Relationship of Copsystem Interest Inventory Scales to Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) Scales in a College Sample: Construct Validity of Scales Based on Professed Occupational Interest

Abstract

The purposes of the present study were to (1) determine the relationship of scores on the COPSystem Interest Inventory and scores on similar constructs of the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and (2) ascertain how frequently the three areas of interest on the COPSystem Interest Inventory receiving the highest scores by respondents corresponded to the three like-named areas of the VPI exhibiting the highest scores by the same respondents. The sample included 213 female undergraduate college students. Scales on both inventories were matched according to the name of the constructs and the theoretical assumptions of the constructs. The results indicated high correlations between scales of the two instruments measuring similar constructs. Relative to the second purpose, for 50% of the sample, results were nearly identical for both instruments, and for all members of the sample at least one highest area of interest was the same. It was concluded that some support is provided for the COPSystem constructs. Recommendations include future cross-validation studies with other college and non-college samples.