The Career-Related Parental Involvement Scale: Development and Validation Among College Senior Emerging Adults in India and the U.S.

Abstract

The senior year in college is a pivotal time for emerging adults as they plan and make career decisions for their post-college lives. During this challenging transition, parents may be a safeguard; however, little research identifies how parents are involved in their emerging adult’s career development. The present study examined career-related parental involvement (CRPI; for mothers and fathers separately) from the perspective of graduating seniors in India and the US to develop and validate a new CRPI scale. Participants (India n = 1544; US n = 247) completed the CRPI scale and other related measures. Findings suggest that the 20-item CRPI scale represents three dimensions of career involvement across cultures and parents: Support, Interference, and Disengagement. Results supported the scale’s convergent and concurrent validity (e.g., negative association between disengagement and parent-emerging adult relationships). Notable role differences between parents were observed across cultures. Implications include the use of this scale across diverse cultures.