Major contributors and major contributions to the vocational behavior literature

Abstract

In a recent survey of the counseling psychology literature, M. Heesacker, P. P. Heppner, and M. E. Rogers (1982, Journal of Counseling Psychology, 29, 400–405) identified some important vocational contributors and their contributions. However, because these researchers focused broadly upon counseling psychology as a specialty, they identified only a limited number of significant vocational authors and vocational publications. We attempted to specify and extend a portion of the work of Heesacker et al. by further identifying (a) major contributors and classic contributions to the vocational literature appearing before 1958 and (b) emerging major contributors and classic contributions to the vocational literature appearing after 1957. In an effort to provide information relevant to the variety of professionals in the area of vocational behavior (e.g., psychologists, sociologists, economists), we drew exclusively on two journals that purport to broadly address the vocational area: the Journal of Vocational Behavior and Vocational Guidance Quarterly. Approximately 9000 references from these journals were alphabetized and tabulated for citation frequency analysis. Lists of major contributors and major contributions to the vocational literature, which provide potentially useful historical, research, and training information in the vocational area, were identified.