ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an abbreviated summary of the female career paths we have followed most closely from early adolescence through early adulthood. In young adulthood both groups were significantly overrepresented among women who had two children and among women who held part-time jobs requiring minimal educational preparation. Moreover, as emphasized in our previous discussions, both the low-ability subjects and the subjects who became underachievers were significantly associated with family backgrounds in which the parents neither aspired to their daughter’s pursuing an education past the 9 years of compulsory school nor believed her capable of doing so. The highest achievers were also very bright, although they were the brightest group in the sample. However, similar adult outcomes characterized a group of girls whose adolescent intelligence was below average. The primary purpose of our investigation has been to illustrate a pattern approach to the exploration of individual differences in female career development.
