臺灣大學生父母期待對焦慮未定向之影響：自主、生涯自我效能的連續中介效果

The Influence of Parental Expectations on Career Indecisiveness among Taiwanese University Students: The Sequential Mediating Roles of Autonomy and Career Self-Efficacy

臺灣受華人文化影響下，大學生的生涯方向深受父母期待的影響，但過往欠缺以父母期待探討對青年族群生涯發展影響的本土研究。本研究旨在探討臺灣大學生在父母期待下，經由「自主」與「生涯自我效能」作為連續中介變項，對於生涯之焦慮未定向的影響。本研究對象為臺灣的大學生，進行問卷調查法，回收259筆資料，採用SEM分析檢定研究假設，並以拔靴法（bootstrapping procedure）作為中介檢定之依據。結果顯示，當父母期待顯著正向影響自主時，將會顯著正向影響其生涯自我效能，進而顯著負向影響其焦慮未定向，分析結果證明自主與生涯自我效能在父母期待與焦慮未定向之間發揮連續中介效果，且中介效果顯著。換言之，臺灣大學生在華人文化影響的父母期待下如何減少焦慮未定向，需要同時透過提升自主與生涯自我效能。進一步分析結果顯示父母期待中的自覺期待之表現正向影響自主中的個體化自主（表達個人特質與行動而有獨立的自我認同），進而正向影響生涯自我效能，最後負向影響焦慮未定向。最後，依據研究結果提出建議，對於未來研究與生涯輔導實務上提供參考和運用。

