Research has revealed that familial concerns and obligations do impact the career decision making of people who shift their career goal away from the research academy and towards careers that are perceived as less intensive in terms of time and productivity demands. However, this same research line does not explain whether or not those who persist in a research professorship career aspiration experience the same familial concerns and obligations as those who shift or compromise on that goal. In line with the theory of circumscription and compromise (TCC), the current study examined specific accessibility concerns, or perceptions of barriers associated with implementing a preferred career, that contribute to doctoral student career decision making. More specifically, two groups including those who shifted their career path away from the research professorship (compromisers) and those whose career paths remain geared towards the research professorship (persisters) were examined by multivariate analysis of variance with a covariate (MANCOVA) to determine how accessibility concerns differ according to group membership. Accessibility concerns were also examined for gender differences. Results from multivariate and between-subjects follow up tests point to significant differences between the two groups on two accessibility concerns, planning for a career and family and some components of work-time flexibility preferences. Compromisers reported significantly higher preferences for work-time flexibility and scored higher on the planning for a career and a family measure when compared to persisters. No gender differences in accessibility concerns were found but female persisters were less likely than male persisters to indicate plans for children/presence of children. This study provides support for the TCC as applied to doctoral student career development and provides evidence that doctoral student persisters and compromisers do not experience accessibility concerns in the same way.

Postpartum depression has been described as one of the most common complications related to childbirth (Beck, 2008). To understand better the theoretical underpinnings of the disorder, the current study used a vulnerability-stress conceptualization to develop a theoretical model of postpartum depression. The predictive model was tested on 144 mothers with infants under 12-months of age using structural equation modeling. Four alternative models were also tested. A variation of the original theoretical model was found to have the best fit. Consistent with past research, this model indicated that need for approval, relationship conflict, and maternal-efficacy directly predicted postpartum depressive symptoms. Need for approval also moderated the relation between maternal-efficacy and postpartum depressive symptoms, so that this relation was stronger for mothers with high need of approval than for mothers with low need for approval. The role of these risk factors, particularly negative maternal perceptions and cognitions, is highlighted in relation to developing clinical interventions to treat postpartum depression. Limitations of this study are discussed and suggestions are made for future models to be tested through empirical research.