A multidimensional measure of work valences

A multidimensional measure of work valences

Porfeli E J; Lee B; Weigold I K

Journal of Vocational Behavior

2012

2012-04

Work valence is derived from expectancy-valence theory and the literature on children's vocational development and is presumed to be a general appraisal of work that emerges during the childhood period. Work valence serves to promote and inhibit the motivation and tasks associated with vocational development. A measure of work valence, composed of perceptions about future work experiences and affects, is developed and tested employing samples of high school and university students. Multi-group confirmatory factor models demonstrated that the Work Valence Scale (WVS) conformed to a hierarchical measurement model and may be employed to yield a general work valence construct or more specific positive and negative work valences. The WVS demonstrated metric invariance across the high school and university years. Criterion validity tests demonstrated that the general work valence was positively associated with work approach motivation and in-depth career exploration and negatively associated with work avoidance. Discriminant validity tests demonstrated that the positive and negative work valences and affectivities were only weakly correlated with general measures of affectivity. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Affect; career theory; covariance structure-analysis; development; emotion; experience; family; fit indexes; linkage hypothesis; measurement invariance; motivation; Psychology; socialization; transmission; Valence; vocational development; work

Journal Article

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