Vocational Preference Research Articles

By Their Tests We Will Know Them

An examination of the tests clinicians use can expose the clinicians’ beliefs. Their definition of a construct should be evident in the description of the test they use to measure the construct. Further examination of the test should provide evidence of aspects they endorse or at least tolerate in the measurement of the construct. In this article, striking differences in philosophical views behind a construct are demonstrated through an examination of a type of scale found in personality and vocational preference inventories. Next, several subtests of sentence production as a particular type of language expression are examined to demonstrate differences in authors’ views. The subtests are examined to disclose definitions of expressive language as found in sentence production and the restrictions on those definitions imposed by the measurement methods chosen. A clinician’s choice regarding which measure to use should be based on agreement with the test authors regarding essential aspects of measuring expressive language.

P-E fit and job satisfaction: A failure to support Holland's theory in three British samples

This paper reports on three studies all examining the P-E fit defined and measured by the Holland Vocational Preference Inventory among employed workers in Great Britain. Its aim was to demonstrate the relationship between P-E fit and satisfaction among different types of workers at different levels. Two studies examined the relationship between fit and multi-dimensional measures of job satisfaction, while the third explored the P-E fit among specialists in one specific occupational group. In the first study, Ss from 11 companies, 62 managers and 73 non-managers ( N = 135) completed the Index of Organisational Reactions (Smith, Cat. Sel. Docum. Psychol., 6, 1265, 1976; Journal of Applied Psychology, 62, 16–19). There were few significant relationships between congruency and differentiation and job satisfaction; but managerial Ss were found to be more congruent and expressed greater satisfaction than non-managerial Ss. In the second study a homogeneous group of speech therapists ( N = 60) completed the above two questionnaires. It was predicted that more recently qualified Ss would be more congruent than those long qualified; and that congruency would be correlated with job satisfaction. Neither hypotheses was confirmed. In the third study two groups of specialists and one general group of nurses were given the Holland measure. As predicted specialists were more congruent than non-specialists. The results fail to confirm central tenets of Holland's theory and suggest it does not ‘travel well’ across national and occupational boundaries.

Investigating Holland′s Typological Theory with Army Occupational Specialties

We investigated how well Holland′s (1985a) typology can distinguish Army occupational specialities and the validity of the congruence-satisfaction hypothesis in this context. The Vocational Preference Inventory was completed by 154 enlisted men in four representative Army specialities. Holland codes for the work environments were based on the enlisted men′s Vocational Preference Inventory scores, supervisors′ ratings on the Position Classification Inventory, and the Army′s rational codes. The majority of the soldiers were Realistic types, supporting Holland′s hypothesis that individuals select occupations that are congruent with their type. In a stronger test, Holland codes did a poor job of distinguishing the occupational specialities, however. Lack of support for the congruence-satisfaction hypothesis was attributed to several factors, not all of which are unique to the Army context. The study raised questions about the ability of Holland′s typology to distinguish Realistic working class occupations in the general economy and about the congruence-satisfaction hypothesis in this context.

Interests, Reasons and Subject Choice

Evidence from recent Australian research indicates that vocational and educational preferences and choices are related thematically in a manner that is well described by Holland's RIASEC themes. A recent Australia-wide survey of the curriculum choices of senior secondary students showed a pattern of relationships with measured interests that was consistent both with Holland's typology and the hexagonal arrangement of interests. The reasons that students gave for their subject choices were also classified and described. It is concluded that a school guidance program could valuably integrate attention to the choice of school subjects, the development of career plans and the critical discussion of anticipated reasons for subject and course choice.

Efficacy of the Vocational Preference Inventory as a Discriminator of Attachment Styles

The authors assessed the Vocational Preference Inventory as a discriminator of attachment styles. Although the means for some of the six career interest scales completed by 200 undergraduates varied somewhat across four attachment style categories, substantial within-group variances masked apparent differences. None of the scales met the minimum criterion of F to enter; thus none of these scales discriminated among categories of attachment style.

Life-History and Developmental Antecedents of Female Vocational Preferences

The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship among life-history experiences, sex-role orientation, self-esteem, and females' vocational preferences according to Holland's typology. The sample consisted of 296 undergraduate female college students. Data were gathered from the Strong Interest Inventory (SII; Hansen & Campbell, 1985), the Biographical Questionnaire (BQ; Owens, 1971), the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 1981), and the Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI; Coopersmith, 1987). Multiple discriminant analyses revealed that 77.2% of the variance in RIASEC group membership could be explained by the discriminating variables. Life-history information was more predictive of vocational interests than either sex-role orientation or self-esteem. The results were discussed in the context of previous research on predicting the vocational interests of females.

