A study of permanence of scores from the Vocational Interest Blank for intervals of time up to ten years was published in 1943 (2, Ch. 15). The data were based on test-retests of college seniors, freshmen, and llth-grade high school students.To the above are now added test-retest correlations for as long a period as 19 years for college freshmen and'22 years for college seniors.In addition to answering the question: how permanent are interest scores, the data throw light upon additional questions. First, is interest similar to memory in that as time goes on 'the agreement between test and retest becomes less? Second, are interests progressively better established as one grows older so that the older one is when tested the better the agreement between that test and a subsequent one? Third, which affects permanency more in the period from 17 to 44 years of age: (a) interval of time or (b) age at time of taking the test?The data are based on: (1) seniors at Stanford University
Knowing only a college freshman's score in positions they had held, together with a engineer interest, can one predict with some varying amount of reaction to their past and degree of certainty: (a) his college major; present activities. (b) his occupational choice while a freshman or Consider first how permanent or persistent sophomore; and (c) the occupation he will be are the interests measured by the Vocational engaged in 19 years later? Actually one can-Interest Test, and second, how well measured not predict the specific college major, occupa-interests predict choice of occupation, tional choice, or occupational career but one ",.,.,. can predict surprisingly well whether the Reliability of Interest Scores occupation will be engineering, some occupa-The popular notion is that interests change tion closely related to engineering or, at the so often and so unpredictably that no forecast other extreme, some occupation quite unrelated can be made on such a basis. The facts are to engineering.otherwise as is demonstrated below. The data in this investigation are based on Using the odd-even technique, the reliability the Vocational Interest Blanks of 306 Stanford of the engineer interest scale of the Vocational University freshmen of 1930, a goodly proper-Interest Test is . 936 (3, p. 77, 4). Burnham tion of whom also filled out the Blank in 1931, (1) reported a coefficient of .95, using the 1939, and 1949. On each occasion extensive test-retest technique for one week and Glass information was obtained regarding their (2) reported .92 for one month, education, their vocational choice, and the Permanency of engineer interest scores with
Men engaged in a particular profession or occupation have a characteristic set of likes and dislikes that distinguish them from men in other professions." This generalization is fairly well supported by a study of sixteen different occupations. But data from eighty executives indicate that this may not be true for this occupational group, as such.Although executives probably do not have the interests of engineers, personnel managers, bankers, lawyers, ministers, artists, etc., to any greater degree than is true of any other occupational group yet members of many occupational groups rate as executives to a surprising degree. Either there are many more men of executive caliber than is recognized today orelse the scale for executive interest described below is faulty.This article is published as a "progress report" in an extensive study of the interests of men in various occupations. It records certain results concerning the interests of executives. And it calls attention to certain difficulties that must be overcome before executives as a group may be adequately investigated. THE VOCATIONAL INTEREST TESTThe data secured in this study have been secured through the use of an interest analysis blank which contains 263 items, such as actor, architect, army officer, artist, astronomer, . . . quick-tempered people, optimists, pessimists, people who forgive very quickly, grudge-holders, .... golf, fishing, professional baseball, tennis, swimming. The individual to be 1 The writer is under obligation to Ambrose J. Martin for much of the statistical work involved in this research.
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