Given evidence of unique vocational needs of Asian American college students, this investigation sought to evaluate the utility of conventional approaches for predicting career choice satisfaction among members of this group while also examining avenues for improvement. Conventional approaches, which emphasize vocational interest congruence, intrinsic dimensions of P-E fit, and an independent, self-focused approach to career decision making, may fall short in accounting for trends among Asian Americans, which highlight the salience of extrinsic work values correspondence, extrinsic dimensions of P-E fit, and interdependent consideration of parental influences when choosing a career. Moreover, extant research has failed to account for within-group differences Among Asian Americans, which may result in variability in the factors most important to career choice satisfaction. Researchers have also failed to examine potential differences in the utility of diverse approaches to measuring interest congruence and P-E fit when predicting outcomes.

This investigation attempted to address these limitations by examining: (a) the comparative and combined utility of measures of intrinsic P-E fit (i.e., interest congruence derived from activity preferences), extrinsic P-E fit (i.e., income, prestige, and extrinsic work values correspondence) and perceived parental approval of career choice to predict career choice satisfaction, (b) the potential moderating effect of level of enculturation to Asian American cultural values on the relationship between predictors and satisfaction, and (c) differences in the predictive utility of congruence derived from occupational title preferences relative to congruence derived from activity preferences both alone and in combination with extrinsic work values correspondence.

Data from 313 Asian American college students selecting a range of 1 ^st choice occupations revealed findings supporting the predictive utility of constructs emphasized in conventional approaches but also enhanced utility offered by constructs reflecting Asian American career choice patterns in extant research. Findings also supported the moderating effect of level of adherence to Asian American values on the importance of these constructs to career choice satisfaction and revealed superior predictive utility of congruence derived from occupational title preferences relative to alternative approaches to measuring interest congruence and P-E fit. Implications and future research directions are discussed.