The Psychological and Vocational Interest Patterns of Donald Super and John Holland

Abstract

The theories of Donald Super and John Holland are the primary career development and choice approaches in use today. To the extent that the personality characteristics of a theorist have a direct bearing on the theory that he or she has constructed, a fuller understanding of the theorist is important. Although the profession knows much about the 2 approaches, less is known about the personalities of the theorists. The purpose of this article is to provide comparative data about each theorist's interests, values, and personalities on the basis of the results of 4 paper‐and‐pencil psychometric instruments that each completed. This study provides a rare glimpse into the psychological make‐up of 2 prominent theorists.