title: Brief report: a growth mixture model of occupational aspirations of individuals with high-incidence disabilities.
abstract: A previous longitudinal study of the occupational aspirations of individuals with high-incidence disabilities revealed multiple longitudinal patterns for individuals with learning disabilities or emotional-behavioral disorders. Growth mixture modeling was used to determine whether individuals in these two high-incidence disabilities groups (N = 585) possessed heterogeneous aspirations trajectories. Two distinct classes emerged. Among selected covariates (inc., gender, SES, locus of control, self-concept, mathematics achievement), only gender and SES significantly distinguished group membership. While no covariates were significantly related to the growth factors for latent class 2 (low aspirations), math achievement and SES were significantly related to initial aspirations in latent class 1 (high aspirations). Moreover, for latent class 1, the occupational aspirations of individuals with learning disabilities became increasingly lower than adolescents with emotional-behavior disorders after high school. Possible explanations for this phenomenon are considered.
authors.affiliation: Program of Workforce Education, 214 River's Crossing, University of Georgia, 850 College Station Rd., Athens, GA 30602, USA. inheok@uga.edu
authors.forename: In Heok
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jay W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Rojewski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology; D001240:Aspirations, Psychological; D002321:Career Choice; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D008960:Models, Psychological; D016272:Occupational Health; D012923:Social Class