Following an overview of the amount and focus of the literature on occupational development of women, four major theories of vocational development are discussed in depth in part 1: Roe's theory of career choice; Ginzberg and associates' theory of vocational decision making, Super's theory of the development of self-concept, and Holland's theory of vocational choice. Summaries and critiques are given of two theories of occupational development of females: Zytowski's theory of the duality of women's roles and Psathas' theory of occupational choice for women. A review of literature in part 2 focuses on the three major hypotheses of this study, sex differences in (1) self-concept and sense of competence; (2) motivational aspects including related attitudes, aspirations, and expectations; and (3) acquisition of educational means (knowledge, training, skills), which includes discussion on implementation and impact of career and vocational education legislation. Part 3 is a discussion of the most important socialization influences on the occupational development of women including influence of teachers, parents (attitudes, expectations, maternal employment, socioeconomic status), peers, and visual media. Part 4 is an overview by age level of those interventions to enhance aspects of girls' occupational potential. Description of the interventions are given with occasional delineation of effects. A list of references follows. (FP)