Vocational choice in relation to semantic space
Hunt, Richard A.
Hunt, Richard A.
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Date
1965
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Abstract
The importance of the self-concept as it is related to vocational choice has been emphasized by Super (1957), Carter (1940), Tiedeman (1958), and Brodin (1943) in their theories of vocational choice. This research has explored the relationship between the self-image and vocational choice on the basis of Rogers' (1959) formulation of personality development. Two hundred and fifty-eight men engaged in one of four vocations (minister, engineer, teacher, and manager) completed a semantic differential questionnaire which contained sixteen concepts referring to self, other significant persons in the individual's life, and these four vocations. A congruence score, which was a modification of the D score (Osgood et al., 1957), was used to measure the similarity between concepts for each individual. A multiple discriminant analysis (Cooley & Lohnes, 1962) of this data provided three significant functions (p < .0001) which separated these criterion groups. On the basis of this criterion data, 146 male undergraduate students who completed the same semantic differential instrument were classified into these four vocational groups. A comparison of these classifications with indicated vocational choice showed 86 hits (Chi square = 139.83, p < .001). A comparison of semantic differential classifications with data from the Kuder Occupational Inventory, Form D, yielded 70 hits out of 139 cases (Chi square : 57.99, p < .001). No relationship was found between vocational satisfaction in the occupational groups nor between vocational certainty of choice in the undergraduate group as compared with the semantic differential probability of group membership based upon the discriminant analysis classification procedure. These. data suggest that Rogers' hypothesis of the necessity of congruence between awareness, experience, and behavior in the fully functioning person is important in the construction of a theory of vocational development and choice. The modifications of the semantic differential which were used in this research provide objective measures of the subjective perception of one's self and others in relation to vocational concepts. This information can then be used reliably to classify persons according to interest in a given vocation. Further research in longitudinal studies is needed to clarify the psychological nature of the semantic space in relation to vocational development as these relationships may change over time.
Contents
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Subject(s)
Vocational guidance
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Dissertation
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vii, 172 leaves, bound : illustrations
Department
Psychology