The Career Beliefs Inventory

Rebecca Tattersfield
Wake Forest University Department of Counseling

ABSTRACT OVERVIEW OF THE ASSESSMENT RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY DISCUSSION

The Career Beliefs Inventory (CBI) (Krumboltz, 1994) is a unique The themes in the literature are that the CBI is unique and necessary, but difficult to The source material for the CBI came from around 1,000 personal accounts, collected over In 1991 Krumboltz presents the assessment to the field. It is based on previous research on
measure. Krumboltz defends his assessment from the original responses vigorously. The the course of 8 years in various settings, in which people shared the beliefs that they the topic of career beliefs conducted by Krumboltz, Thompson (1976), Lewis and Gilhousen
career assessment tool that evaluates beliefs about self, career, (1981) among many others. Beliefs as they relate to careers had been studied and discussed
early to mid-1990s hosted the majority of the discussion in tge literature, with more considered to be “blocks” to goal achievement. These accounts were collected and sorted
and the work world to identify areas that stop people from application-based research beginning to show in the mid-2000s. into positively and negatively worded items, which were then administered to more than heavily in the context of the day. To date these conversations, one career belief being
achieving career success. It has been available for use since its first The CBI was designed to “assess beliefs that may relate to career goals; these assumptions
7,500 people between the ages of 12-75 years. These samples were “singled out for factor discussed and surveyed during this time was “If I change, I have failed,” a classification
analyses of the 122 [resulting] items…Item analyses and content analyses were used to determined by Lewis and Gilhousen (1981). When this belief about career stability was
publishing in 1991, reviewed in 1994. It is considered useful may foster or hinder career planning.” (Hays, 2017) The small words (may relate, may
further refine the scale definitions” (Krumboltz, Potential Value of the Career Beliefs administered by Dorn and Welch (1985) to a group of high school students, it was rejected, or
because it is different, because it measures something other foster) in that description are important reflections on the subjective and intangible nature the group was determined “immune” to the myth. In a short amount of time, an important
Inventory, 1994). The 96 items that gave the most internally consistent results became the
of belief. Krumboltz holds that everybody makes assumptions or generalizations, known or career belief was outgrown at a societal level, and certainly today the belief that a career
25 revised scales (Krumboltz, Fuqua, Newman, & Walsh, 1994).
.assessments do not, and because it facilitates a different discussion unknown, about the self that impact career conceptualizations, beliefs, and ultimately should remain without change has aged out. This shows that while people certainly still hold
about career. This research looks at the purpose of the assessment, actions. These assumptions according to Krumboltz original comments are based on a The number of scales generated by this process has made the CBI “clinically cumbersome” common and shared beliefs about their careers, those beliefs are not insulated against time
person’s “limited experiences” (Krumboltz, Potential Value of the Career Beliefs Inventory, (Walsh, Thompson, & Kapes, 1997). However, the same review of the CBI also notes that if
the critique of its psychometric value, and the implications of use 1994). Krumboltz reiterates that “The CBI takes no position on what constitutes a wise the assessment manages to yield reliable results on the 25 scales with so few questions,
and change.
in real world scenarios. decision. It does not tell people whether or not their beliefs are accurate. It simply brings “this would certainly make the measure an efficient and information-rich protocol” (Walsh, This does not devalue the CBI, but instead puts it in a unique position to respond to societal
to the surface beliefs that may not have been examined and that could be preventing Thompson, & Kapes, 1997). changes in belief over time if it can continue to measure new belief samples. Of likewise
people from achieving their own desires. It legitimizes the exploration of important importance is this tool’s ability to measure and account for multicultural belief samples.
