Rating of vocational interests under matching and nonmatching conditions

Psychol Rep. 2003 Jun;92(3 Pt 2):1061-4. doi: 10.2466/pr0.2003.92.3c.1061.

Abstract

This study examined whether high school students were better able to assess their scores on an interest inventory when the self-ratings were either matched or unmatched with the interest categories in an interest inventory. Students (N = 329) completed the Career Interest Test and a survey containing the same seven interest dimensions (Outdoor, Practical, Scientific, Creative, Business, Office, and People Contact). At the same time they completed four ratings of interests in the Data, Ideas, People, and Things work-task dimensions. Findings indicated higher convergent validities for matching self-ratings. The median correlation for matching categories was 52 and for unmatched categories was .21. Results supported the validity of self-ratings and the use of matched categories for the assessment of interests.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Career Choice*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Occupations*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires