The Reliability and Permanence of Vocational Interests of Adolescents

Abstract

In recent years considerable emphasis has been placed in the secondary school upon vocational guidance to the end that more adequate vocational adjustments might sub sequently be effected. As is not uncommon in educational programs, the theory and objec tives have far outstripped available tech niques for achieving stated ends. Although consistently questioned by work ers in the field, vocational choices have usu ally provided the basis for guidance insofar as the interests of the individual are con cerned. The continued use of such methods has been due not so much to the fact that their limitations have not been recognized as to the absence of an objective and reliable tool for measuring vocational interests. Since 1920, many investigators in this field have been concerned with the construction and perfection of devices for the measure ment of interests, employing objectively scored inventories standardized on adult per sons employed in various occupations. The norms that have been secured in this fashion are, consequently, not intended for use with high school pupils. The present study was undertaken to determine the suitability of such a technique at the senior high school level. The motive behind the investigation has been a belief in the necessity for ade quate counseling data, available to the indi vidual at such an age that the impact of vocational failure or unadjustment may be avoided and time and money may be hus banded in securing professional and voca tional preparation. The adaptation to adolescents of an inven tory standardized for measuring vocational interests of adults depends chiefly upon three main characteristics of adolescent interests.