A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Three Computer-Assisted Career Guidance Systems: DISCOVER, SIGI, and SIGI PLUS.

Abstract One hundred and twenty-six volunteer students from an introductory psychology course at a large public southeastern university were randomly assigned to one of three computer-assisted career guidance (CACG) systems — SIGI, SIGI PLUS, and DISCOVER. The respective systems were compared in terms of an instrument developed to measure three constructs in CACG effectiveness: analysis, synthesis, and computer effect. Both the Occupational Alternative Question (Zener & Schnuelle, 1972; modified by Slaney, 1980) and the My Vocational Situation (Holland, Daiger, & Power, 1980a) inventories were included to assess the possible moderating effect of individual differences in the perception of CACG effectiveness. The results revealed that the majority of participants in each condition rated the CACG system to which they were assigned positively on all three constructs. While we concluded there were no practical differences in effectiveness among the three systems, students with a need for career information rated the lists of career options generated by SIGI and DISCOVER more favorably than those with no such need. Implications for further research on the use of CACG systems are discussed.

[1]  J. Sampson,et al.  Strategies for Counselor Intervention With a Computer‐Assisted Career Guidance System , 1979 .

[2]  G. Dungy.  Computer-Assisted Guidance: Determining Who Is Ready. , 1984 .

[3]  James P. Sampson,et al.  Introduction to evaluating computer-assisted career guidance systems , 1990 .

[4]  Frederick T. L. Leong,et al.  Career development status as a predictor of career intervention outcomes. , 1982 .

[5]  M. Katz.  A Model of Guidance for Career Decision‐Making , 1966 .

[6]  Denise C. Gottfredson,et al.  Some diagnostic scales for research in decision making and personality : identity, information, and barriers , 1980 .

[7]  J. Russell,et al.  Career indecision in adult women: A comparative and descriptive study , 1981 .

[8]  Pam Remer,et al.  Multiple Outcome Evaluation of a Life-Career Development Course. , 1984 .

[9]  James P. Sampson,et al.  Current Developments in Computer-Assisted Careers Guidance in the USA , 1991 .

[10]  H. B. Gelatt.  Decision-making: A conceptual frame of reference for counseling. , 1962 .

[11]  M. Savickas.  The Career Decision-Making Course: Description and Field Test , 1990 .

[12]  Joann H. Bowlsbey.  The Computer and the Decider , 1983 .

[13]  Peter C. Cairo.  Evaluating the Effects of Computer-Assisted Counseling Systems: A Selective Review , 1983 .

[14]  J. L. Holland,et al.  The effects of a career course on undecided college students , 1983 .

[15]  J. Sampson,et al.  Career Development and Services: A Cognitive Approach , 1991 .

[16]  R. B. Slaney.  Influence of Career Indecision on Treatments Exploring the Vocational Interests of College Women. , 1983 .

[17]  Robert D. Myrick,et al.  Interpersonal Groups or Computers? A Study of Career Maturity and Career Decidedness. , 1984 .

[18]  Martin R. Katz,et al.  Characteristics of Computer-Assisted Guidance , 1983 .

[19]  R. B. Slaney.  Expressed vocational choice and vocational indecision. , 1980 .

[20]  Martin R. Katz,et al.  SIGI: An Interactive Aid to Career Decision Making. , 1980 .

[21]  Robert C. Reardon,et al.  A differential feature-cost analysis of nine computer-assisted career guidance systems , 1990 .

[22]  J. Byrne,et al.  Amniotic band syndrome in early fetal life. , 1982, Birth defects original article series.

[23]  Spencer G. Niles,et al.  The Separate and Combined Effects of SIGI or DISCOVER and a Career Planning Course on Undecided University Students , 1990 .

[24]  R. B. Slaney,et al.  Relation of Career Indecision to Career Exploration with Reentry Women: A Treatment and Follow-up Study. , 1985 .

[25]  J. T. Kapes.  An Evaluation of the SIGI and Discover Microcomputer-Based Career Guidance Systems , 1989 .

[26]  B. Fretz.  Evaluating the effectiveness of career interventions. , 1981 .

[27]  Gary W. Peterson,et al.  The effect of a prior cognitive structuring intervention with computer-assisted career guidance , 1988 .