First Advisor

Lisa Letcher-Glembo

Term of Graduation

Summer 1997

Date of Publication

7-10-1997

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech Communication: Speech and Hearing Sciences

Department

Speech Communication

Language

English

Subjects

Vocational guidance, High school students -- Attitudes, Cleft lip, Cleft palate

DOI

10.15760/etd.7280

Physical Description

1 online resource (2, vii, 96 pages)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate career maturity in 14- and 17- year-old male and female adolescents with cleft lip and palate. Career maturity is defined as the repertoire of behaviors pertinent to identifying, choosing, planning, and executing career goals available to a specific individual as compared with those possessed by a peer group. Clefting is a congenital anomaly that occurs in approximately 1 in every 600 newborns and can result in facial scarring and speech deviations that may last throughout life, and may result in complications such as withdrawal, inhibition, lower self-esteem, and increasing self-doubt regarding interpersonal relationships. There is little research on the career development of adolescents with clefts.

This study included 19 adolescents with cleft lip and palate. All subjects completed measures of career development, self-concept, mental ability, and self-ratings of speech and facial appearance. The study sought to determine: (a) if two age groups of male adolescents with clefts (14- and 17-year-olds) differ from two age groups of female adolescents with clefts (14- and 17-year-olds) in their level of career maturity; and (b) if two age groups of male adolescents with clefts (14- and 17-year-olds) differ from two age groups of female adolescents with clefts (14- an 17-year-olds) in factors related to career maturity. ANOVA analysis and Pearson r Correlation Coefficient procedures were utilized to analyze data obtained.

A significant difference was found between the age groups; the 17-year-olds demonstrated higher levels of career maturity than did the 14-year-olds. While no statistically significant differences were found between the males and females, the data revealed that females scored higher in both age groups on the measure of career maturity. Mental ability was the factor that was most related to career maturity levels; self-concept showed a low relationship to career maturity. There was no evidence that the severity ratings on self-rating of facial appearance were related to their level of career maturity or their scores on other measures; however, the subjects' severity ratings on self-rating of speech were found to be correlated with level of self-concept scores.

Rights

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Comments

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/32512

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