Adaptation and Psychometric Evidence of the Work Volition Scale - Student Version to Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/Abstract
The Psychology of Working Theory has achieved notable prominence in career studies for its focus on how various - both individual and contextual - influence careers and job outcomes. “Volition” stands out as one of the key elements of this theory, representing the individuals’ ability to make career choices despite obstacles. This study aimed to adapt and validate both internal and external structures of the Work Volition Scale - Student Version (WVS-SV) to Brazil. A total of 590 university students from public and private institutions of varied courses and semesters, mostly women (59%), took part in the study. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the scale effectively measured two dimensions: volition and constraints. External evidence, including satisfaction with life and career, supported the theoretical aspects of this construct. The results indicated good psychometric properties of the scale to the Brazilian setting, contributing to a better understanding of career choices among university students.
Downloads
References
Ahn, J., Kim, H.-W., & Lee, J.-Y. (2017). Career calling and well-being among South Korean adult workers: Living a calling and work volition as mediators. Psychologia, 60(3), 132-146. https://doi.org/10.2117/psysoc.2019-A001
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2117/psysoc.2019-A001
Allan, B. A., Garriott, P., Ko, S.-J. S., Sterling, H. M., & Case, A. S. (2023). Classism, work volition, life satisfaction, and academic satisfaction in college students: A longitudinal study. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 16(1), 66-75. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000221
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000221
Blustein, D. L. (2019). The importance of work in an age of uncertainty: The eroding work experience in America. Oxford University Press.
Brown, T. A. (2015). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research (2nd ed.). Guilford.
Buyukgoze-Kavas, A., Duffy, R. D., & Douglass, R. P. (2015). Exploring links between career adaptability, work volition, and well-being among Turkish students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 90, 122-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2015.08.006
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2015.08.006
Cheung, F., Ngo, H., & Leung, A. (2020). Predicting work volition among undergraduate students in the United States and Hong Kong. Journal of Career Development, 47(5), 565-578. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845318803469
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845318803469
Duffy, R. D., Blustein, D. L., Diemer, M. A., & Autin, K. L. (2016). The psychology of working theory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63(2), 127-148. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000140
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000140
Duffy, R. D., Diemer, M. A., & Jadidian, A. (2012). The development and initial validation of the Work Volition Scale-Student version. The Counseling Psychologist, 40(2), 291-319. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000011417147
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000011417147
Duffy, R. D., Douglass, R. P., & Autin, K. L. (2015). Career adaptability and academic satisfaction: Examining work volition and self efficacy as mediators. Journal of Vocational Behavior , 90, 46-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2015.07.007
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2015.07.007
Ferrando, P. J., & Lorenzo-Seva, U. (2018). Assessing the quality and appropriateness of factor solutions and factor score estimates in exploratory item factor analysis. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 78(5), 762-780. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164417719308
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164417719308
Hair, J. F., Jr., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (2006). Multivariant data analysis (6th ed.). Pearson.
Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira. (2019). Censo da Educação Superior 2018: Notas estatísticas. https://download.inep.gov.br/educacao_superior/censo_superior/documentos/2019/censo_da_educacao_superior_2018-notas_estatisticas.pdf
Giacomoni, C. H. & Hutz, C. S. (1997). A mensuração do bem-estar subjetivo: Escala de afeto positivo e negativo e escala de satisfação de vida
International Test Commission. (2017). The ITC guidelines for translating and adapting tests (2nd ed.). https://www.intestcom.org/files/guideline_test_adaptation_2ed.pdf
» https://www.intestcom.org/files/guideline_test_adaptation_2ed.pdf
Junior, J., Brasil, G. C., Carneiro, T.C., C & Corassa, M.A (2016). Fatores Associados à Evasão e Conclusão de Cursos de Graduação Presenciais na UFES. Revista Meta: Avaliação. https://doi.org/10.22347/2175-2753v8i24.1073.
