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.