Early experiences and occupational choice: A test of Roe's hypothesis.

Abstract

One recent theory which seeks to deal with factors related to occupational choice is that of Roe (1956;1957). Roe's theory evolved from the concept of the close relationship between an individual's interests and needs and his occupation, and the 1 relationship between early life experiences and the development of these interests and needs. According to the theory the parents create a particular psychological climate by the manner in which they satisfy or frustrate the early needs of the child. As a result, a basic direction of attention is developed either toward persons or toward ; non-persons. This, in turn, results in pre-.; dictable patterns of specific interests in the adult in terms of the field to which ' •J he will apply himself. His vocation is one of these. Roe's hypothesis was not supported in an investigation by Grigg (1959). The present study seeks to further the investigation of predictions based upon her theory.The specific hypothesis derived from Roe and tested in the present investigation is that ministerial students will perceive their parents as having been more overdemanding and less rejecting than will a group of chemistry majors. Roe does not devote much attention to the possible influence on occupational choice of differences between the attitudes of fathers and mothers. In this study, analysis is made || J Now at the University of Richmond.

The Boulder Model: History, rationale, and critique.

“…Roe (1957) hypothesized that people who were brought up in a family atmosphere that was warm, attentive (if not overprotective), and child-centered, would prefer social service vocations, whereas those brought up in a cold, non-child-oriented family would prefer non-person-type vocations (e.g., science or technology). Although not all the research confirms Roe's hypothesis (e.g., Grigg, 1959;Switzer, Grigg, Miller, & Young, 1962), some research does (e.g., Hagen, 1960;Utton, 1962). Nachmann (1960) found that lawyers and dentists tend to have a father-dominated, impulse-repressing family, whereas those in social work tend to come from mother-dominated, impulse-channeling families, families in which the children are taught concern for human suffering.…”

The Origins of Children's Career Aspirations: IV. Testing Hypotheses from Four Theories

“…These orientations were hypothesized to lead to specific career clusters; for example, careers in the arts were thought to derive from an overprotecting parenting style, science careers from parental rejection, and technological careers from casual acceptance. A number of studies tested these hypotheses with no success (Grigg, 1959;Hagen, 1960;Switzer, Grigg, Miller, & Young 1962;Utton, 1962). In 1964, Roe abandoned most of her specific hypotheses and suggested that person-oriented occupations are selected more often by children with secure attachments in their early experiences.…”

Counseling Psychology

“…This paper stimulated a series of presumed tests of the "Roe hypothesis" (66,70,171,184); th e findings were essentially negative. Th e differentiatio n stems largely from th e early work of Roe on th e personality characteristics distinguishing scientists from nonscientists.…”