A longitudinal study of personality and choice of major

Abstract

Several aspects of Holland's theory of vocational choice are examined using freshman and senior Omnibus Personality Inventory (OPI) and freshman Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) data for 833 men. It was found that freshman, senior, and change scores on the OPI and that SAT scores are related to senior major field of study, classified into the six Holland types. There are differences in both personality and ability among those who persisted in the same type of major for 4 yr, and there are differences among those who change to a different type of major from the freshman to the senior year. Further, there is Limited evidence that within certain types of major, particularly the Realistic type, persisters and those who enter this type of major resemble each other more on some personality characteristics than do persisters and those who leave this type of major. Generally, evidence in support of Holland's theory is based on relationships which have been well established and known for a long time. More explicit expectations derived from this theory are only weakly supported or not supported at all. Indeed, Holland's theory is not adequate to the task of shedding much light on the obtained results.