Parents’ information seeking during adolescent career development: a test of the theory of motivated information management

Parents are an important source of advice when adolescents are faced with decisions about postsecondary education and career planning; however, parents often need to seek information to facilitate their child’s career development. This study applies the theory of motivated information management (TMIM) to evaluate the decision-making process parents undergo in this context and tests the boundaries of TMIM by considering how individuals use face-to-face (FtF) and online sources to alleviate uncertainty-related anxieties. A community sample of parents (N = 937) completed a survey regarding their information seeking behaviors surrounding their adolescent’s career development. Parents reported using both FtF and online sources to seek information about their child’s postsecondary plans, and they engaged in different evaluative processes depending on the source of information. Theoretical implications related to TMIM and practical implications related to parents as sources of information in adolescent career development are discussed.