0001-8791/$ - see front matter  2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2006.11.001 Journal of Vocational Behavior 70 (2007) 242–258 www.elsevier.com/locate/jvb Career barriers and reading ability as correlates of career aspirations and expectations of parents and their children Peter A. Creed ¤ , Elizabeth G. Conlon, Melanie J. Zimmer-Gembeck School of Psychology, GriYth University, PMB 50, GCMC, Gold Coast 9726, Australia Received 15 February 2006 Available online 11 January 2007 Abstract Data were obtained from 176 Year 7 children (mean age D 12.2 years) on career status aspirations and expectations, career barriers, academic engagement, academic control beliefs, general ability and literacy; and from parents, mainly mothers, on aspirations, expectations and career barriers. Discrep- ancy scores between aspirations and expectations were calculated for both children and parents. Children diVered from parents on career status aspirations and expectations; boys did not diVer from girls, and parents did not diVerentiate between boys and girls. Parents’ and children’s aspirations were both associated with reading ability, although the association was weak for the children. Chil- dren’s expectations were associated with perceptions of career barriers, and a trend towards reading abilities, while parents’ expectations were associated with general ability and reading.  2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Career status expectations; Career status aspirations; Career barriers; Academic engagement; Academic control beliefs; General ability; Reading 1. Introduction In recent years, a growing body of empirical evidence has attested to the relevance of career exploration, awareness, aspirations/expectations and interests during childhood (Hartung, Porfeli, & Vondracek, 2005; Watson & McMahon, 2005). The present study * Corresponding author. Fax: +61 7 5552 8291. E-mail address: p.creed@griYth.edu.au (P.A. Creed).