This study explored the effects of optimism, intrinsic motivation, and family relations on vocational identity in college students in the United States and South Korea. The results yielded support for the hypothesized multivariate model. Across both cultures, optimism was an important contributing factor to vocational identity, and intrinsic…

There is an increased interest in vocational psychology and career counseling regarding the link between career development and well-being, yet, little is known about how different ways to achieve well-being or happiness relate to career development. This study explored the relationship between 3 orientations to happiness (meaning, pleasure, and…

This study examined the relationship between Holland type (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional; Holland, 1959, 1997) congruence and incongruence (i.e., lack of ft between an occupation's 3-letter Holland code and a person's lowest 3 Holland interest types) and tested whether incongruence predicts unique…

Hugo Munsterberg was among the most famous psychologists in the world at the turn of the 20th century. Despite his preeminence and associations with prominent leaders in several disciples, including Frank Parsons, his abrasive personality and unpopular politics led to his work being largely ignored during the 20th century. One such work is H.…

In 1987, 208 second graders were interviewed about their occupational aspirations and expectations, school likes and dislikes, educational plans, and other variables. They were reinterviewed every 2 years through senior year in high school. A 5-year post-high school follow-up was conducted, and 35 young adults (23 years old) from the original…

Interest development is not an easily studied process. There are at least 4 methods for examining the process of stability and change over time: relative stability, absolute stability, profile stability, and structural stability. A program of research that focuses on examining these 4 types of stability is summarized relative to the issues…

Suggests counselors measure vocational interests with three inventories: Ramak Interest Inventory, Courses Interest Inventory, and Self-Directed Search. Discusses implications from studies on vocational congruence, environmental congruence, structure of occupational fields, and within-occupation congruence. Presents five defense mechanisms for…

Analyzed the Vocational Identity (VI) scale items of My Vocational Situation for entering college freshmen (n=4,378). Identified four major clusters suggesting that vocational identity as measured by the VI scale is not a unitary construct. (Author/ABL)

Describes Berufsbildertest, or Vocational Pictures Technique (VPT), technique constructed on theory that behaviors of choice are evoked by eight different factors of human needs or inclinations: softness, power, social conscience, show, reason, mind or spirit, matter, and orality. Explains usefulness of test in career counseling and presents…

Examines the concept of vocation and demonstrates that vocation is the organizing, existential principle of the concept of work. Presents a critical examination of Green's (1968) delineation of job and work and asserts that vocation as the quest for authentic existence is the unifying concept that gives grounding to Green's notion of work. (NB)

Evaluated four diagnostic signs (employment congruence, aspirational congruence, employment coherence, and aspirational coherence) derived from Holland's theory of vocational personalities and occupational environments for their ability to predict personality-environment congruence among 87 employees with special needs. Found that employment…

Describes the adaptation--based on Roe's classification of occupations--of two interest inventories translated into English. In an analysis based on the responses of 181 participants, the items followed the six rules for interest inventory items formulated by Meir and Gati. Analysis supported the construct validity of the inventories. (RJM)

Outlines the development and evaluation of a fuzzy graphic rating scale to measure work attitudes. Introduces the fuzzy graphic rating scale by illustrating its application to psychological measurement. Provides example responses to illustrate use of fuzzy graphic rating scales and the way in which individual participants interpreted their…

Describes the major elements of a lifespan, life-space approach to career development. Looks at the origins of these elements and briefly describes their evolution. Suggests five categories of possible future refinements in this approach so as to enhance theory building, testing, and synthesizing this model's applicability. (RJM)

Investigated relationships between self-esteem level, vocational identity, and career salience in high school juniors (n=251). Results indicated high self-esteem students scored significantly higher than low self-esteem students on vocational identity and career salience in school and home or family roles but did not differ on work, community, or…