Interest Patterns Associated with Measures of Social Desirability

This study summarizes the analysis of the interest patterns of 1,777 elementary and junior high school students as related to a sociometric device and teachers' ratings. The subjects were asked their preferences in terms of class interests, television viewing habits, music listening preferences, study preferences, study habits, vocational plans, and choices of reading as distributed over comic books, magazines, and literary books. In addition, demographic and employment data were obtained. A number of dropouts were identified four years later and their responses on these measures were compared with students who remained in school. The results of the study indicate that sociometric status and teachers' ratings as measures of social desirability do differentiate between certain interest patterns and these patterns are associated with a broad extroversion-introversion continuum. Dropouts were found to differ on certain of these measures.