Motivational correlates of real to ideal occupational aspiration shifts among black and white men and women

Abstract

Shifts from traditionally open real to traditionally closed ideal occupational aspirations were examined among black and white men and women as functions of social class and achievement, affiliation, and power motivations. It was hypothesized that achievement and power, but not affiliation, motivations would manifest an effect in fantasized ideal closed aspirations. In general, women shifted, men did not. Middle class white women shifted regardless of motive type or strength. Among middle and working class black women, the predominant trend for the three motives is for the low-motivation group to shift and the high-motivation group not to shift, contrary to the hypothesis. Rather than strong motivation in women resulting in tendencies to fantasize about motive-related closed occupations, it appears that strong motivation results in a correspondence between real and ideal occupational aspirations in black women but not in white women. The latter fantasize about ideal occupational goals regardless of motive strength.