC are analysed. The results confirm the ones obtained in previous research and support ICARPC’s reliability and validity. The practical implications of these findings concerning psychological intervention are discussed

Self-efficay beliefs and the relation between career planning and perception of barriers

This study tested the hypothesis that self-efficacy in career roles moderates the relation between perception of career barriers and career planning, in a study with Portuguese students, 488 in grade 9 and 517 in grade 12. The results supported the hypothesis only among grade 9 girls, showing that perception of career barriers leads to less career planning among girls low in self-efficacy. The findings suggest that variables such as gender and psychological maturity need to be considered in understanding career planning

Life Design Counseling: Evidence based practice for the improvement of human life

Life Design counseling aims to help clients re-author their narrative identity and to project new career plans

PERCEPÇÃO DE BARREIRAS DA CARREIRA: ESTUDO COM ESTUDANTES UNIVERSITÁRIOS COM INCAPACIDADE

The aim of this research is to analyze a perception of barriers to career developing for university students who have inabilities. Nineteen students, ranging from 19 to 45 years of age, belonging to different institutions of Higher Education, participated in this study. A semi-structured interview was used to assess career barriers and support system to their career development. The results reveal that some career barriers persist in the three career development moments assessed. Participants consider significant people and pedagogical assistances support the most important forms of support to their career development. The results are discussed regarding to their relevance to research and career development practice