Effects of social constraints on career maturity: the mediating effect of the time perspective

Previous studies have provided mixed results for the effects of social constraints on career maturity. However, there has been growing interest in these effects from the time perspective. Few studies have examined the effects of social constraints on the time perspective which in turn influences career maturity. This study examines the mediating effect of the present-oriented perspective on the relation between social constraints and career maturity. The results based on a panel survey of middle and high school students in Korea indicate that the time perspective mediates the relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and career maturity regardless of the level of academic achievement. The results have important implications for intervention programs for low-SES children’s time perspective, which may mitigate the transmission of social constraints, thereby raising the bar for their academic and career goals: Such programs may be useful for enhancing low-SES children’s career readiness.