Background. Early career choice is a developmental task at the adolescent age (D.B. Elkonin, I.S. Kon, D.I. Feldstein). Diversified educational system in Russia makes it objectively possible to implement various trajectories of professional development in the transition from childhood to adulthood (L.A. Golovei, O.A. Karabanova, N.S. Pryazhnikov). The paper is devoted to the study of parental involvement in career choice in the context of the modernization of the Russian educational system. The scheme of Personal Career Plan (PCP) is a substantive procedural model of career choice (N.S. Pryazhnikov). The adolescent PCP development is studied as a process that is realized through the interaction between the adolescents and their parents and is understood as the co-adjustment process (G.V. Burmenskaya) of the efforts of adolescent and parents in solving the task of building the PCP. The collaboration of parents and adolescents is determined by child-parent relationship (CPR), development of personal autonomy, autonomy of adolescent in CPR. There is lack of research devoted to the study of parent-child relationship at the stage of the career choice, types of parental involvement in the adolescent’s PCP g.

Objective. The objective of the research is to study the correlation between parental involvement in career choice by adolescents and emotional autonomy in CPR in adolescence (according to adolescents).

Design. The paper presents the results of the authors’ empirical research parental involvement (according to adolescents). The study was conducted in 2016-2017 and represents a part of a broader research of the conditions and factors for PCP in the Russian adolescents. The sample included 167 adolescents of Moscow high schools from 14 to 18 y.o. The techniques included modified “Parent Career Behavior Checklist” (Keller, Whiston, 2008), and modified “Emotional Autonomy scale” (EAS) (Steinberg, 1986) (author’s adaptation).

Findings. The obtained data allowed to conclude that the parental involvement in career choice is quite possible. Five groups of adolescents with different level of parental (mothers’ and fathers’) support in career choice (according to adolescents) were distinguished. The results confirm the correlation of adolescent’s emotional autonomy in CPR and the features of parental involvement in career choice (acoording to adolescents).

Conclusion. The hypothesis of the correlation of the parental involvement and the emotional autonomy in CPR was confirmed. The nonlinear character of the relationship between parental involvement and emotional autonomy of adolescents in the CPR has been revealed. 

Background. Connected with the changes that have taken place in the labour market in the last decades, psychologists are faced with the scientific and practical task of improving vocational guidance work with high school students using new programs to develop their personal and professional identity.

Objective. Based on the epigenetic theory of development the objective is to generalize and systematize the theoretical and empirical studies of personal and professional identity in adolescents aged 15–16, establish new empirical facts, verify the results already obtained and develop practical recommendations for improving vocational guidance counseling for high school students.

Design. Some features of the relationship between personal and professional identity of high school students aged 15–16 were studied. First of all, the relationship of personal identity with age was studied. In the course of the research, such methods as studying personal identity of D. Marcia modified by V.R. Orestova and O.A. Karabanova and methods of professional identity of A.A. Azbel and A.G. Gretsov were used. The methods were disseminated among 158 respondents, and the questionnaires filled by 132 respondents turned out to be suitable for processing.

Research Results. Several hypotheses were put forward: 1. The level of personal identity development is significantly associated with the age of high school students. 16-year-old 10th-graders outnumber 15-year-old 9th-graders. Between the age groups, significant differences were identified (p = 0.048), so the hypothesis is confirmed. 2. The majority of 15-year-old 9th-graders (63.3%) and 16-year-old 10th-graders (62.2%) who go to Moscow schools have a status of a moratorium. The hypothesis is confirmed. 3. For the age of 15-16 years, the dynamics of professional identity is absent. The hypothesis is confirmed. The differences between adolescents of 15 and 16 years in this parameter are not statistically significant (p = 0.993). 4. The level of personal and professional identity development is higher in females than in males. The hypothesis was not confirmed as the differences between females and males are not significant (p = 0.122), (p = 0.928).

Conclusion. As a result of generalization of theoretical and empirical data, an author's approach to improving vocational guidance work with high school students is proposed.