Holland's Self-Directed Search Research Articles

The implementation of Holland Self-Directed Search to employed higher education graduates: A comparison between sighted adults and adults with visual impairments

In general, the occupational choices of individuals with visual impairments do not appear to be significantly different from the ones of the sighted individuals, despite the narrowed occupational possibilities offered to them. This study aims to explore (a) the range of occupational possibilities that according to the Self-Directed Search (SDS) most closely resemble the personality types of adults with visual impairments and sighted adults, (b) the differences between the occupational possibilities suggested by the SDS among adults with visual impairments and sighted adults, and (c) the differences between the current occupational choices and the occupational possibilities according to the SDS of adults with visual impairments and sighted adults, and the comparison among them. The sample consisted of 44 adults with visual impairments and 44 sighted adults, aged 24 to 44 years. All participants were higher education graduates and occupationally active. The occupational possibilities suggested by the SDS show the clear inclination of people with visual impairment toward social occupations. On the contrary, the SDS shows the inclination of the sighted adults toward the enterprising and the investigative occupations. The results of the statistical analysis showed that there are no differences between the two groups (visually impaired and sighted) in terms of the Iachan index – an index that determines the congruence between two SDS codes, representing the current occupations and the occupations proposed by the SDS application. The results could be practically implemented for the expansion of individuals with visual impairment occupational choices based on their occupational possibilities.

AKITA: A CAREER COUNSELING CASE FOR PRACTICE AND THEORETICAL REFLECTION

A case in the Hong Kong Chinese context is presented in this paper to illustrate the use of both quantitative (Holland's SDS) and qualitative career assessment (Card Sorts) to help a 16-year-old girl overcome career indecision. Guided by both Holland's Hexagonal Career Types Theory and Socio-Cognitive Career Theory, a career counsellor can promote a client's positive changes after two counseling sessions. This case supports Tracey's (2002) and Nauta et al.'s (2002) postulated bidirectional causal path between self-efficacy and interests. In addition, it highlights that partial match instead of perfect match between Self-directed search (SDS) scores and choice of academic major is more pragmatic or effective while performing quantitative assessment. Finally, it points to the need for establishing local SDS norms, examining the Holland codes for occupations in Hong Kong, and researching the link between congruence and maximal career outcomes in future research.

School Achievement, Personality And Interests at Gymnasium and College Levels

The present study approaches the issue of school achievement at gymnasium and high school levels.The participants are 366 gymnasium and high school students (medium age 16.1 years, SD 1.80) who were tested with a complex battery made of eight intelligence tests, together with Big Five personality questionnaire and Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS). According to the model of Holland's structure of interests, it is expected that the realistic type should provide the biggest ratio of underachieved people while the social type the biggest ratio of overachieved people. The research confirms these hypotheses and opens several new directions of investigating school achievement.

Using Two Different Self-Directed Search (SDS) Interpretive Materials: Implications for Career Assessment

John Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS) is a career assessment that consists of several booklets designed to be self-scored and self-administered. It simulates what a practitioner and an individual might do together in a career counseling session (e.g., review preferred activities and occupations; review competencies, abilities and possible career course; and consider RIASEC theory). This study examined how individuals used two different interpretive materials with the SDS assessment: (1) two paper booklets and (2) the computer-generated SDS Interpretive Report (SDS:IR). Participants receiving the SDS:IR were more likely to recall their SDS summary codes and expand their options than those receiving the two paper booklets.Keywords: Self-Directed Search, SDS Interpretive Report, RIASEC theory, career course, John Holland, career assessmentThe Self-Directed Search (SDS; Holland, 1994a) is a career intervention based on John Holland's (1997) RIASEC theory (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional). The basic form of the SDS consists of several booklets designed to be self-scored and self-administered. It simulates what a practitioner and an individual might do together in a counseling session (e.g., review preferred activities and occupations, and review competencies and abilities). In this study, all students in two sections of a college career course completed the paper version of the SDS Form R Assessment booklet (Holland, 1994a) using the paper Occupations Finder (OF; Holland, 2000). Students in one section of the course received the SDS:IR generated by the SDS software system (IR; Reardon & PAR, 2001). Those in the other section received two paper booklets, You and Your Career (YYC; Holland, 1994b) and the Educational Opportunities Finder (EOF; Rosen, Holmberg, & Holland, 1997). These interpretive materials were both designed to answer common questions about the SDS assessment results and about how the findings might be used to improve college students' career decision-making.The YYC reusable booklet gives the practitioner a tool for interpreting the results of the SDS assessment activity, and for providing a more complete career intervention (Reardon & Lenz, 1998). Although the YYC booklet was designed to make the SDS a more self-directed activity and support the practitioner's work, little research has investigated the usefulness of this booklet (Holland, Fritzsche, & Powell, 1994). The EOF is a listing of more than 700 educational programs at three degree levels according to three-letter Holland summary codes. The computer-generated interpretive report uses the SDS assessment results and includes content materials from the OF, YYC, and EOF booklets to produce a customized report based on an individual's scores from the assessment booklet.Holland's work has been referenced in more than 1,600 citations, and the SDS is reported in hundreds of studies (Ruff, Reardon, & Bertoch, 2008). For example, Holland (1997) reported more than two dozen SDS studies with high school students, college students, and adults that demonstrated the psychometric properties of the inventory, examined the efficacy of the RIASEC typology, and investigated the relationship between the Big Five personality factors and RIASEC theory. Despite the popularity of the SDS, we were unable to locate any studies investigating the efficacy of the interpretive materials that support the SDS or the varied ways it might be used (e.g., in-person, booklet alone, personalized computer-generated report).Whiston and James (2013) concluded that although Brown and Ryan Krane (2000) found that individualized interpretations and feedback were one of five key ingredients in successful career interventions, there is little outcome research related to precisely how practitioners should interpret the results of career assessments (p. 571). Moreover, they noted that in analyzing studies published between 1983 and 1995, no treatment/control comparison studies addressed individual test interpretation (Whiston, Sexton, & Lasoff, 1998). …