INTRODUCTION assumptions that are frequently overlooked” in his comments/reply to the assessments first
Concern surrounding the construct validity of the five factors Krumboltz derived from the Career beliefs are not immune to societal, familial, or cultural influence. These things create
25 subscales. In the exploratory factor analysis described above, reviewers found that and shape career beliefs (Walsh, Thompson, & Kapes, 1997). Some misinformation or
reviewers. (Krumboltz, Fuqua, Newman, & Walsh, 1994)
there was no support for the five factors ultimately used by Krumboltz (Hess, Tracey, Nota, irrational beliefs brought on by family and society will not be easily contradicted, nor should
Krumboltz’s assessment is based on his theories about the beliefs and assumptions that people One important strength of the CBI is that it measures something unique, that no other Ferrari, & Soresi, 2008). Instead, there was support for a four-factor structure which had
develop about themselves, their career selves, and “the world of work” (Krumboltz, Potential they. Kromboltz’s initial warning that no belief is good or bad is crucial to the counseling that
career assessment tool manages to isolate. It focuses on the beliefs held by clients at the “little if any overlap” with the ultimate five categories. The factors (or headings) used in follows these assessments, especially when working with populations with historically difficult
Value of the Career Beliefs Inventory, 1994). The Career Beliefs Assessment (CBI) is designed time that they enter counseling. Through the CBI counseling may move forwards to assess the CBI suggest that the scales under found under these headings are related, according to
to bring beliefs and assumptions to light so that a person may examine what has perhaps gone paths to career fulfillment. Instead of labeling results of the assessment or the beliefs the
and challenge maladaptive beliefs or to translate adaptive but poorly understood beliefs Walsh, Thompson, & Kapes (1997) review. This indicated psychometric concern to some represent, counselors should remember the purpose of this assessment - “It legitimizes the
unexamined. Krumboltz believed that with a trained counselor, the CBI results could help a into career action. Research was conducted to find correlations between the domain of the initial reviewers of the CBI, saying “[the factors] might be more defensible if they reflected
client identify problematic, inaccurate, or self-defeating beliefs and assumptions and work discussion of important topics that have previously been considered outside the realm of
CBI and other assessments – “preliminary research findings indicate that the Strong, MBTI, dimensions underlying the interpreted scores (Walsh, Thompson, & Kapes, 1997). career counseling” (Krumboltz, Fuqua, Newman, & Walsh, 1994). Subjects like social justice,
towards more operable career planning (Krumboltz, Fuqua, Newman, & Walsh, 1994). and CBI are virtually uncorrelated with each other” (Krumboltz, 1994) Practitioners will
The basic construction of the CBI is described in the 2008 revision of the Encyclopedia of In response to initial reviews, Krumboltz argued in favor of the assessment clinical worth history of marginalized people, and ethics are a few places to start.
note that this lack of correlations means the CBI retains utility in one’s arsenal of career
Counseling: over its psychometric defensibility. He said, “The reliability of any scale could always be It is critical that counselors understand the influence of social and cultural factors on career
assessments – no time will be wasted measuring the same thing with multiple tools
increased by adding more items written to measure the same dimension. Too many items, attitudes and beliefs. It is important that counselors understand this because these factors
(Krumboltz & Vosvick, 1996). Because it is unique in this way, the CBI works gracefully
The inventory takes about 25 to 30 minutes to complete. It identifies 25 belief scales however, would make the scale impractical. An increase in precision of scoring would have will present the hardest challenges to improving maladaptive beliefs and misconceptions.
alongside other career assessments. These other assessments that work well alongside the
that might possibly be creating difficulties. Career specialists use this inventory as a to be balanced against diminished usefulness. The instrument is not to be used for With careful use, the CBI can be used to isolate and target group and individual attitudes and
CBI, that bring stronger validity and reliability to the picture, are The Strong Interest
springboard to discuss attitudes and assumptions that need to be examined when selection or classification purposes. Its purpose is to identify belief categories that might then inform interventions from a data-driven place. With further understanding of situational
Inventory (Strong; Harmon, Hansen, Borgen, & Hammer, 1994) and the Myers-Briggs Type
making and implementing career choices. The 25 scales are organized under five be fruitfully explored (Krumboltz, Fuqua, Newman, & Walsh, 1994)” variables that influence individual beliefs, counselors can construct “social learning
Indicator (MBTI; Myers & McCaulley, 1985) (Krumboltz & Vosvick, Career Assessment and the
categories (Leong, 2008) Career Beliefs Inventory, 1996) Test-retest reliability for the CBI show one-month and three-month scores ranging from .35 experiences” that attend to both career beliefs and the underlying reality of the client’s life
to .75 with a median correlation of .58 for a high school sample consisting of 51 students. A experience (Schnorr & Ware, 2001).
The 25 scales are:
The five logical categories are: college sample showed scores ranging from .26 to .68 (Turner & Ziebell, 2011) .
(a) Employment Status (2 items), (b) Career Plans
(2 items), (c) Acceptance of Uncertainty (2 1. My Current Career Situation
items), (d) Openness (4 items), (e) Achievement
(Scales a to d)
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
(2 items), (f) College Education (2 items), (g)
Intrinsic Satisfaction (5 items), (h) Peer Equality
(3 items), (i) Structured Work Environment (2 2. What Seems Necessary for
items), (j) Control (2 items), (k) Responsibility (5 My Happiness (Scales e to i) • This tool has the ability to self-learn, but further studies
items), (l) Approval of Others (2 items), (m) Self–
Other Comparisons (4 items), (n) 3. Factors That Influence My need to be conducted using significant sample populations
Occupation/College Variation (5 items), (o)
Career Path Flexibility (4 items), (p) Posttraining Decisions (Scales j to o) of varied nature. With more research like the three
Transition (5 items), (q) Job Experimentation (8
4. Changes I Am Willing to discussed here, the factor groupings may potentially grow
items), (r) Relocation (5 items), (s) Improving
Self (2 items), (t) Persisting While Uncertain (5 Make (Scales p to r) to have psychometric value (Holland, Johnston, Asama, &
items), (u) Taking Risks (4 items), (v) Learning
Job Skills (2 items), (w) Negotiating/Searching (4 5. Effort I Am Willing to Polys, 1993 ).
items), (x) Overcoming Obstacles (8 items), and
(y) Working Hard (7 items).