Tourism/Hospitality Management Employment Interest as Predicted by Job Attributes and Workplace Evaluations

Five hundred and thirty-four Australian senior school leavers rated preferences for tourism/hospitality industry work according to Holland's(1978) six vocational preference categories together with a set of 19 job characteristics, rated according to potential work satisfaction, motivation and perceived employer estimation. Only the management vocational preference category produced significant multiple regression functions, with job interest and skill utilisation predicting motivation to work in this area of the tourism/hospitality industry, and with administrative/executive power and supervision level predicting perceived tourism/hospitality industry employer importance. Major sources of perceived tourism/hospitality industry work satisfaction included advancement, job interest, sense of achievement and working conditions. Major motivators toward tourism/hospitality industry employment included job interest, sense of achievement, play and advancement. The job attributes believed to be esteemed the highes...

The arbitrary nature of Holland's RIASEC types: A concentric-circles structure.

Samples of high school (n = 370) and college (n = 223) students completed the Vocational Preference Inventory (J. L. Holland, 1985b) and the Inventory of Occupational Preference (IOP; T. J. Tracey & J. Rounds, in press). Their responses were examined with respect to whether they fit a uniform circular distribution. For both the high school and college samples, the individual interest items were uniformly arranged in a circle, indicating that there are no preferred points around the circle. Also, the 8 IOP octant scales and the 6 RIASEC scales (i.e., Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional) fit the data equally well, indicating that the 6 RIASEC scales are only one of many scale configurations that will fit a circular ordering. The results confirm that vocational interests have a uniform distribution along a circle and that the number of scales used is a matter of convenience. The relative utility of 6 or 8 scales and viewing interests as a set of concentric circles are discussed.

An Examination of the Psychometric Properties of Holland's (1985) Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI), Using a British Sample

AbstractThis study examines the psychometric properties of Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) using a diverse UK sample. Whilst an item analysis appears to be satisfactory, the factor analysis reveals seven, rather than the hypothesized six factors. A number of gender and cultural differences were found in the inventory; the bases for these are discussed and suggestions for improving the inventory items for a UK population are offered.

ChoiceMaker: Transitioning Self-Determined Youth

Individuals who are successful are self-determined. Unfortunately, too many youths with disabilities are not self-determined. Many individuals with disabilities exit our schools faced with a quality of life that looks quite different from their non-handicapped peers. Transition activities must be based on students' needs, preferences, and interests. School based transition planning should be directed toward employment outcomes. Students need opportunities to learn their vocational preferences, interests and skills relative to the available job market. By using a Self-Directed Employment Model, students will empower themselves to make and implement their own decisions. The Self-Directed Employment approach teaches students to choose a job that matches their interests and skills, and facilitates on-the-job self-management skills. Participating students systematically complete a three phase structured vocational curriculum as they progress through a choose, manage, evaluate, and adjust model. To help make a successful transition from school to work, the Individualized Education Plan needs to reflect student interests. The authors of this article describe the Self-Directed Employment model as a method to teach student self-determination.

Relation between Exploratory and Choice Factors and Decisional Progress

This study tested the hypothesis that a positive relation would exist between progress in career decision making and (a) academic choice and vocational preference congruence, (b) circumscribed vocational preferences with respect to field and level, and (c) adaptive exploratory activity. Using a sample of college students, canonical correlation analysis along with semi-partial multivariate models were used to assess the mutual and unique shared variance between the nature of choice variables and the three variables used in tandem to assess decisional progress (i.e., vocational self-concept crystallization, vocational commitment, and pre-implementation readiness). The results revealed that only the exploration constructs were consistently associated with the measures of decisional progress. The measures of field and level consistency were modestly related to the progress variables, while the congruence variables emerged as nonsignificant predictors. The results were related to research and theory.

Changing times, changing roles?

In this study, a sample of academics from departments of continuing education in the ‘old’ universities volunteered to be tested using Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI). The results showed that their vocational interests were primarily creative and intellectual and that their least preferred activities concerned administration, accounting and marketing. These latter activities are becoming a more significant part of the workload of academics as a result of an increasing number of bureaucratic requirements for public accountability. These pressures are likely to increase in the coming decade whilst current incumbents are still in post. The dilemma for those who manage is how to cope with the external pressures for change and the internal pressures which resist change.

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.