Student interests and undergraduate performance: the importance of student–course alignment

There has been a growing interest in the influences on undergraduate performance in recent years as a result of the increasing diversity of students entering third-level education and an ever increasing emphasis on the development of a robust knowledge economy. This paper investigates the influence of students’ dominant interest types and prior academic achievement on undergraduate performance in an Irish university. Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS) interest inventory was completed by 308 students drawn from three, second year undergraduate programmes in engineering, nursing and teaching. The impact of dominant interest types and prior academic achievement on the performance of these students in their second year was then investigated using correlation and linear regression analyses. When combined, student interests and prior academic achievements were found to account for between 38% and 50% of the variance in undergraduate performance for students in these three undergraduate programmes.

Georgia's Grow-Your-Own Teacher Programs Attract the Right Stuff

There is a shortage of educators and there are various factors that account for the lack of teachers. Millions of new teachers will be needed in the near future and the present study juxtaposes the vocational personality profiles of adolescents ( N = 262) participating in Future Educators of America programs in Georgia to in-service teachers' profiles as determined by Holland's Self-Directed Search inventory. Using Holland's theoretical framework for congruence between one's personality and the workplace as a lens, the results indicated that adolescents in the future educator programs shared the same Holland code as in-service teachers. Noting that teachers tend to return to the area in which they were raised, findings from this research have serious implications for the identification and recruitment of tomorrow's teaching force.

Evaluation of the Holland model of the professional interests in Croatia and Serbia

The RIASEC structure has been tested in Croatian and Serbian sample. The Holland's Self-directed Search was applied on a sample of 746 high-school pupils (384 coming from Croatia and 362 from Serbia). The adequacy of hexagonal model has been analyzed with Hubert and Arabie's randomization test, Myors' test and Multidimensional scaling procedure. Although the analyses have shown somewhat different results, generally the similar fit of the hexagonal model to both samples was found. The theoretical two-dimensional underlying solution was tested with principal components analysis and in both samples two very similar underlying dimensions were found. Thus, the RIASEC structure in Croatia and Serbia was found to be very similar, both with respect to the hexagonal structure and the underlying dimensions. .

The Academic Advising Implications of the Self-directed Search and Holland's Theory: A Study of Kent State University Exploratory Students

The staff at the Kent State Student Advising Center has been using John Holland's self-directed search (SDS) since the inception of the Exploratory program. The SDS measures activities, competencies, and occupational interests as they relate to Holland's six personality types. We tested the utility of the SDS in advising, developed a profile of Exploratory students, and discerned if differentiation impacts major declaration and graduation. Increasing self-awareness, developing competencies, and clarifying values are keys to retaining and graduating undifferentiated, undecided students. By understanding student traits and levels of differentiation, advisors can develop intervention strategies and environments conducive to academic success.

Validity of E-Advice: The Evaluation of an Internet-Based System for Career Planning

The paper provides data on the evaluation of an Internet-based system for self-directed career planning that has been developed in Croatia. Rich in occupational information and career-management advice, this application also contains an interactive questionnaire tapping the client's personal skills and interests. Based on the client's answers, the computer proposes an e-advice– a limited set of occupations that match the users' individual characteristics. The evaluation utilized data gathered from a self-selected sample of users (N = 2,064) and two smaller student samples. Apart from the users' satisfaction, the analyses explored various aspects of e-advice validity: factor structure of users' self-assessments and expert occupational ratings, differences in e-advice given to different groups of users, congruence with the classifications based on Holland's Self-Directed Search, and congruence with the advice given by expert human counsellors. The analyses supported the validity of e-advice.

