The article evaluates the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale (CDMSES), which measures career confidence in clients. CDMSES was created based on Albert Bandura's self-efficacy theory. It evaluates clients on tasks related to self-appraisal, gathering career information, goal selection, planning, and problem solving. The evaluation found CDMSES reliably predicts career indecision and is consistent over time. However, it was only tested on non-diverse college students and does not evaluate specific psychological barriers. If used, it should be combined with other assessments and Bandura's self-efficacy development tools.

1. Running head: ARTICLE REVIEW 1
Article Review: A Psychometric Evaluation of the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale
Jason Cheney
CNDV 5323
Lamar University

2. Article Review 2
Article Review
The career decision-making self-efficacy scale (CDMSES) is used to measure a number
of psychological factors in career clients, including intelligence, temperament and personality
(Luzzo, 1996). In 1996, research was compiled to study and evaluate the efficacy of the theory
itself.
A Summary of CDMSES
In the 1970s, psychologist Albert Bandura theorized that the most important factor in
self-change was an individual’s self-belief. His concept of self-efficacy has since been applied to
several career theories, including Taylor & Betz’ CDMSES. Taylor & Betz prepared an
assessment to measure a client’s self-views based on an earlier model developed in the 1960s
(Luzzo, 1996). The earlier model evaluated the self-confidence of career seekers in five areas:
accurate self-appraisal, gathering occupational information, goal selection, making plans for the
future and problem solving (Luzzo, 1996). CDMSES expanded on each of these ideas by
connecting ten tasks to each concept. Career clients were then questioned about these tasks in an
assessment to determine their self-efficacy level. Clients were asked to rate themselves on their
level of confidence in each category, and the answers were accumulated and given an overall
self-efficacy score. Better scores were theorized to indicate higher levels of career confidence.
Evaluation of CDMSES
Taylor & Betz evaluated their assessment by testing its accuracy against other
measurements. They first compared clients’ results against each person’s SAT and ACT scores
to look for correlations between higher grades and higher career confidence. None were found.
They also compared their assessment’s results against the results of Osipow’s career decision
scale (CDS) administered to the same students. The findings of both assessments were similar

3. Article Review 3
overall. However, CDMSES’ individual categories did not prove helpful in evaluating specific
psychological barriers to self-efficacy. Later studies, however, found correlation between
CDMSES and self-esteem, indicating that this assessment can identify low self-esteem in career
clients (Luzzo, 1996).
Strengths and Weaknesses
CDMSES was found to be the only test that reliably predicted vocational indecision
(Luzzo, 1996). It was also shown to be consistent when taken more than once by individuals,
although Luzzo suggests that further testing needs to be done here. It also is strengthened by its
dependence on social cognitive theory, a well-established system with validated ideas. Finally, it
has been shown to be effective regardless of gender.
Because it was only tested on college students, there are still many questions that remain
unanswered about its effectiveness. And since those college students were not ethnically diverse,
more research needs to be done in multicultural settings. Further, CDMSES was shown to be
weak in evaluating specific psychological barriers to self-efficacy, only generating a picture of a
client’s overall career confidence.
Use for Private-Practice Counseling
If I were to use CDMSES in private practice, I would not use it alone. Since it remains
unproven outside of the college setting and amongst diverse populations, I would combine its
results with self-esteem evaluations and the CDS. If a client displayed signs of low self-efficacy,
I would work with them using Bandura’s development tools: accomplishment, observation,
encouragement and physiological development (Bandura, 1977).

4. Article Review 4
References
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-Efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change. Retrieved
from: http://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Bandura/Bandura1977PR.pdf
Luzzo, D. A. (1996). A psychometric evaluation of the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy
Scale. Journal of Counseling & Development, 74(3), 276-279. doi:10.1002/j.1556-
6676.1996.tb01865.x