Includes two commentaries on the special section. Spokane, Fouad, and Swanson emphasize the importance of two dimensions of clients' cultural context: dominant/subordinate and individual/collective. Walsh highlights research needs related to career intervention and personality, culture, process, and socioeconomic status. (Contains 15 and 11…

In vocational psychology, the person-environment fit concept remains viable, but should be expanded to include occupational choice and work adjustment. Research is needed on commonalities among interests, self-efficacy, personality, goals, and well-being. Both qualitative and quantitative research philosophies and methods are needed. (Contains 54…

Most tests of congruence in Holland's theory are flawed because they are cross-sectional, use samples of persons already in congruent environments, classify environment casually, fail to relate congruence to relevant aspects of work environments, and have not assessed environment accurately. The centrality of congruence makes the improvement of…

This study explored the differences on personality variables between upperclass students who made congruent and incongruent occupational choices. Findings suggest that students in the congruent male group tend to report better maintenance of personal and vocational stability and greater satisfaction than students in the incongruent male and female…

This study investigated differences between men and women employed in traditional male occupations using the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and the Self-Directed Search (SDS). Results indicate men in traditionally male occupations, when compared to women in those same occupations, tend not to report higher mean raw scale scores. (Author)

The study was designed to explore two areas: (1) the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed college degreed women using two different operational definitions (Vocational Preference Inventory and the Self-Directed Search) of vocational orientation; and (2) the relationships among same named scales across the VPI and the SDS. (Author)

This study was designed to explore two areas: (1) the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed men using four different operational definitions of vocational orientation, and (2) the relationships among all possible combinations of same named scales across the four inventories. Findings tend to support the concurrent validity of…

Review of 1978 research in the field of vocational behavior and career development. Traditional variables receive attention; e.g., Holland's theory, interests, job satisfaction, performance, and women's movement. Other emerging variables stimulating research were the life-span aspects of careers and interventions in career development. (Author)

Investigated differences between Black and White women employed in traditional male occupations who took the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and the Self-Directed Search (SDS). Findings indicate that White women when compared to Black women in the same occupation tend to report similar mean raw scores. (Author)

Investigated differences between traditional-nontraditional and congruent-incongruent career aspirations of college women using the Vocational Preference Inventory, the Feminist Attitudes Inventory, the Desire to Work Scale, and the Study of Values. The findings showed that the feminist attitudes and the infrequency scale differentiated the…

This study, using the Vocational Preference Inventory and the Self-Directed Search, explored the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed college-degreed Black women. The findings support the validity of Holland's theory for this population. (Author)

This study, using the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and the Self-Directed Search (SDS), explored concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed non-college-degreed women (N=114). Results revealed three scales of the VPI and five scales of the SDS successfully differentiated occupational groups consistent with Holland's theoretical…

Investigated occupational level differences among men and women employed in Enterprising environments using the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI) and the Self Directed Search (SDS). All workers (N=84) were employed in Enterprising environments. Findings showed high occupational level workers tend to be more differentiated and more masculine…

Modification of instructions to the Activities and Competencies section of Holland's Self-Directed Search to allow users more flexibility in responding to items was compared to the standard set of instructions. Results indicated modified instructions did significantly alter users' summary codes although users were not more satisfied. (Author)

This study explored the differences in vocational maturity, academic aptitude, and achievement variables among female sorority students who made congruent, incongruent, and undecided occupational choices. The findings suggest that students in the congruent female group tend to be more vocationally mature. (Author)