Understanding career goal discrepancies is vital for fostering adaptive career development. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Positive Career Goal Discrepancy Scale and tested its measurement invariance across gender among Iranian university students (N = 363). Confirmatory factor analysis supported both three first-order and second-order factor structures. Convergent validity was confirmed via positive correlations with employability and proactive personality, while divergent validity was demonstrated through a negative correlation with the Negative Career Goal Discrepancy Scale. The scale exhibited high internal consistency (α = 0.91) and composite reliability (CR > 0.80), with acceptable average variance extracted (AVE ≥ 0.52). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis confirmed gender invariance. The Persian Positive Career Goal Discrepancy Scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing career progress perceptions in Iranian contexts, supporting its use in research and practice.
Salehi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.