An interpersonal relations scale for occupational groups

Abstract

In this study Roe's hypothesized ranking of occupational groups on an interpersonal relations dimension was compared with their ordering on an empirical scale. The normalized-rank method was used to construct a scale from the judgments of 100 Ss. The results indicated that 3 occupational groups (Outdoor, Science, and Technology) had almost identical scale values and that the relationship between Roe's theoretical scale and the empirical one was low (rho = .48). Consideration of the findings suggested that (a) the clustering of the 3 occupations was partly a function of the ranking instructions and scaling procedure but was mostly attributable to their intrinsic similarity and that (b) although the empirical scale was inconsistent with Roe's proposed continuum, it agreed with her theory of family factors in occupational choice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)