By investigating parental support as a distal variable and critical consciousness (CC) as a proximal variable, the authors targeted specific factors that may increase the perception of agency and, ultimately, motivated choice behavior in 11th and 12th graders (N = 137) in an urban high school. The current study adds to the base of support for social cognitive career theory (SCCT) with diverse populations. However, parental support—which served as a sample/age-relevant proxy for learning experiences and distal supports—was only shown to significantly predict variance in outcome expectations (OEs), not self-efficacy. The final regression model included emotional support, OEs, CC, and CC as a moderator and explained 41.2% of the variance in intentions, with the interaction between CC and OEs contributing a significant 2.6% additional variance. Interestingly, CC lessened the positive effect of high OEs on intentions. The authors contextualize the results within the relevant research bases and discuss implications for future research and practice.
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