Initiate (Scales s to y) • Further research should address this tool as a supplement
“The CBI is a counseling too designed to identify
(Hess, Tracey, Nota, Ferrari, & Soresi, 2008)

In an attempt to create a meaningful and rich conversation about strong underlying currents
that do effect peoples’ career decisions, the CBI is left open to important criticisms.
Attitudes and assumptions are difficult to sort, remain subjective, and have limited
psychometric power. This research intends to review the foundations of the CBI, collect its
criticisms, review its psychometric value, and assess its value in the field.
REFERENCES
Dorn, F. J., & Welch, N. (1985). Assessing career mythology: A profile of high school students. The School
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Fuqua, D. R., & Newman, J. L. (1994). An Evaluation of the Career Beliefs Inventory. Journal of
Counseling & Development, 429-30.
Hays, D. G. (2017). Assessment in Counseling, A Guide to the Use of Psychological Assessment
Procedures. Alexandria: American Counseling Association.
Hess, T. R., Tracey, T. J., Nota, L., Ferrari, L., & Soresi, S. (2008). The Structure of the Career Beliefs
Inventory on a Sample of High School Students. Journal of Career Assessment, 232-243.
Holland, J. L., Johnston, J. A., Asama, N. F., & Polys, S. M. (1993 ). Validating and Using the Career
Beliefs Inventory. Journal of Career Development , 233-244.
Krumboltz, J. D. (1994). Potential Value of the Career Beliefs Inventory. Journal of Counseling &
Development, 432-33.
Krumboltz, J. D. (1994). The Career Beliefs Inventory . Journal of Counseling and Development , 424-433.
Krumboltz, J. D., & Vosvick, M. A. (1996). Career Assessment and the Career Beliefs Inventory. Journal of
Career Assessment, 345-361.
Krumboltz, J. D., Fuqua, D. R., Newman, J. L., & Walsh, W. B. (1994). The Career Beliefs Inventory --
Comment/reply. Journal of Counseling & Development, 424.
Leong, F. T. (2008). Encyclopedia of Counseling: Changes and Challenges for Counseling in the 21st
Century. SAGE Publications.
Lewis, R. A., & Gilhousen, M. R. (1981). Myths of career development: A cognitive approach to vocational
counseling. The Personnel and Guidance Journal, 296-299.
Schnorr, D., & Ware, H. W. (2001). Moving Beyond a Deficit Model to Describe and Promote the Career
Development of At- Risk Youth. Journal of Career Development, 247-263.
Thompson, A. P. (1976). Client misconception in vocational counseling. The Personnel and Guidance
Journal, 30-33.
Turner, S. L., & Ziebell, J. L. (2011). The Career Beliefs of Inner-City Adolescents . Professional School
Counseling, 1-14.
Walsh, B. D., Thompson, B., & Kapes, J. T. (1997). The Construct Validity of Scores on the Career Beliefs
Inventory. Journal of Career Assessment, 31-46.
Walsh, W. B. (1994). The Career Beliefs Inventory: Reactions to Krumboltz. Journal of Counseling &
Development, 431.
to learning interventions like the ICAP to determine the
the mental barrier to action.” clinical implications of addressing group beliefs in school
(Krumboltz, Fuqua, Newman, & Walsh, 1994) programs.
Sample CBI assessment results for “Phillip” (Krumboltz & Vosvick, 1996)
• Further research is needed about this tool’s effectiveness
in group settings.
