Using data provided by the Self-Directed Search (SDS) on a sample of 1,519 participants comprising 3 subsamples containing high school students, university students, and working adults, the authors examine the structure of vocational interests in Romania. Three competing structural models of vocational interests (Holland's circumplex model and…

We examined a longstanding assumption in vocational psychology that people-things and data-ideas are bipolar dimensions. Two minimal criteria for bipolarity were proposed and examined across 3 studies: (a) The correlation between opposite interest types should be negative; (b) after correcting for systematic responding, the correlation should be…

This article celebrates the 50th anniversary of the introduction of John L. Holland's (1959) theory of vocational personalities and work environments by describing the theory's development and evolution, its instrumentation, and its current status. Hallmarks of Holland's theory are its empirical testability and its user-friendliness. By…

An emic approach was used to test the structural validity and applicability of Holland's (1997) RIASEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional) model in Iceland. Archival data from the development of the Icelandic Interest Inventory (Einarsdottir & Rounds, 2007) were used in the present investigation. The data…

Holland's (1997) theory of corresponding person and work environment structures was evaluated by comparing the integration of individual and occupational ratings of interests, abilities, and skills. Occupational ratings were obtained from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor, 2007). College students (494 women,…

The current article replies to comments made by Lent, Sheu, and Brown (2010) and Lubinski (2010) regarding the study "Interpreting the Interest-Efficacy Association From a RIASEC Perspective" (Armstrong & Vogel, 2009). The comments made by Lent et al. and Lubinski highlight a number of important theoretical and methodological issues, including the…

Invited commentary on Armstrong and Vogel's (2009) article on interpreting the interest-efficacy association stimulated an appraisal from a broader perspective. Like empirical research, scale development, and theorizing emanating from social cognitive career theory (SCCT), their conclusion about the importance of assessing both interests and…

Using data from published sources, the authors investigated J. L. Holland's (1959, 1997) theory of interest types as an integrative framework for organizing individual differences variables that are used in counseling psychology. Holland's interest types were used to specify 2- and 3-dimensional interest structures. In Study 1, measures of…

In this study, the authors investigated the extent to which factor and spatial structures of leisure interests (a) are similar to or distinct from the structure of vocational interests and (b) differ across 3 cohorts: college students (M[subscript age] = 19.6 years, SD = 1.23), working-age adults (M[subscript age] = 29.7, SD = 1.18), and retirees…

The present study examined the relation between individual cognitive structure and several key career decision variables. Specifically, in a sample of college students enrolled in a career development class, the usage of the RIASEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional) circumplex (adherence) was examined as…

Use of two types of scales in combination helps the counselor identify aspects of an occupational interest pattern that the client does or does not share with members of an occupational group. (Author)

The study concludes that the best way to avoid sexual bias in the SVIB is to design one form of the inventory that controls for sex differences. (Author)

A study of the relationships between the two inventories reveals many potential problems for counselors. Frequent inconsistencies and contradictions are found wherein like named scales appear to be measuring different things, while dissimilar scales often have strong positive relationships. The implications for counselors are discussed. (Author)

Vocational interest patterns of male economists on the SVIB were compared with data from non economists most closely resemble those of psychologists and to a lesser extent those of political scientists, sociologists, and anthropologists. An economists' scale was developed for the SVIB. (Author)

The item content of the empirical (Occupational and Nonoccupational) schales on the Strong Vocational Interest Blank for Men was described by means of the 22 categories formed by the new Basic Interest scales. (Author)