Enabling,facilitating, and precipitating factors associated with women's career orientation

Women who had completed a career/life survey 13 to 21 years after enrolling as freshmen in college were classified as career (N = 372) or homemaker (N = 797) oriented on the basis of their actual work experiences. Statistically significant differences between the groups were found on 90% of the variables within the enabling conditions (i.e., family characteristics), 60% of the variables within the facilitating conditions (i.e., educational and vocational characteristics), and 88% of the variables within the precipitating conditions (i.e., attitudinal factors). The proportion of variance accounted for in career orientation by these variables varied from 0 to 32%. The variables which best differentiated between the two groups were categorized within the enabling conditions. The results are discussed in terms of previous theory, research, and practical application.     

A Vocational interest test minus sex bias

The Vocational Preference Inventory responses from 290 subjects (110 males and 180 females) were subjected to a Rasch item analysis, one of a class of latent trait models. After elimination of 22 items which did not fit the model, a sex-free form of the VPI was obtained. Group interest scale scores are presented for each of the Holland scales and data are produced which indicate that no violence was done to the Holland coding system.     

An application of the variable perspective model in interpersonal conflict resolution

The perspective model of attitude judgment was used as a basis for making predictions concerning interpersonal confiict. Forty-four pairs of undergraduate males negotiated an annual wage increase in a simulated labor-management dispute. Subjects in pairs negotiated from either same or different perspectives. Psychological perspective was manipulated experimentally by the suggestion of either a narrow or broad range of typical wage increase settlements. As predicted, discrepant perspectives were either facilitative or debilitative to reaching agreement depending on the direction of the discrepancy. Increasing width of perspective by raising upper anchor did not significantly affect the amount of the settlement. The hypothesized dynamic aspects of the perspective model were confirmed in that holding amount of settlement constant, satisfaction with the settlement was a function of perspective.     

Do birds of a feather flock together? A test of the similarities within and the differences between five occupations

Two sets of samples of 40 women from each of five different occupations were subjected to J. H. Ward's (Journal of the American Statistical Association, 1963, 58, 236–244) hierarchical cluster analysis, using an index of similarity from Kuder, 1977, Kuder, 1980, 40, 1–8). The five-group solution in neither case adequately recaptured the occupational membership of the original groups. This finding was interpreted to mean that there may be important differences in the interests of person in the same occupation, which in turn has implications for occupational scaling on interest inventories and theories of career development and counseling.     

A study of career patterns of women college graduates

The employment and educational histories of 498 women college graduates of 1968 were investigated to assess the women's career progress in the 10 years since college. The women were classified in a proposed seven-category system of career patterns adapted from those of D. G. Zytowski (Personnel and Guidance Journal, 1969, 47, 660–664) and K. P. Wolfson (Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1976, 23,(2), 119–125). The system established categories for pioneer (nontraditional) as well as traditional women's occupations at varying levels of both span (length) and degree of participation in paid employment. The seven resulting career pattern groups were compared on personal and career-relevant variables. The findings indicated that a majority of the women graduates have worked continuously outside the home since 1968, and many have entered pioneer occupations. Only 1.4% of the present sample of women were full-time homemakers throughout the 10-year period. On the other hand, 28.5% of the women in the sample were currently employed in pioneer occupations. A majority of the women (79%) have combined both careers and homemaking. Women in traditionally female careers, as compared with pioneer women, were less likely to change careers across the 10-year period, and were more likely to move in a horizontal or downward career direction. Pioneer women were more likely than traditionals to move from lower-to higher-level careers. The findings support the use of the adapted classification system in future studies and also provide data for use with women who are now planning for future careers and lifestyles.     

Vocational behavior and career development, 1977: A review

This review covers several books and selections from several journals published in 1977 on topics in vocational behavior and career development. Coverage includes theoretical contributions in vocational choice, development and correlates of choice, decision and indecision, assessment of career skills and interests, self-estimates, and sex bias. Material relating to the vocational behavior of adults contains sections on theory, satisfaction, performance, career development, and mid-career change. A final section is devoted to a review of studies of interventions.