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.22347/2175-2753v8i24.1073
Kim, T., Autin, K. L., & Allan, B. A. (2023). An examination of psychology of working theory with immigrant workers in the United States. Journal of Career Assessment, 31(1), 190-206. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727221105023
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727221105023
Kwon, J. E. (2019). Work volition and career adaptability as predictors of employability: Examining a moderated mediating process. Sustainability, 11(24), 7089. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11247089
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/su11247089
Lima, M., & Campos, L. (2020). Apresentação: Inclusão racial no ensino superior: Impactos, consequências e desafios [Introduction: Racial inclusion in higher education: Impacts, consequences and challenges]. Novos Estudos CEBRAP, 39(2), 245-254. https://doi.org/10.25091/s01013300202000020001
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.25091/s01013300202000020001
Masdonati, J., Massoudi, K., Blustein, D. L., & Duffy, R. D. (2022). Moving Toward Decent Work: Application of the Psychology of Working Theory to the School-to-Work Transition. Journal of Career Development , 49(1), 41-59. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845321991681
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845321991681
Medvide, M. B., Kozan, S., Blustein, D. L., & Kenny, M. E. (2019). School to work transition of non-college bound youth: An integration of the life design paradigm and the psychology of working theory. In J. G. Maree (Ed.), Handbook of innovative career counselling (pp. 157-172). Springer Nature.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2016). Education at a glance 2016: OECD indicators. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2016_eag-2016-en
» https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2016_eag-2016-en
Pires, F.M., Ribeiro, M. A & Andrade, A. L. (2020). Teoria da Psicologia do Trabalhar: uma perspectiva inclusiva para orientação de carreira. Revista Brasileira de Orientação Profissional, 21(2), 203-214. https://doi.org/10.26707/1984-7270/2020v21n207
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.26707/1984-7270/2020v21n207
Putnick, D. L., & Bornstein, M. H. (2016). Measurement invariance conventions and reporting: The state of the art and future directions for psychological research. Developmental Review, 41, 71-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2016.06.004
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2016.06.004
Rossier, J., & Ouedraogo, A. (2021). Work volition, decent work, and work fulfilment, in the formal and informal economy in Burkina Faso. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 49(2), 255-271. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2021.1879991
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2021.1879991
Sales Junior, J., Brasil, G., Carneiro, T., & Corassa, M. (2016). Fatores Associados à Evasao e Conclusao de Cursos de Graduação Presenciais na UFES. Revista Meta: Avaliação , 8(24), 488 - 514. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.22347/2175-2753v8i24.1073
» https://doi.org/doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.22347/2175-2753v8i24.1073
Silva, M. Z, & Andrade, A. L (2016). Avaliando pensamentos negativos sobre a carreira: o desenvolvimento de uma medida (EPNC). Revista Brasileira de Orientação Profissional , 17(2), 175-187. http://pepsic.bvsalud.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-33902016000200006&lng=pt&tlng=pt
» http://pepsic.bvsalud.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-33902016000200006&lng=pt&tlng=pt
Streiner, D. L., & Kottner, J. (2014). Recommendations for reporting the results of studies instrument and scale development and testing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(9), 1970-1979. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12402
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12402
Tassinari, T. T., Honnef, F., Arboit, J., Langendorf, T. F., Paula, C. C., & Padoin, S. M. M. (2022). Violencia de gênero em mulheres estudantes universitárias: Evidências sobre a prevalência e sobre os fatores associados [Gender-based violence among female university students: Evidence of prevalence and associated factors]. Acta Colombiana de Psicología, 25(1), 105-120. https://doi.org/10.14718/acp.2022.25.1.8
» https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.14718/acp.2022.25.1.8
Teixeira, M. d. O. O., Nierotka, R. L., Balsanello, G., & Bonamino, A. M. C. d. (2022). Who and where are the higher education blind students in Brazil? Recuperado de: https://www.lareferencia.info/vufind/Record/BR_bb1869ca2278994e17ebb5c4f600039e/Details#tabnav
» https://www.lareferencia.info/vufind/Record/BR_bb1869ca2278994e17ebb5c4f600039e/Details#tabnav
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Paidéia (Ribeirão Preto)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Regarding the availability of contents, Paideia adopts the Creative Commons License, CC-BY. With this licence anyone is allowed to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, as well as to remix, transform, and create from the material for any purpose, even commercial, giving the proper copyright credits to the journal, providing a link to the licence and indicating if changes have been made.
Partial reproduction of other publications
Quotations of more than 500 words, reproductions of one or more figures, tables or other illustrations must have written permission from the copyright holder of the original work for the reproduction specified in the Paidéia journal. Permission should be addressed to the author of the submitted manuscript. Secondarily obtained rights will not be transferred under any circumstance.
