Motivation and volition in vocational psychology: An action control perspective

In late modernity societies where pursuit of career in an unstable and
rapidly changing occupational structure is so difficult, motivation
fueling vocational constructing behaviors appears to be a prerequisite
of success. However, motivational processes are only half of the
story. In order to overcome internal or external obstacles to a
confident and peaceful reflection on their career development,
individuals need more than ever to bring into play volition, that is, the
capacity to regulate psychological functions such as cognition,
motivation, and emotion in order to determine which motivational
tendencies are implemented, when, and how. The first aim of this
contribution is to present some aspects of this overarching concept
originating in experimental and social psychology, and recently also
considered by cognitive neurosciences. Taking the psychology of
action control as a lens of analysis, the chapter outlines (1) action
versus state orientation affect–regulatory competences embedded in
Personality Systems Interactions theory (Kuhl, 2000a, 2000b), which
proposes an explanation of functional relationships between cognitive
and affective systems underlying action; (2) implementation
intentions (Gollwitzer, 1993, 1999), that is, a kind of specific plans
which differs from goal intentions and may be activated in the postdecisional
pre-action phase of the Rubicon Model of Action Phases.
As a second aim of the chapter, some applications of these volitional
constructs to the vocational domain, until now largely or completely
unexplored, are proposed in order to suggest how leading theories in
the field can enrich concrete practices to help students and clients,
faced to an unsecured world, volitionally construct the future of their
career.