This study examined the protective effect of perceived peer support on involvement in work experiences in a sample of 366 young women receiving special education services in 26 high schools. Career self-efficacy and career outcome expectations are well-established predictors of behaviors aimed at achieving career goals, such as obtaining work experiences. Hence, we also evaluated their role as mediators of the hypothesized effect of perceived peer support on work experiences. Regression analyses (accounting for clustering within schools) revealed that perceived peer support had an indirect effect on work experiences, with the effect being channeled through career self-efficacy, but not through career outcome expectations. Although perceived peer support was significantly associated with career self-efficacy and career outcome expectations, only career self-efficacy predicted work experiences at follow-up. Our findings suggest that perceived peer support, a relatively malleable factor, can promote career self-efficacy and career outcomes for this population.

这项研究在26所中学的366名接受特殊教育服务的年轻妇女中，考察了同龄人的支持对工作经验参与的保护作用。职业自我效能感和职业期望结果是旨在实现职业目标（例如获得工作经验）的行为的公认指标。因此，我们还评估了他们作为知觉同伴支持对工作经验的假设影响的中介者的作用。回归分析（考虑到学校内部的聚类）表明，同龄人的感知支持对工作经验有间接影响，其影响是通过职业自我效能而不是通过职业结果期望来实现的。尽管同龄人的支持与职业自我效能感和职业成果期望显着相关，只有职业自我效能感可以预测后续工作经验。我们的研究结果表明，同龄人的支持感是一个相对具有延展性的因素，可以促进该人群的职业自我效能感和职业结局。