Effects of computer-mediated vocational guidance procedures: Accuracy of self-knowledge

To assess the effectiveness of vocational guidance procedures proposed for inclusion in a computer-based vocational exploration system, 128 11th-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 on occupational classification scheme, a third group experienced both. Measures of self-knowledge showed increased accuracy about intelligence, but not about interests, after treatments that included the feedback. Increases were largely due to changes in subjects who originally underestimated their intelligence. A delayed posttest indicated that the increases did not persist.     

Primary influencers of initial vocational choices for college women

This study of 597 entering college women investigated the characteristics of people they named as the primary influencers for their initial choices of major. College major was considered analogous to vocational field since the sample of students overwhelmingly gave career goals as reasons for choosing a particular major. Characteristics of these primary influencers were compared with those of a sample of individuals influencing male choices. In addition, characteristics of influencers were compared between those influencing females choosing traditional and nontraditional majors. The results indicate that most students, regardless of gender, were influenced by males, particularly fathers. However, a notable percentage of female students, especially those in traditional fields, were influenced by females. Students whose primary influencers were in fields closely related to their own vocational choices reported being more certain of their choices than students citing influencers in unrelated fields. These findings have implications for model-observer similarity, and may necessitate distinguishing between influential people who provide reinforcement for a choice of major and those who provide specific vocational modeling as well as reinforcement for that choice.     

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.     

Vocational development in early childhood: An examination of young children's expressions of vocational aspirations

Vocational aspirations were investigated in a sample of 282 children between the ages of 3 and 6. Age comparisons suggested that one aspect of vocational development in early childhood involves mastery of the task of projecting oneself into the future and conceiving of oneself as one day achieving adult status. Race comparisons indicated that urban blacks were less mature than urban whites in terms of mastery of the vocational projective task seen as characteristic of this developmental period. No significant sex differences were found in rate of development. However, there were indications that the pattern of vocational projection differs for males and females and that females undergo occupational foreclosure earlier than their male peers. Implications for vocational development theories are discussed.     

Reinforcers and vocational maturity in occupational aspiration,expectation, and goal deflection

When vocational aspirations and expectations are not the same, this difference is termed occupational goal deflection. The present study was designed to investigate the notion that such aspirations, expectations, and goal deflection are related to an individual's vocational maturity, education, and job reinforcers. The subjects were 149 vocational rehabilitation clients and 51 graduate students. Analyses of variance yielded findings that more vocationally mature individuals tend to display greater vocational aspiration, greater vocational expectation, and less goal deflection. Similarily, subjects who value such job characteristics as “getting a feeling of accomplishment, fair company policies, trying out their own ideas, doing work without feeling it is morally wrong, making their own decisions, (and) planning work with little supervision” tend to have higher aspirations and expectations, but lower goal deflection.     

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.     

Consistent occupational preferences,vocational maturity,and academic achievement

This study explored the differences in vocational maturity, academic aptitude, and achievement variables among female sorority students who made congruent, incongruent, and undecided occupational choices. The variables were operationally defined by the Career Maturity Inventory, the American College Test Battery, and a self-report questionnaire. Congruent, incongruent, and undecided current occupational choice groups were defined operationally using the Self-Directed Search. The analysis of variance revealed the main effect of groups to be significant for two variables. The findings suggest that students in the congruent female group tend to be more vocationally mature than students in the incongruent and undecided groups.     

The influence of a career group experience on the vocational maturity of college students

The effects of a career group experience on the vocational maturity of theoretically grouped college freshmen and sophomores were investigated using Super's Career Development Inventory as the dependent measure. The dimensions of consistency/inconsistency and differentiation/nondifferentiation, as identified utilizing Holland's Vocational Preference Inventory, were investigated along with the dimensions of treatment/nontreatment and interaction effects. Predictions related to change in vocational maturity as a result of treatment were made for each dimension. The analysis sample was a group of 68 volunteer freshman and sophomore college students. Results indicated that students did significantly increase their vocational maturity as a result of the group experience. Furthermore, it was found, as predicted, that within experimental groups inconsistent and nondifferentiated students improved significantly more on some vocational maturity measures than consistent or differentiated students. Students who were both inconsistent and nondifferentiated showed consistently greater increases on virtually all vocational maturity measures than all other theoretical groups.     

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”.     

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.     

An investigation of racial differences on vocational variables among college women

This study used a sample of black and white college women matched on Duncan's (1961) socioeconomic indicator ratings to explore possible racial differences on vocationally relevant variables. There were no differences between the groups on age or educational level. The distribution of the parents' occupations by Holland type and the distribution of the subjects by their VPI type appeared to be quite similar. There were no significant differences based on: the relationship of the parents' occupational types to the subjects' VPIs: the relationship between the subjects' VPI types and their occupational choice or college major; the estimated likelihood of reaching the career goal; satisfaction with career choice or college major; and scores on two recent scales designed to measure vocational indecision. While no differences were found on the number of possible factors listed that might impede career goals, the distribution of the most important of these factors indicated there were differences between the two groups. These findings are discussed relative to their implications for interpreting previous research and carrying out future studies.     

