Psychosocial identity and career control in college student-athletes

This study explored relations between career decision-making self-efficacy, career locus of control, identity foreclosure, and athletic identity among 189 collegiate student-athletes. Student-athletes were also surveyed regarding the amount of time spent weekly participating in their sport and their expectations for professional sport careers. Results indicated that hours of sport participation, identity foreclosure, and career locus of control inversely related to career decision-making self-efficacy. These findings suggest that extensive hours in sport participation, failure to explore alternative roles, and the belief that one's career outcomes are unaffected by one's actions are associated with lower self-efficacy for career decision-making tasks. In addition, student-athletes reported spending anywhere from 20 to 30 or more hours per week participating in their sport, yet few expressed an expectation to advance to the professional rank. (C) 2000 Academic Press.