Concepts of present self,expected self,and ideal self in vocational preferences and expectations

This study investigated the hypotheses that similarity of ideal self and occupational stereotypes are important in determining the vocational preferences of adolescents, while similarity between expected self and occupational stereotypes is important in determining their occupational expectations. Subjects were 97 male and 88 female high school students. Findings were consistent with the view that ideal self played an important role in determining vocational preferences for males and females. However, contrary to expectations, ideal self was more strongly associated than expected self with vocational expectations for females, though not for males.     

The effects of computer-mediated vocational guidance procedures on the appropriateness of vocational preference

To assess the effectiveness of vocational guidance procedures proposed for inclusion in a computer-based vocational exploration system, 139 eleventh-grade male subjects were randomly assigned to three experimental groups and a control group. One group was given a computer-generated accuracy of self-knowledge feedback, another group was taught an occupational classification scheme, a third group experienced both. Utilizing a method of explicit comparison between students' measured characteristics and the measured characteristics of occupational norm groups, the results showed students in the groups receiving feedback increased in the appropriateness of the occupational level of their first occupational choice. In addition, students in the combined treatment group increased in the appropriateness of the level of their total occupational preferences. A delayed posttest indicated that these increases persisted.     

大学生职业成熟度研究述评

大学生处于职业发展的一个特殊阶段,职业成熟度是评价大学生职业心理发展水平的一把标尺。大学生职业成熟度理论基础主要有Super的职业终身发展观、Crites的职业成熟理论、Westbrook的认知职业成熟观和国内大学生职业成熟度七维模型。当前大学生职业成熟度已在人口学变量上进行了广泛的研究,今后的研究去向将更进一步呈现本土化趋势,采用质的研究和量的研究相结合的方法,就大学生职业成熟度与个体的认知、人格和情绪关系展开讨论。     

At-Risk Urban High School Students' Commitment to Career Choices

The purpose of this study was to examine the commitment to career choices process for at-risk urban high school students. Data from 189 at-risk urban high school students were sampled. Results indicated that students' level of commitment to their career choices was related to their vocational identity, their need for occupational information, their perceived barriers to occupational goals, and the number of occupations they considered. The tendency to foreclose was related to the adherence to career myths. Implications and limitations for career theory, research, and practice are addressed.     

Peers' Perceptions of Negro and White Occupational Preferences

The hypothesis that elementary school children would cast their peers in occupational roles in a class play that would be congruent with the peers' previously expressed vocational preferences was supported for boys (N = 106), but not for girls (N = 97). Boys expressing a preference for either professional or masculine, aggressively oriented occupations were nominated for similar occupational roles in a class play by a significant number of their male and female peers. However, girls who expressed a preference for nursing or teaching were not cast in these roles by a significant number of either their male or female peers. Negro boys expressing a preference for professional occupations were cast in these roles by their peers with significantly greater frequency than were white boys. There were no significant race differences in the other occupational categories of the class play.     

Reinforcers,values, and vocational maturity in adults

The purpose of the present study was to test the notion that job reinforcers and occupational values are related to vocational maturity. The importance of 21 reinforcers and 11 values were rated by 207 vocational rehabilitation clients nad 59 graduate students. The dependent measure was the Adult Vocational Maturity Index. Older subjects with more education were more vocationally mature. Those subjects who considered-(a) getting a feeling of accomplishment, (b) doing work without feeling it is morally wrong, (c) having steady employment, (d) independence, (e) opportunity to use special talents, (f) challenge, and (g) self-satisfaction-important, were high in vocational maturity. Subjects who considered such things as-(a) telling other workers what to do, (b) having the position of “somebody” in the community, and (c) prestige-important, were lower in vocational maturity. The data indicated that choice of occupational reinforcers and preferences for specified values are reflected in the individual's “vocational maturity”.     

Educational and Vocational Aspirations of Minority and Female Students: A Longitudinal Study

This study examined the relative importance of school, family, personal/psychological, race, and sex variables in predicting educational and vocational aspirations. A nationally representative sample of 10th‐grade students was followed through 2 years beyond their high school. Results suggested that sex and race significantly predicted educational and vocational aspirations of students. The educational aspiration model was shown to be more robust than the occupational aspiration model. Overall, students showed increases in educational and occupational aspirations, regardless of sex and race. Compared with other groups, Asian Americans had the greatest increase in educational aspirations. Female students, on the average, had higher educational and vocational aspirations.     

