The dark side of vocational anticipatory socialization: The effect of socio-economic status and parents’ unsupportive career messages on the career confidence of emerging adults

Vocational anticipatory socialization examines how sources of career messages influence an individual’s career choice. Notably, parents are found to be the most influential VAS source, providing support in the career decision-making process. However, there is a lack of research examining unsupportive career messages received from parents. The study’s first objective is to understand the role of socioeconomic status or first-generation college students has in unsupportive career messages from parents. Second, the current study sought to examine how unsupportive messages from parents can undermine an emerging adult’s career decision-making process. An online survey was given to 292 college students (60.3% female, age M = 21.95; SD = 5.81) who were asked about their family’s socioeconomic status, first-generation college student status, and unsupportive career messages received from their fathers and mothers. They were also asked for reasons stopping them from going to their parents. Results showed that low socioeconomic status was associated with the receipt of unsupportive career messages received from both fathers and mothers. Unsupportive career messages from both fathers and mothers lead to a decrease in career confidence. Participants reported not going to their father due to relationship issues while not going to their mother due to differences in cultural expectations.