A factor analytic study of perceived occupational similarity.

Abstract

Job perceptions and "occupational stereotypes" play leading roles in many current theories of occupational choice. Case II of Andrews' A-technique was used to explore the dimensions by which occupations are perceived. Factor analysis of perceived similarity among 22 occupational stimuli yielded results corresponding directly to 5 second-order factors obtained in an earlier study which had employed different Ss, a different procedure, and different occupational stimuli. Results also shed light on college students' perceptions of popular vocational objectives and on the relationship between job perceptions and interest factors.

Work Values of College Bound and Other High School Students

“…Differences among all of these investigations, including the present one, in the analytic methods and samples of occupations used make it impossible to account for these discrepancies (Coxon & Jones, 1974;Rounds & Zevon, 1983). It is noteworthy, though, that the small number of dimensions identified for college bound students in the present study was also observed in previous investigations of college students (Burton, 1972;Gonyea, 1961;Gonyea & Lunneborg, 1963;Shubsachs & Davison, 1979).…”

“…The most relevant studies of work values concern people's perceptions of occupations, as reflected in their judgments of the similarity of the occupations, when the individuals are completely free to judge similarity 011 whatever basis that they wish (see the review by Rounds & Zevon, 1983). The resulting clustering or dimensionality of occupations identified from these similarity judgments can be interpreted as reflecting commonalities in the salient work values that these occupations are seen as satisfying (e.g., Gonyea, 1961;Gonyea & Lunneborg, 1963).…”

Multidimensional Scaling Research in Vocational Psychology

“…of Occupational Perceptions Perceptions of occupations have been studied under a variety of labels, e.g., vocational or occupational images, stereotypes, and preferences. With the exception of several factor analytic studies (e.g., Gonyea & Lunneborg, 1963) and the MDS literature, research on how individuals perceive occupations has primarily focused on perceptions of job incumbents (e.g., Dipboye & Anderson, 1961) or has equated occupational perceptions with responses to interest inventories (e.g., Edwards, Nafziger, & Holland, 1974). Where direct judged similarities have been used, several additional criteria become salient in investigations of occupational perceptions.…”