Vocational aspirations of Chinese high school students and their parents' expectations

This study examined the vocational aspirations and parental vocational expectations of high school students and their parents (1067 parent–child dyads). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and an Occupations List. The Occupations List consisted of 126 occupational titles evenly distributed across the six Holland types. Parents were asked to check the occupations that they expected their children to pursue and students were asked to select occupations to which they aspired. The expectations of parents were compared to the aspirations of children according to the occupational field, prestige, and sextype of occupations. The expectation–aspiration gap was relatively small for occupational field, but the gap was larger for occupational prestige and sextype. There were also gender differences for both expectations (parents' expectation toward sons and daughters) and aspirations (aspirations of male and female students). Types of high school (key or regular high schools) and parental educational background also related to expectations and aspirations. Theoretical, research, and practice implications are discussed.     

Reality-Testing a Vocational Choice: Congruence Between Self,Ideal, and Occupational Percepts Among Student Nurses

A total of 168 student nurses (24 each at 7 levels of vocational experience and preparation) Q-sorted 50 self-relevant, socially neutral statements to measure self-concept, ideal self-concept, and occupational role percept. Mean r's for congruence between ideal and occupational percepts tended to exceed and to reach higher levels of significance than corresponding r's for congruence between either self and ideal or self and occupational percepts. Congruences between self, ideal, and occupational percepts reach significance at p = .01 for graduate students, who have attained “adult” professional status. However, no significant relationship appears to obtain between either pre-professional or professional nursing experience and congruence between self and ideal, self and occupational role, or ideal and occupational role percepts. Results are interpreted in terms of a self-concept theory of vocational development.     

Truck Driver or Nurse? The Impact of Gender Roles and Occupational Status on Children’s Occupational Preferences

Three experiments examined how US children perceive occupational status and gender roles. In Experiment 1, 107 6-to-12-year-olds rated the status and gender roles of 54 occupations. Feminine occupations were underrepresented among the perceived high status jobs. In Experiment 2, 28 6-to-8-year-olds, and in Experiment 3, 36 9-to-12-year-olds, reported their preferences for equally high status masculine and feminine occupations and low status masculine and feminine occupations. In both experiments, girls preferred feminine to masculine occupations and status only affected preferences for masculine occupations. The younger boys’ preferences were based on both variables, whereas older boys’ preferences were based on status. These findings imply that occupational status may influence boys’ vocational preferences more than pressure to conform to masculine gender roles.     

Effectiveness of a brief counseling intervention in stimulating vocational exploration

The intervention procedures used in this study, a brief report of vocational interest scores and small group sessions on vocational planning, were designed to encourage girls to consider the full range of occupations, unrestricted by sex-role stereotypes. In each of three schools, ninth-grade girls with average academic ability or above were randomly assigned to an intervention group (N = 195) and a control group (N = 195). Analyses of 1- and 3-month outcome data indicated that the intervention stimulated occupational exploration and increased congruence between occupational preferences and measured interests. Outcomes differed according to interest type, thus suggesting that certain students may need more counselor attention than others.     

The measurement of vocational maturity in adults

This investigation was designed to develop a measure of vocational maturity in adults. An Adult Vocational Maturity Inventory was constructed so that its items would reflect on the respondents past vocational decisions. The inventory was then administered to 200 unemployed men, 100 vocational trainees, and 100 graduate students. The total sample was equally divided into item analysis and cross-validation groups. Based on an analyses of the scores for the cross-validation group, the graduate students had the highest level of vocational maturity, the unemployed men had the lowest, and the vocational trainees fell in between the other two. Results of this study lent support for the hypothesis that vocational maturity can be quantitatively measured in adults. Evidence was also given in support of vocational choice theorists who have suggested that occupational maturity can continue into later life stages than adolescence.     

Educational,social, and psychological correlates of vocational maturity

An investigation of the educational, social, and psychological correlates of vocational maturity was undertaken in an Ontario high school involving a sample of 272 students. The analysis of data revealed that the students' CMI scores were generally correlated with (i) their educational and occupational aspirations, (ii) self-estimates of their general ability and classroom performance, (iii) their parents' educational level, and (iv) educational and occupational aspirations parents held for them. It was found moreover that higher CMI scores were associated with higher self-esteem, more internal locus of control, and more intrinsic work values. Implications of the results are discussed for educational practice.     