FURTHER REVIEW OF THE ASSESSMENT IN THE FIELD
The Structure of the Career Beliefs Inventory on a Sample of Italian High School Students – Hess, Tracey, Nota (2008)
REVIEWING RESULTS WITH CLIENTS
This study advised necessary caution when using this tool in the field, again citing the psychometric instability of the 25 scales and 5 factors, particularly advising that close attention be paid in
international practices. This study seems to be the first specific population-based assessment of the CBI. The sample for this study was 256 Italian students with a mean age of 15.85 years, 101 males
and 155 females. The purpose of this study was to look at scale equivalence (Walsh W. B., 1994), or “the similarity of the test measuring the same behaviors across culture” (Hess, Tracey, Nota, Ferrari, The CBI organizes the scales into the five categories discussed throughout this research. The
& Soresi, 2008). The study found that there were some similarities between Italian high school students’ answers to the models cited originally by Krumboltz, in that this study supported the five-factor validity of those five categories, or the lack there of, leaves the analysis of the results open
structure. However, the factors were significantly different to the American samples. The Italian sample factors appear to focus on: Career Confidence, Career Activity, Career Independence, Career to counselor discretion. A counselor should review the results before meeting with the client
Flexibility, and Career Positivity. This study calls for further research to compare samples across cultures and calls for further use of the CBI to access potential universal career beliefs within certain if possible, to determine if there is a grouping or pattern that would enable the richest
age groups (Hess, Tracey, Nota, Ferrari, & Soresi, 2008). conversation. Another recommended strategy is to begin with the lowest scores – “these
scores reflect categories of beliefs that have caused difficulties for other people in the past”
Moving Beyond a Deficit Model to Describe and Promote the Career Development of At-Risk Youth – Schnorr, Ware (2001)
(Krumboltz & Vosvick, 1996) . The CBI profile of scale scores suggests that scores below 39
This study attempted to use the CBI and the CDI to dive into career maturity as it is reported in at-risk youth, hoping to avoid previous culturally insensitive misgivings in the literature. Using the indicate these valuable areas, but it is up to the counselor to determine whether these
assessments and an integrated career and academic program (ICAP), the study asked if there is a relationship between career maturity and career beliefs, and if that relationship better described the categories create difficulties for this client now.
lower reported career maturity in at-risk youth by avoiding racially insensitive research practices.
It is also recommended to consider the highest scores. These represent strongly held beliefs in
The CBI was chosen because it could indicate career maturity, defined as the “readiness to cope with vocational development along a continuum of vocational tasks, attitudes, skills, and behaviors” areas that indicate career ease vs. difficulties. A counselor can use these areas to collect
without falling into the deficient model the authors found in other instruments. The CBI and Krumboltz’s career theories in general indicate that beliefs can be influenced by environment and useful information about the client, their past successes, and areas of strength.
experiences (Krumboltz, The Career Beliefs Inventory, 1994). The authors of this study supposed that those beliefs are then highly associated with career maturity, and that beliefs can be used to
Moving from lowest to highest score would be a well-structured session, but following the
“prompt an understanding of and discussion about their social experiences.” Further, the authors suggest that through this structure, career counselors and school counselors can increase their
natural flow of conversation is many counselors preferred tactic. “The CBI scale scores can be
awareness of the social conditions (environment, experiences etc.) that better explain career maturity of nontraditional groups.
viewed as a table of contents to a book of short stories, stories from the life of the client. The
The Career Beliefs of Inner-City Adolescents – Turner, Ziebell 2011 reader (counselor) can use some creativity to expose the richness of the author’s (client’s)
talent. The stories do not have to be read in a particular order” (Krumboltz & Vosvick, 1996).
In another attempt to use the CBI to address the needs of nontraditional groups, in this case inner-city adolescents, this study asks: “What are inner-city adolescents' guiding career beliefs? And are A client may not hold their beliefs or their career history/interest in a lineal construct.
these career beliefs more likely or less likely to position inner-city adolescents to be successful in the current and future world of work?”
Allowing the client to lead the counselor through their own schema gives the counselor a
The study consisted of 97 seventh- and eighth grade middle-school adolescents from two American inner-city public schools in a large city of over two million people. The schools were chosen because chance to draw unique and interesting conclusions from their place as an audience member.
in the first, the student body was ethnically diverse, and in the second, the majority group were Native American students. With adolescent students, counselors should approach review from a place of exploration and
learning, not with a preferred or “better” ideas or beliefs that they must adopt. “Learning
The study found that the strongest held belief-theme among inner-city students were beliefs surrounding the idea that success and effort are related. However, only 24% of the responses indicated that
students believed their efforts were positively related to career success. 70% of the students reported beliefs that were “inconsistent with success being related to their efforts.” This, again, was the approaches that are constructivist, discovery oriented, problem based, experiential, and
inquiry based promote independence and self-direction as well as skill development” (Fuqua
strongest reported set of beliefs, which this study interprets to mean that it has the most influence over behaviors. Next were beliefs surrounding flexibility/adaptability, with 18% holding this sample
and 79% tending to be more rigid/less adaptable. The authors assert that these areas contradict the demands of current employment and create real areas of need for school and career counselors to & Newman, 1994).
counteract.

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