Secondary school curriculum and career behavior in young adults

As part of a larger longitudinal study of the effects of secondary school characteristics on career behavior in young adulthood, this paper presents findings obtained from 1007 males and females who graduated from high school in academic or vocational curricula 6 or 8 years ago. Criterion behavior included the completion of career development tasks in the exploration and establishment life stages as measured by the Adult Form of the Career Development Inventory, certainty about immediate occupational plans, and satisfaction with occupational goals and progress toward meeting them. Significant differences were found in the pattern of career development by curriculum but not by sex, in certainty by curriculum and sex, and in satisfaction by neither curriculum nor sex. The implications for a stage theory of career development are discussed.     

An investigation of vocational indecision in college students: Correlates and moderators

This study investigated the relationships among fear of success, locus of control, and vocational indecision in college students and the extent to which these relationships are moderated by sex and ability. Subjects, 103 female and 98 male undergraduate students, were administered measures of fear of success, locus of control, and career indecision. In addition, American College Test (ACT) composite scores were available for 154, or 77%, of the subjects. Results indicate that vocationally undecided college students are more external in their locus of control, are more fearful of success, and have lower ACT scores than decided students. Multiple regression analyses for the prediction of vocational indecision yield mixed results, as the power of prediction of the independent variables of locus of control and fear of success were influenced by the sex and ability level of the student. Results, implications for future vocational indecision research, and implications for counseling assistance of vocationally undecided students are discussed.     

Effect of role choice on vocational high school students

This study was an attempt to determine whether the role choice dimension of Holland's theory was applicable to vocational high school students. The results of the study indicate that students with a clear role choice have significantly higher mean achievement scores, are more satisfied with their training program and have a lower attrition rate than students with an unclear role choice. These results seem to suggest that school counselors should listen to what students say they want to do in their work role.     

Consistent occupational preferences and satisfaction,self concept,self acceptance and vocational maturity

This study explored the differences on variables of satisfaction, self-concept, self-acceptance, and vocational maturity between freshmen students who made congruent and incongruent occupational choices. The variables were operationally defined by the College Student Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, the Berger scales, and the Vocational Development Inventory. Congruent and incongruent current occupational choice groups were defined operationally using the Self Directed Search. The analysis of variance of the scale scores did not reveal the main effect of congruence to be significant. However, a second analysis using a more rigorous definition of congruence revealed the main effect of congruence to be significant for four satisfaction variables. Findings suggest that subjects in the congruent male group tend to report better maintenance of personal stability and greater satisfaction than subjects in the incongruent female group.     

The relationship between vocational interest differentiation and career undecidedness

Fifty-four female and thirty male students over 20 years old were administered the Career Decision Scale and the six occupational scales of the Vocational Preference Inventory in order to test the hypothesis that indecision is negatively related to occupational interest differentiation in an adult population. Interest differentiation did not appear to be a reliable indicator of vocational undecidedness.     

The relationship between vocational information seeking and educational and vocational decidedness

This investigation explored the relationship between vocational information seeking behavior (VISB) and educational and vocational decidedness. Pre- and postmeasures of VISB and educational and vocational decidedness were given to two groups of “undecided” university freshmen. One group experienced a 3-hr long vocationally oriented life planning workshop and a career planning class module of 10 hr duration; the other experienced only the class module. Correlations between VISB and the two forms of decidedness were low but significant. Cross-lagged and dynamic correlations completed to determine causal effects only minimally supported the hypotheses that engaging in VISB produces an increase in educational and vocational committedness and vice versa. Some possible explanations for this finding are discussed.     

Relationships among categories of vocational preference

Five inventories, each comprising statements selected from the following categories: occupational titles, curriculum subjects, job attributes, vocational life goals, and general life goals were answered by 78 first year university students. The correlations among the statements were analysed by the principal components method. The definition of the resultant dimensions by the categories was then examined. It was found that the dimensions of preference could be arranged in two independent groups: the first defined by occupational titles, curriculum subjects, and vocational life goals; and the second by job attributes and general life goals. The implications of this finding for the nature of vocational preference and certain counseling activities are discussed.     

Consistent occupational preferences and personality

This study explored the differences on personality variables between upperclass students who made congruent and incongruent occupational choices. The personality variables were operationally defined by the California Psychological Inventory and the Omnibus Personality Inventory. Congruent and incongruent current occupational choice groups were defined operationally using the Self Directed Search. The analysis of variance revealed the main effect of groups to be significant for nine personality variables. The test for the main effect of sex was found to be significant for seven personality variables. The test for interaction was found to be significant for three personality variables. Findings suggest that students in the congruent male group tend to report better maintenance of personal and vocational stability and greater satisfaction than students in the incongruent male and female groups.