The status of statistical sophistication in research on vocational education in the 1980s and changes in the degree of sophistication were studied. Analyses were made of 118 quantitative research articles published in 4 vocational education research journals (28 articles in the "Journal of Vocational Education Research," 50 articles in the "Journal of Agricultural Education," 26 articles in the "Journal of Industrial Teacher Education," and 14 articles in the "Journal of Vocational Home Economics Education"). It was found that the statistical sophistication level of the majority of research in the 1980s was less than advanced. The statistical sophistication of research was related to both the problem area studied and the methodological strategy used. No changes were found in the use of statistical techniques and in the statistical sophistication of research from the early to the late 1980s. Seven tables summarize study findings. (SLD)