Why We Made This:
Career decision-making is one of the most important and complex areas within industrial-organizational psychology. For EPPP test-takers, the sheer number of overlapping theories—each with different terms, timelines, and personality dimensions—can feel overwhelming. We created this PDF to bring clarity and structure to a topic often presented in fragmented ways. This resource unpacks key theories of career choice and job development using organized visuals, simplified definitions, relatable examples, and memory aids that facilitate easier recall. Whether you’re reviewing Holland’s RIASEC types, Super’s Life Rainbow, or Gottfredson’s compromise stages, this guide is designed to make abstract ideas tangible and test-ready.
 
Learning Objectives:
Understand foundational theories of career development, including Trait and Factor Theory, Holland’s Typology, and Super’s Life-Span, Life-Space Theory.
Identify key stages in career development across the lifespan and how identity, self-concept, and environmental context influence choices.
Compare the four career identity statuses from Marcia’s Identity. Development Theory and how they shape decision-making.
Describe Krumboltz’s Social Learning Theory and the role of genetics, environment, and learning in shaping career paths.
Distinguish between the four career concept types (linear, expert, spiral, transitory) in Driver and Brousseau’s model.
Apply Tiedeman and O’Hara’s career decision-making model and understand how it integrates Eriksonian stages.
Examine Roe’s Needs Theory and its connection to Maslow’s hierarchy and parent-child interactions.
Analyze Gottfredson’s theory of circumscription and compromise, including how self-concept, gender roles, and social valuation limit perceived career options over time.