A STUDY WAS MADE TO DEVELOP A QUICK AND ACCURATE METHOD FOR MEASURING OCCUPATIONAL ASPIRATIONS, ADDING TO KNOWN EXPLANATORY AND PREDICTIVE TECHNIQUES CONCERNING THE OCCUPATIONAL SELECTION PROCESS. "LEVEL OF OCCUPATIONAL ASPIRATION" (LOA) WAS THE CONCEPTUAL FOCAL POINT OF THIS PROJECT. SUBJECTS OF THE PROJECT, APPROXIMATELY 450 17-YEAR-OLD BOYS, WERE TESTED USING THE "OCCUPATIONAL ASPIRATION SCALE" (OAS). IN ADDITION, THEY WERE ADMINISTERED THE FOLLOWING INSTRUMENTS--(1) "16 PERSONALITY FACTOR TEST" (FORM B), (2) CATTELL'S "TEST OF G-CULTURE FREE," (3) "CALIFORNIA TEST OF PERSONALITY," (4) "MSU WORK-BELIEFS CHECK-LIST," AND (5) A QUESTIONNAIRE ON EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL ASPIRATIONS, FAMILY BACKGROUND, AND SOCIOMETRIC DATA. THE OAS WAS ALSO ADMINISTERED TO APPROXIMATELY 110 JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BOYS TWICE ABOUT 10 WEEKS APART TO PROVIDE STATISTICS FOR A TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY ANALYSIS. RESULTS OF THESE SAMPLES WERE THEN CORRELATED, AND EVALUATION TECHNIQUES WERE EMPLOYED FOR THE OAS IN TERMS OF--(1) RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY, (2) FACTORIAL STRUCTURE, AND (3) CORRELATION WITH SELECTED PERSONALITY VARIABLES, PARENTAL SOCIAL CLASS STATUS, AMBITION FOR YOUTH, AND LEVEL OF OCCUPATIONAL ASPIRATION OF A YOUTH'S BEST FRIENDS. IT WAS FOUND THAT OAS HAS A STRUCTURE WHICH DOES JUSTICE TO THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE LOA CONCEPT AND HAS A DESIGN WHICH MAKES IT A PRACTICABLE INSTRUMENT FOR RESEARCH AND FOR COUNSELING WHEN EVALUATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS LATTER PURPOSE. THE MOST PRESSING UNRESOLVED PROBLEM OF THE OAS WAS THAT OF ITS UNKNOWN PREDICTION VALIDITY. (JH)