Career decidedness as a predictor of subjective well-being

Article history: Received 29 June 2010 Available online 24 July 2010 Forming, pursing, and achieving life tasks constitute important determinants of subjective well-being (SWB). A principal life task for emerging adults involves deciding about career goals. Prior research indicates that depression predicts SWB and may be linked to lower levels of career decidedness. We tested whether or not career decidedness predicts SWB above and beyond the influence of depression and other personality traits. We also examined whether or not career decidedness partially mediates depression's influence on SWB when controlled for personality effects. Undergraduate students (N=181; 65% female, 52% Asian) responded to measures of career decidedness, SWB, and personality. Results largely confirmed predictions. A partial mediator model indicated a direct relationship between decidedness and SWB not moderatedbygrade level, and an inverse relationship between thedepression facet ofneuroticism and both career decidedness and SWB. Findings further support career interventions to increase decidedness during the first year of college. © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.