Differentiation of occupational perceptions among different age groups

The perception of occupations plays a key role in many vocational behaviors and in theories of vocational development. This study hypothesizes that occupational perceptions are more specific for older age groups than for younger age groups.This hypothesis was tested by using latent root analysis and minimum residual factor analysis to analyze the intercorrelations among six Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) scales for five large and diverse samples-elementary school students, rural high school seniors, college freshmen, employed salesmen, and employed women.Both analyses supported the hypothesis. The results are discussed in relation to those of Cureton (1970) and the implication is drawn that occupational perceptions may be used to estimate a person's level of vocational development.     

中学生职业抱负特点的调查研究

对中学生职业抱负的调查表明,在总体上中学生的职业抱负水平较高,且理想抱负显著高于现实抱负;女中学生的理想职业抱负低于男中学生、高三学生的现实职业抱负低于初三和高一学生。父母受教育程度、家庭所在地和学校性质、家庭经济收入对中学生职业抱负分别具有一定的影响作用。     

Antecedents of educational/career preferences and choices

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of social reinforcement, modeling, direct reinforcement, and words and images on the acquisition of career-related preferences. The study also examined the mediating role of career decision-making skills (CDMS) on the factors influencing preference. Finally, the combined influence of career-related preferences and CDMS on certainty about career choices was investigated. A total of 47 college students completed a questionnaire describing antecedent factors influencing their preference for a major or a career and evaluating the degree of influence of each factor. Students' scores on a vocational maturity inventory were the basis for dividing them in high and low groups. Students identified social reinforcement as the most important antecedent for their career preference. Results indicated that CDMS mediate the influence of models and direct reinforcement on career preference. Career-related preference was a better predictor of career certainty among low than high maturity students. Findings support and extend a social learning theory of career development.     

Differences among medical,business, and engineering students in the intensity and direction of their affective responses to occupational concepts

A semantic differential was used to measure the affective responses of vocationally committed male students in medicine, business, and engineering to occupational concepts representing the fields of medicine, business, engineering, the clergy, and law enforcement. A factor analysis of the data indicated that the students responded to the concepts with the Evaluative, Activity, and Potency dimensions of affective meaning. It was found that the groups differed significantly in the intensity and direction of their affective responses to the occupational concepts on the Evaluative and Activity dimensions. An examination of the nature of the group differences indicated that they held different affective meanings for their respective vocational choices, and for other occupational concepts as well. The medical students responded to medicine as good, potent, and active; the business students to business as bad, potent, and active, and the engineering students to engineering as good, weak, and active. The possible relationship of affective meaning to vocational behavior was discussed.     

Wisconsin's Research-Through-Service Program for Superior High School Students

The Research and Guidance Laboratory for Superior Students was organized at the University of Wisconsin in 1957 to conduct longitudinal research-through-service for superior high school students. It currently involves 2,000 young people from 75 Wisconsin secondary schools. Each year faculties of cooperating schools use multiple criteria to select new ninth-grade participants. Selected students visit the Laboratory annually throughout high school for evaluation, testing, counseling, and visits to classes and professors in fields of their choice. After students come to the University, Laboratory staff members visit their schools to interview parents and meet with teachers. Laboratory activities generate many research questions concerning identification, guidance, and educational and vocational development of superior students. It is intended to continue research and follow-up of Laboratory subjects for many years after they leave high school.     

Distinctive self and occupational member concepts in different occupational preference groups

This investigation attempted to test and extend selected aspects of Super's self-concept theory of career development. Four hundred twenty-eight male college student subjects, representing 39 college majors, selected their most-preferred occupational interest areas from a list of 14 factorially separable areas. The students described both themselves and their most-preferred occupational member concepts with Adjective Check List items. Individuals with demonstrably different self-concepts and occupational preferences displayed differences in the concepts that they held of members of their preferred occupational areas. Relatively distinct dimensions of similarity of self and occupational member concepts among students who preferred the same occupational area were also found.     

Attitudes toward physical education and class preferences of Turkish adolescents in terms of school gender composition

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes toward physical education (PE and PE class preferences of high school Turkish students in terms of school gender composition; 213 girls and 249 boys from coeducational public schools, and 196 girls and 210 boys from single-sex vocational schools participated in the study. The Attitudes Toward Physical Education Scale was administered and the results of 2 x 2 (Gender x School Type) ANOVA indicated that students in coeducational schools in general, and boys had more favorable attitudes. Additionally, chi-square analysis demonstrated significant differences in PE class preferences between students from single-sex and coeducational schools and between girls and boys.