The Suitability of Holland's Self-Directed Search for Non-Readers with Learning Disabilities or Mild Mental Retardation

This investigation explored the use of Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS) by non-readers with learning disabilities and non-readers with mild mental retardation. A total of 43 middle and high school special education teachers were instructed in the administration of the SDS to both readers and non-readers with learning disabilities and mild mental retardation (n = 337) . Results show that, for both readers and non-readers in this study, the SDS was reliable, able to validly measure preferences, and sensitive to preferences with respect to disability group membership. Hence, the SDS appears to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring vocational preferences of non-readers with learning disabilities or mild mental retardation and may be used for the subsequent planning of pre-vocational and vocational training for these individuals.

The Self-Directed Search and Career Self-Efficacy

This paper presents the results of a study aimed at furthering understanding of the meaning of responses to Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS). Drawing on current social cognitive theory, this study provides some evidence that SDS Summary scores might be predictive of respondents' future self-efficacy expectations. A significant relationship was found between responses to the SDS and an instrument specifically designed to measure career self-efficacy, the short form of the Task-Specific Occupational Self-efficacy Scale (TSOSS). Evidence for the validity of the SDS in predicting career self-efficacy is provided by the correlational patterns and gender differences shown in the responses to both the SDS and TSOSS. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Using career choice considerations in the counseling process: examination of the structure of preferences, gender and age differences

The aim of this research was to examine the structure of career choice considerations and to outline group differences in these considerations. Following the aspect-based approach to career decision making, a considerations questionnaire was established and given to 754 young adults who applied to the Hadassah Career Counseling Institute. Holland's self-directed search questionnaires were also given. Seven core factors which underline people's considerations were derived and compared to Holland's interest types. Gender and age differences in the importance assigned to career considerations were also examined and analyzed via the seven core factors. The results show both the common and distinctive features of the considerations structure and the interest structure. Several significant group differences in career considerations were established. Ways to incorporate the findings in occupational counseling are discussed and the contribution of a systematized considerations questionnaire is outlined.

Assessing the Structure of Vocational Interests among Bolivian University Students

Ninety-eight Bolivian university students completed the Spanish version of Holland's Self-Directed Search. The fit of three different structural models of vocational interest (Holland's [1973] circumplex, Gati's [1979] three group partition, and Rounds and Tracey's [in press] three group partition) were fit to the correlations among the RIASEC scales using the randomization test of hypothesized order relations (Hubert & Arabie, 1987). Nonsignificant probabilities and low correspondence indices were obtained for all three models. These results indicate poor model fit, suggesting that none of these models adequately characterize the structure of vocational interests of the Bolivian students sampled. Multidimensional scaling was used to depict the structure of the Bolivian sample's vocational interests in two dimensions.

Knowledge organization as a factor in career intervention outcome: A multidimensional scaling analysis.

Multidimensional scaling techniques (MDS) were used to examine the learning outcomes associated with J. L. Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS; J. L. Holland, 1990). One hundred forty-six participants were randomly assigned to 3 conditions: the SDS, an attentional control, and a no treatment control. Based on the speculations of J. L. Holland, T. M. Magoon, and A. R. Spokane (1981), we hypothesized that participants who had completed the SDS would acquire Holland's complete RIASEC organizing scheme. No evidence of Holland's 2-dimensional RIASEC configuration was found for any of the groups. Examination of the 3-dimensional MDS solutions, however, suggested the presence of a prestige dimension and supported Holland's scheme as represented by D.J. Prediger's (1981) Things-People and Data-Ideas constructs.

Are Realistic Types Really Less Career Mature?: Year 10 Differences in Career Maturity between Holland's Work Personality Types

The Career Development Inventory and Holland's Self-Directed Search were administered to 89 Year 10 students. There were no significant differences in attitudinal career maturity between Holland's work personality types, but differences in cognitive career maturity were significant, and closely replicated the patterning obtained by Jones, Hansen and Putnam (1976), in which Investigative types had most career maturity and Realistic types had least. However, when educational achievement was used as a covariate in the relationship of cognitive career maturity and Holland type, there were no longer significant differences. A discussion is made of whether Realistic types are really less career mature, or whether measures of career maturity are inappropriate for Realistic types due to the confounding of other variables.

