Holland's theory of careers applied to women and men: Analysis of implicit assumptions

Abstract

Basic assumptions underlying Holland's theory of careers and its counseling applications are (a) that men and women, in general, have widely divergent personality patterns and career potentials; and (b) that men and women in the same occupation have the same personality pattern. Data on the characteristics of 39,000 men and women pursuing the same 104 occupations are used to examine the viability of these assumptions. Contrary to expectations based on Holland's theory, there are substantial and systematic differences in the Holland raw score codes of males and females pursuing the same occupations, especially nontraditional occupations. Possible revisions of Holland's theory and/or instrumentation are discussed in light of this finding. In particular, Holland's use of raw scores to operationally define personality patterns is questioned. Standard scores for the same occupational samples provide results in substantial agreement with Holland's theory. Implications for vocational counseling based on Holland's theory of careers and associated instruments are discussed.