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This study is a preliminary exploration of how individual differences in gender role attitudes and ethnic identity might be related to career decision self-efficacy and the gender traditionality of career choice goals in a sample of 102 9th-grade Black and Latina girls. Extending social-cognitive career theory, the authors examined 2 path models in which career decision self-efficacy mediated the effects of gender role attitudes and ethnic identity on the traditionality of the participants' career choice goals. Models depicting full and partial mediation were considered. The results of the path analyses provided confirmation for an extension of the social-cognitive career theory model, indicating that for this sample, career decision self-efficacy fully mediated the influence of egalitarian gender role attitudes and ethnic identity on gender traditionality in career choice goals. These findings offer support for consideration of the role of gender role attitudes and ethnic identity in career self-exploration and vocational guidance with Black and Latina girls. Limitations, implications for counseling, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

A fictitious counseling center intake report was given to a sample of 158 White graduate students in counseling and clinical psychology to examine the impact of reported client race (Black or White) on perceptions of clients' symptom severity. As predicted by the shifting standards model of social judgment (M. Biernat, M. Manis, & T. E. Nelson, 1991), participants judged the Black target to be significantly less symptomatic than the White target. After controlling for social desirability (measured as motivation to respond without prejudice; E. A. Plant & P. G. Devine, 1998), a significant interaction effect showed that color-blind racial attitudes (H. A. Neville, R. L. Lilly, G. Duran, R. M. Lee, & L. Browne, 2000) were positively related to symptom perception for the Black target but not the White target. The shift in assessment (rating the Black target more favorably than an identical White target) was more evident for participants with lower levels of color-blind attitudes. Implications for counseling and future research are discussed.