Succeeding as an entertainer: The experiences and descriptions of the process of reasoning used in shaping career aspirations for the successful entertainer: A grounded theory study.

摘要

This dissertation describes the results of a research study that was conducted to investigate the decision-making processes of successful entertainers. The study employed a grounded theory approach to answer the research question, "What are the experiences and descriptions of the process of reasoning used in shaping career aspirations for the successful entertainer?" Through a series of in-depth interviews with successful entertainers, and subsequent analysis, a theory was developed about the decision-making and reasoning processes now successful entertainers used (and continue to use) to become and stay successful. This dissertation discusses the research problem, reviews the past literature on the topic, explains the grounded theory methodology chosen to answer the research question, describes the research study and the findings of the data analysis, and discusses how the results of the research study relate to past (and future) research findings on the topic and the field of psychology. In sum, the results of this study indicate that successful entertainers appear to proceed through a three-phase approach to their career. Successful entertainers in each phase appear to exhibit increasingly mature decision-making and reasoning processes as well as an increasingly mature approach to their career success. The specific breakdown of what constitutes each particular phase, as well as a proposed strategy aspiring professional entertainers might employ to increase the odds of success, are also discussed.