Abstract
BACKGROUND: Early career development-the first stage of an individual's journey to get to know themselves and their profession-is very important in the career choice process. The correct identification of the variables that influence this process is valuable for the healthy continuation of the developmental process. This study examined whether maternal, paternal, and peer attachment styles play a mediating role in explaining career exploration outcome expectations of metacognitive skills. METHODS: The hypotheses created for this purpose were examined within the framework of the correlational/relational design of quantitative research models. The target population comprised students studying in secondary schools in Turkey in 2023, and the sample comprised 318 individuals-168 boys and 150 girls-selected using convenience sampling method. SPSS 25.0 Process Macro 4.1 version "Model 6," developed by Hayes, was used for multiple mediation analysis. RESULTS: Metacognitive skills positively and significantly predicted career exploration outcome expectations and maternal and paternal attachment styles, but not peer attachment style. Maternal, paternal, and peer attachment styles did not significantly explain career exploration outcome expectations. Finally, maternal, paternal, and peer attachment styles did not significantly mediate the relationship between metacognitive skills and career exploration outcome expectations. CONCLUSION: These results show that individuals' metacognitive skills play an important role in the process of career exploration and goal setting. Moreover, individuals' metacognitive skills have a stronger association with family ties than with peer relationships. However, individuals' ties to their mothers, fathers, and peers are not a determining factor in the formation of individuals' expectations about their careers. Additionally, the relationship between metacognitive skills and career exploration outcome expectations occurs directly, independent of maternal, paternal, and peer attachment styles. Thus, individual characteristics, rather than social factors, such as family or peer relationships, play a significant role in shaping individuals' expectations about career exploration.