Young Women's Career Choices

This study investigated the career choices of young women attending a single-sex church school using both longitudinal and cross-sectional data. Ninety-nine Year 12 students completed Holland's Self-directed Search (SDS) in 1985. In 1991, 40 of these respondents again completed the SDS and provided demographic and employment information. Also in 1991, the school's Year 12 students (n = 87) completed the SDS and provided demographic data. SDS scores for the longitudinal group (students retested in 1991) showed that their vocational preferences changed with Realistic, Artistic, Enterprising and Conventional scores increasing and Social scores remaining the same. Comparisons between the longitudinal group's 1985 and 1991 SDS scores and the type of course and employment they pursued lent support to developmental theories of career choice. Cross-sectional results indicated that there were very few differences in the vocational preferences of the 1985 and 1991 Year 12 students. Thus results also suggested that current efforts to encourage girls to have broader career aspirations have had little effect. Implications of these findings for career counselling were discussed.

LISREL analyses of the RIASEC model: Confirmatory and congeneric factor analyses of Holland's self-directed search

A sample of 401 apprentice plumbers was administered the Australian version of Holland's [(1977) Self-Directed Search: A guide to educational and vocational planning. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press] Self-Directed Search (SDS), in an investigation of the construct validity of the multidimensional interest inventory. Both exploratory (iterative principal factoring with oblique simple structure rotation), as well as LISREL confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), provided only partial support for the six-factor RIASEC typological model on which the SDS instrument was structured. Indeed, only one RIASEC factor (Artistic) was supported unequivocally from the exploratory factor analysis while the CFA statistics indicated a poor fit overall of the data to the RIASEC model. More specific LISREL congeneric factor analyses for each RIASEC dimension, however, provided tentative support for five of the six RIASEC themes. Moderately acceptable Adjusted Goodness of Fit indices, and Root Mean Square Residual estimates were obtained in each instance, except for the Realistic dimension, wherein the fit of the empirical data to the congeneric model was not supported. A further finding was the predominance of the RSE summary code, compared with the predicted summary code for a plumber which is REI (U.S.A.) or REC (Australia). On the basis of the present findings, therefore, Holland's RIASEC model and SDS instrument appear to require extensive before being suitable for use in the Australian context.

Characteristics of Israeli women studying nursing compared to women studying education and engineering.

This study examined the demographic characteristics, vocational personality, and sex-role orientation of Israeli women studying nursing compared to women studying education and engineering. The convenience sample was 176 university students. The instrument included a demographic inventory, Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS) questionnaire, and the Sex-Role Orientation Attitude questionnaire. Nursing and education students had Holland's "social" personality types and engineering students were more "realistic" or "investigative". Nursing and engineering students were significantly more feminist in their orientation than education majors. Nursing students were nontraditional women who had traditional family backgrounds, yet were nontraditional in their feminist orientation. With nursing's move into colleges and universities, the need for academically qualified applicants has intensified. Developing a better understanding of the unique nature of nursing and nursing students is a challenge.

Classifying personality types with occupational prototypes

The interpersonal properties of Holland's occupational preferences model was examined with respect to the Interpersonal Circumplex. We investigated the hypothesis that occupational preferences, selected on the basis of their judged interpersonal relevance, may be used to classify subjects into their appropriate trait category on the Circumplex. In Study 1, eight Interpersonal Occupation Scales (IOS) were developed to map categories from the Circumplex, with Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS) serving as the occupations item pool. The IOS was designed according to the prototype scale construction strategy ( Broughton, 1984). Intraclass correlation analysis of the IOS revealed high interjudge agreement among prototype rankings. In Study 2, 236 undergraduates completed the SDS, IOS, and Wiggins' Revised Interpersonal Adjective Scales (IAS-R). On the basis of IAS-R scores, subjects were classified into one of eight personality types on the Circumplex. Discriminant function analyses, with SDS and IOS scale scores serving as separate predictors of quadrant and octant criteria, revealed significantly higher hit rates for IOS scales. Subsequent separate-group discriminant analyses indicated an average 71% correct classification rate for IOS scale predictors. Results were interpreted with respect to the link between personality and occupational preference and the use of a prototype approach in exploring this link.

A comparative study of Israeli female students in nontraditional (engineering) and traditional (humanities) fields of study

This study examined the personality characteristics, demographic variables, and sex-role orientation of Israeli women studying engineering as compared to women studying humanities and males studying engineering. Altogether, the sample population consisted of 181 students. The instruments utilized were the Holland's Self-Directed Search questionnaire, a demographic inventory, and the Sex-Role Orientation Attitude questionnaire. Female students in engineering were significantly more feminist in their orientation; most of them had “Realistic” or “Investigative” personality types; their parents had a university degree and their fathers had technical occupations. There were no significant differences between male and female engineering students with regard to personality and demographic variables. Implications for female education and policies are discussed.