Personality Characteristics of Certified Rehabilitation Counselors in Various Work Settings

The purpose of the study was to identify personality profiles of Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRC) working in a variety of settings. Responses of 494 randomly selected CRCs to Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory and Nevill and Super's Values Scale were examined. The sample represented 20% of all GRCs working as rehabilitation counselors stratified proportionately across eight work settings: state/federal rehabilitation agency offices, private not-for-profit rehabilitation facilities, private for-profit rehabilitation firms, medical centers/general hospitals, state/federal rehabilitation facilities, mental health centers, mental institutions, and private practice. Data were analyzed using Cronbach's coefficient alpha, analyses of variance, and Scheffe's post hoc multiple comparison tests. Results revealed significantly different personality, interest, and value patterns according to sex and employment site.

Graduate psychology students' perceptions of the scientist-practitioner model of training

Abstract Since its inception over forty years ago, there has been considerable controversy regarding the viability of the scientist-practitioner model for training professional psychologists. The present study utilized a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to assess graduate psychology students' (n=24) perceptions of this training model. Counselling, clinical, and school psychology students participated in semi-structured interviews and were administered the Vocational Preference Inventory, Form B (Holland, 1977) and the Scientist-Practitioner Inventory (Leong & Zachar, 1991). Data were analyzed using a combination of grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) and additional qualitative data analytic approaches (Miles & Huberman, 1984). A number of patterns were observed between students' perceptions and feelings about the scientist-practitioner model and their definition of science, career interests, and shaping experiences. Implications for the future training of professional psyc...

A Multi‐Trait, Multi‐Method Analysis of Three Career Development Measures

Campbell and Fiske's (1959) multi‐trait, multi‐method analysis was applied to three popular measures of career development. College students completed the Attitude Scale of the Career Maturity Inventory (Crites, 1978a), the Vocational Preference Inventory (Holland, 1978), and the Decision‐Making Scale of the Career Development Inventory (Super, Thompson, Lindeman, Jordaan, & Myers, 1981). Participants also took part in a structured interview to assess their career development. The table of multi‐trait, multi‐method correlation coefficients for the three measures of career development supported their construct validity. Implications and ideas for future research are discussed.

The generality of interest themes

Abstract The history of interest measurement has occurred principally within vocational psychology. Beginning with E.K. Strong Jr. and G.F. Kuder it is possible to abstract thematic qualities from interest measurement which endure in Holland's (1985) theory of vocational choice. The relations between educational and vocational interests are frequently assumed but rarely investigated. Research, however, does suggest that measured educational and vocational preferences contain similar interest themes. The relations between preferences and choices are complicated by the constraints on possibilities which actual choices entail. In spite of this the evidence indicates that there are longitudinal relations between vocational preferences and educational choices consistent with their shared thematic qualities. These findings suggest that interest themes are important for explaining educational choices in addition to vocational preferences.

The Vocational Interests of Prisoners: A Preliminary Validation Study of the Lustig Color Vector Test

The purpose of this study was to provide empirical evidence for the validity of the Lustig Color Vector Test (LCVT) as a vocational interest measure. The LCVT, a nonverbal instrument, is a schematic attempt to represent the Vector Theory of Behavior which describes human behavior in terms of motion and the laws of physics. A sample of 92 participants was chosen to represent the literate male population of incarcerated offenders in the Wisconsin state prison system. Participants were administered the LCVT as well as Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and a demographic questionnaire. The results offered tentative support to the notion that the LCVT does measure vocational interest, thereby lending credence to Lustig's Vector Theory of Behavior.

A Demonstration of the Validity of the Multimodal Structural Profile Inventory Through a Correlation with the Vocational Preference Inventory

Two hundred and twenty-three people completed either only the Structural Profile Inventory (SPI) Lazarus, 1989) or both the SPI and the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) (Holland, 1966, 1985). Correlations were computed among the scales of these two instruments, demonstrating concurrent validity for five of the SPI scales. A factor analysis was computed demonstrating the factor validity of the SPI and Cronbach's alpha was computed for each of the seven scales of the SPI, demonstrating internal consistency. The results of this study demonstrate that the SPI is a valid and reliable instrument.

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Two hundred and twenty-three people completed either only the Structural Profile Inventory (SPI) Lazarus, 1989) or both the SPI and the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) (Holland, 1966, 1985). Correlations were computed among the scales of these two instruments, demonstrating concurrent validity for five of the SPI scales. A factor analysis was computed demonstrating the factor validity of the SPI and Cronbach's alpha was computed for each of the seven scales of the SPI, demonstrating internal consistency. The results of this study demonstrate that the SPI is a valid and reliable instrument.