Taiwan is a traditional Chinese society that is deeply influenced by Confucian culture. Parental expectations have always been a phenomenon worthy of attention because Confucian culture emphasizes family relationships. However, there has been a lack of local research on the impact of parental expectations on the career development of young people, or some cross-national studies have produced completely different results. The purpose of this study is to explore the continuous mediating effects of autonomy and career self-efficacy on the relationship between parental expectations and career indecisiveness among Taiwanese college students.
This study is based on 259 college students from three universities in northern, southern, and eastern Taiwan. The research instrument used in this study are: (1) Living up to Parental Expectations Scale, which is divided into two levels,“Perceived Parental Expectation Scale”and“Perceived Self-Performance Scale”; (2) The Adolescent Autonomy Scale, which includes“Individuating Autonomy Scale”that advocates individualism to achieve self-identity, and“Relating Autonomy Scale”that emphasizes harmony between individuals and groups and maintains the quality of interpersonal interactions; (3) Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale; and (4) Emotional and Personality Career Difficulties Scale, which focuses on the emotional and personality factors involved in decision-making difficulties.
This study also conducted correlation analysis between various variables, and the results showed that parental expectations have a significant positive correlation with autonomy. Among them,“perceived parental expectations”has a significant positive correlation with autonomy, and“conscious expression of expectations”has a significant positive correlation with autonomy. However, a closer look at its subscales shows that“perceived parental expectations”is not significant for individuating autonomy, relating autonomy and career self-efficacy. Perceived parental expectations only has a significant positive correlation with career indecisiveness; the other subscale,“perceived self-performance,”is significantly related to individuating autonomy, relating autonomy and career self-efficacy, and has a significant negative correlation with career indecisiveness. Regarding the relationship between autonomy, career self-efficacy and career indecisiveness variables, autonomy and career self-efficacy have a significant positive correlation. Take a deep dive into the subscales“individuating autonomy”and“relating autonomy”showed a significant positive correlation with career self-efficacy, among which only“individuating autonomy”showed a significant negative correlation with career indecisiveness. Breaking down the relationship between each variable and“career self-efficacy,”parental expectations have a significant positive correlation with career self-efficacy, and the greatest contribution comes from the“perceived self-performance”in parental expectations, which has a significant positive correlation. Autonomy has a significant positive correlation with career self-efficacy. Both subscales have a significant positive correlation with self-efficacy.“Individuating autonomy”and“relating autonomy”have a significant positive correlation with career self-efficacy. Carefully explore the relationship between each variable and“career indecisiveness,”career self-efficacy showed a significant negative correlation with career indecisiveness. The other subscales“perceived parental expectations”and“career indecisiveness”have a significant positive correlation;“perceived self-performance”and“career indecisiveness”show a significant negative correlation;“individuating autonomy”and“career indecisiveness”show a significant negative correlation. As for the correlation between various variables on career indecisiveness,“perceived parental expectations”of parental expectations is positively correlated with career indecisiveness, and“perceived self-performance”is negatively correlated with career anxiety and indecision. The“individuating autonomy”of dual autonomy is negatively correlated with career anxiety and indecision. Career self-efficacy is negatively related to career anxiety and indecision. On this basis, we will conduct more detailed research.
This study proposes the following hypotheses:
H1: Parental expectations have a significant impact on dual autonomy.
H1-a: Perceived parental expectations have a significant negative impact on individuating autonomy.
H1-b: Perceived parental expectations have a significant positive impact on relating autonomy.
H1-c: The perceived self-performance has a significant positive impact on individuating autonomy.
H1-d: The perceived self-performance has a significant positive impact on relating autonomy.
H2: Dual autonomy has a significant impact on career self-efficacy.
H2-a: Individuating autonomy has a significant positive impact on career self-efficacy.
H2-b: Relating autonomy has a significant positive impact on career self-efficacy.
H3: Career self-efficacy has a significant negative impact on career indecisiveness.
H4: Dual autonomy and career self-efficacy exert a continuous mediating effect between parental expectations and career indecisiveness.
H4-a: Individuating autonomy and career self-efficacy exert a continuous mediating effect between perceived parental expectations and career indecisiveness.
H4-b: Individuating autonomy and career self-efficacy exert a continuous mediating effect between the perceived self-performance and career indecisiveness.
H4-c: Relating autonomy and career self-efficacy exert a continuous mediating effect between perceived parental expectations and career indecisiveness.
H4-d: Relating autonomy and career self-efficacy exert a continuous mediating effect between the perceived self-performance and career indecisiveness.
This study uses SEM analysis to examine the research hypothesis, and takes advantage of the bootstrapping procedure as the basis for mediation verification. The research results show according to Figures 1 and 2 that Hypothesis 1 is supported: parental expectations positively affect dual autonomy. The hypotheses H1-a and H1-b are not established, but the hypotheses H1-c and H1-d are established: The perceived self-performance has a significant positive impact on individuating autonomy, and the perceived self-performance has a significant positive impact on relating autonomy. Hypothesis 2 is supported: Dual autonomy positively affects career self-efficacy. H2-a hypothesis is established: individuating autonomy has a significant positive impact on career self-efficacy. The H2-b hypothesis is not true. Hypothesis 3 is supported: Career self-efficacy negatively affects career indecisiveness. Hypothesis 4 is supported: Dual autonomy and career self-efficacy exert a continuous mediating effect between parental expectations and career indecisiveness. H 4-b is supported: individuating autonomy and career self-efficacy play a continuous mediating effect between the perceived self-performance and career indecisiveness.
According to the research results, when parental expectations have a significant positive impact on autonomy, they will have a significant positive impact on their career self-efficacy, which will then have a significant negative impact on their career indecisiveness. This study further used the bootstrapping procedure to conduct a continuous mediating effect. The analysis results proved that autonomy and career self-efficacy play a continuous mediating effect between parental expectations and career indecisiveness, and the mediating effect is significant (estimate = -.16, 95% CI = [-.36, -.06]). In other words, how Taiwanese college students can reduce their career indecisiveness under the expectations of their parents influenced by traditional Chinese culture requires simultaneously improving their autonomy and career self-efficacy. When we further analyzed the subscales, the results showed that“parental expectations”had a significant positive predictive effect on“dual autonomy,”and the subscale“perceived self-performance”had a significant positive impact on“individuating autonomy”and“relating autonomy.”Dual autonomy has a positive impact on career self-efficacy, and individuating autonomy has a significant positive impact on career self-efficacy. Career self-efficacy negatively affects career indecisiveness. Overall, the perceived self-performance in parents’expectations positively affects individuating autonomy in autonomy (having an independent self-identity in expressing personal traits and actions), which then positively affects career self-efficacy, and finally negatively affects career indecisiveness. Therefore, it can be said that how Taiwan college students can reduce their career indecisiveness under the influence of parental expectations influenced by Chinese culture requires improving the perceived self-performance and at the same time increasing individuating autonomy and career self-efficacy. Finally, suggestions are made based on the research results to provide reference and application for future research and career counseling practice.