An objective test of vocational interests

Abstract

The primary concern of this study was to continue the investigation of a new technique of interest measurement (see 16: 1212). Twenty still pictures of activities in each of 6 occupational fields were shown to 336 high school students, 248 college students, and 59 business college students. The subjects were then tested on the material shown by 240 modified true-false items, 40 items on each occupational field. The relative interest of a subject in the 6 occupational fields was determined by his relative score on the 6 parts of the test. The odd-even reliability coefficients for the parts of the test ranged from .32 to .63. The correlation between total scores and Otis IQ's was found to be .27; correlations between part scores and Otis IQ's ranged from -.23 to .22. Correlations between part scores and scores on comparable sections of the Strong Blank ranged from .03 to .27. Evidence is presented to show that, when group averages were considered, a given group usually made a higher score on the expected section of the test, and that on a given section of the test the group making the highest average score was usually the expected group. The chi-square test showed a relationship between part scores on the test and occupational choice. Interpretations of these data are made, and further investigations are suggested. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)