Blog Three: Angela Florimo

Throughout the semester, we have read about a wide range of theories that influence our career development.   Some I agree with more than others.  I have accepted Brown (2005) hypothesis “that nothing is as a practical as a good theory.” (Brown, 2012), pg. 209) I also agree with Brown (2005) in the idea that I have developed my own beliefs about what I believe drives human behavior and the process of career choice development. However, my belief about what drives human behavior lies in my past experience.  Through this experience, some theories I cannot justify. However, Krumboltz’s Social Learning Theory, based off the Social Learning Theory of Albert Bandura, is one theory I can justify with past experience. I agree with the focus Krumboltz takes on the learning process that leads to self-efficacy beliefs and interest and how these beliefs impact the career decision we make. As well as, the strong emphasis on the reinforcement theory in the Social Learning Theory.   I do not just agree with his theory in the methodological sense, but in the practically of the theory  (Brown, 2012).

 This summer, I started a job as an ABA Behavior Coach for an Early Intervention Center working with children ages 18 months to five years with Autism Spectrum Disorder. These children dealt with a wide range of disabilities with the most troublesome being physical aggressive behaviors to others but most sadly to self.  I started this past summer with the idea in my head that it would just be a job, but in reality it changed my life.  It altered the way I looked at behaviors and consequences. I watched Applied Behavior Analysis work first hand. I watched ABA save families that were being pushed past their breaking point.  I understand that Krumbotlz’ Social Learning theory is not Applied Behavior Analysis, but ABA may have been the theory of choice.  But, this was not the only theory I saw implied this summer.  

Krumboltz’s Social Learning Theory identifies “four factors that influence career decision; genetic endowment and special abilities, environmental conditions and events, learning experiences, and tasks approach skills (Brown, 2012, p. 60).” Each factor is equally important in his theory. Personally, I have seen how my inherited characteristics and task approach skills have influenced my career development.  But the notion that sticks out above the rest is the idea that an “individual is constantly encountering new learning experiences, each of which is followed by rewards or punishments that in turn produce the uniqueness of each person” (Brown, 2012, p. 61). I believe this is all human behavior, I believe our rewards and punishments influence everything we do.   Career development being just a section of that.  Krumboltz defines three consequences; self-observation generalizations, tasks approach skills and actions. As I said before, ABA was not the only theory I saw this summer.  I watched self-observation guidelines play a major role in future behaviors that transferred the way children review themselves even if not accurate.

I believe social learning theory guides more than just career development, I have watched it first-hand.  

Brown, D. (2012).  Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development (10^th ed.) Boston: Pearson.