In a classic social psychology text, Ross and Nisbett (1991) remind us of an old joke about three baseball umpires discussing their decisions. The first umpire tells his colleagues, “I call ‘em as I see ‘em.” The second umpire replies, “I call ‘em as they are.” Then, the third umpire says, “They ain’t nothin’ ‘til I call ‘em.” The three umpires concisely highlight psychological principles that apply to many kinds of judgment and decision-making. Umpires (and the rest of us) depend on their beliefs as they forge reality through their decisions.
We recently analyzed undergraduates’ career-related beliefs, specifically focusing on beliefs that are often labeled as myths by career development experts (Segrist & Rose, 2024). An example of a career myth is this statement from a questionnaire we used in our study: “It’s essential to make the right career choice since I’ll remain in that career for life.”
We hypothesized that endorsing career myths could be emotionally detrimental to college students. After all, a student who (for example) believes they are very likely to remain in the same career until retirement (which is less true for most professionals than it is for tenured educators) may feel more anxiety about choosing a major and career than peers who recognize how fluid most people’s careers actually are. In our study, we found that although students’ belief in career myths was relatively low, the more strongly students believed such myths, the more anxiety they had about decisions regarding careers and academic majors.
Campus career development centers provide an invaluable avenue for students to receive helpful career-related tools and resources. However, data suggest these services are often underutilized (Flaherty, 2023). Given our frequent interactions with students, can we, as educators, do anything to address students’ career-related anxiety and inaccurate beliefs that might fuel feelings of anxiety? Educational activities might be a good place to start. But research on debunking gives us reason to keep our expectations modest, while carefully considering which teaching strategies might work best. Many straightforward educational interventions for correcting misconceptions do not work well (cf. Chan & Albarracín, 2023).
A recent meta-analysis demonstrated that, when false beliefs are negative or upsetting (as many career myths are), highly detailed debunkings are more efficacious than simple counterstatements (Chan & Albarracín, 2023). For example, simply telling students that choosing their major does not necessarily determine their multidecade career may not be that effective. What may be better is describing detailed examples of alumni who are now working in satisfying jobs that lack a straightforward connection to what they majored in many years ago. Tracing the stepwise evolution of such careers (e.g., she landed an entry-level human resources job upon graduating; years later she became a vice president of human resources at a not-for-profit; she is now an interim director of a charitable foundation) may provide the kind of detail that students need to lay some career myths to rest.
One of us (DS) frequently shares with students the majors their psychology instructors had before majoring in psychology, as well as any jobs these instructors had before becoming professors. Self-disclosing our own surprising career trajectories can debunk commonly held career myths and normalize non-linear career paths.
Fortunately, many free resources are available to help psychology instructors creatively address career myths and associated anxiety. APA’s Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major (Version 3.0; APA, 2023)—particularly Goal 5: Personal and Professional Development—advocates that psychology programs address students’ career development issues and needs. Reviewing these guidelines may bring to mind stories and data that help instructors proactively reduce students’ anxiety about career decisions.
In addition, APA provides some relevant career data and resources through its Center for Workforce Studies. Sections of this web site such as Datapoints and Workforce Facts may be particularly useful for providing accurate information pertaining to psychology students’ career development. Additionally, although these resources don’t specifically target career myths, Division 2 of APA (the Society for the Teaching of Psychology) provides teaching resources related to career issues, and may provide instructors with ideas about how to address myths through learning activitiesopens in new window.
Paul Rose is an associate dean and professor of psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He has taught social and cognitive psychology, research design and statistics, and other courses. This year, he is teaching Careers in Psychology. He draws on his experience of unintentionally becoming a university administrator when explaining to students that career development can be unpredictable.
Dan Segrist is a professor of psychology and the associate chair of the Department of Psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He teaches a variety of undergraduate psychology courses, including Careers in Psychology, as well as graduate courses in clinical psychology. He brings his passion for and experience in career development to his work with students, particularly in dispelling career myths and helping them navigate their career journeys.
