Assessing Gender-Based Circumscription of Occupational Aspirations

The circumscription and compromise theory of vocational aspirations draws attention to the possibility that many adolescents may unnecessarily limit their vocational options. This article describes key elements of the theory, particularly its emphasis on children's perceptions of occupational sextype, and the changes the theory requires in how to conceptualize and assess vocational aspirations. It also describes a theory based Mapping Vocational Challenges 1 (MVC; Lapan, Loehr-Lapan, & Tupper, 1995) activity that helps adolescents map and discuss the beliefs and background factors that can lead them to rule out careers they might actually find interesting and perform well.