Career Exploration With Women Using the Non-Sexist Vocational Card Sort and the Self-Directed Search

Counseling Psychology: Career Interventions, Research, and Theory

“…With a fe w exceptions, evaluations usually entail enthusiastic endorsements by authors. However, the use of some materials in courses and workshops has received repeated positive student ratings (Evans & Rector 1978, Lawler 1979. This is an area of research and development that has been neglected by psychologists yet needs comprehensive and hard-headed evaluation.…”

“…Five of six investigations (Cooper 1976, Slaney 1978, Lawler 1979, Talbot & Birk 1979, Atanasoff & Slaney 1980), using high school or college samples, indicate that use of a vocational card sort in which there is no keying or structure does not yield more options than a structured interest inventory. Both produce more options, but card sorts lack any quality control; any option stimulated by the use of a vocational card sort is counted as a valid option ---o ccupational alternatives that are consistent or inconsistent with a per son's measured interests.…”

“…These experiments typically have demonstrated that changing the direc tions or language of an inventory has no important effect on the test taker (Boyd 1976, Gottfredson 1976, Siebel & Walsh 1977, Lawler 1979); also, inventories using different norms, scaling procedures, and interpretative materials have similar if not identical impact on the test taker (Zener & Schnuelle 1976, Prediger & Noeth 1979, much to the surprise of authors, practitioners, and publishers.…”

Taking Your Place: A Summer Program to Encourage Nontraditional Career Choices for Adolescent Girls

“…At the conclusion of the program, the participants were asked to complete the Satisfaction Opinionnaire (Cooper, 1975;Lawler, 1977) that measured level of satisfaction, especially confidence gained in learning about and choosing an occupation from a vocational exploration experience. The opinions of the girls concerning the program's career exploration were overwhelmingly positive.…”

“…These and the study by Miller (1982) suggested that educating women about nontraditional careers is best achieved by an integrated approach that includes self-concept-building exercises as well a s career-exploration activities. Also, some research has recommended providing women with longer and more in-depth career counseling programs rather than short programs (Cini & Baker, 1987;Cooper, 1975;Lawler, 1977).…”