Several theories have developed in an attempt to understand how personality characteristics impact on occupational behavior. In contemplating occupational choice some theorists have utilized a psychoanalytic approach in viewing occupational choice as an appropriate way of blending the pleasure and reality principles. Other theorists have interpreted occupational choice as a means of fulfilling certain needs. The present study focused on the interpersonal needs of Inclusion, Control and Affection. It was proposed that these interpersonal needs play an integral role in one's choice of occupation. The study focused on three vocational interest categories—Realistic, Enterprising and Conventional. The subjects were male applicants for one of the following occupations (each representative of one of the three previously mentioned vocational interest areas), project manager at a construction site, restaurant manager and accountant. The total number of subjects was 288.
Specifically, the present study investigated the presence of an orientation towards persons and an orientation away from persons and the impact of this on occupational choice. The study also attempted to extract three factors representing Inclusion, Control and Affection from an array of personality scales. The results supported the presence of a towards person orientation; however, an away from person orientation was not clearly differentiated. Similarly, a factor representing Inclusion was derived but the results failed to find factors representing Control and Affection.
Results indicated a positive relationship between a subject's overt choice of an Enterprising occupation and measured interest. It was hypothesized that subjects with Enterprising vocational interest would have greater overall interpersonal needs than subjects with Conventional or Realistic interests. This hypothesis was not supported. However, further analyses revealed that subjects with an application choice for a restaurant manager's job had a higher need to exert Control than did the other subjects. Support was not found for the hypothesis that subjects with a measured interest for Enterprising occupations would have greater overall interpersonal needs than the other subjects. Further analyses revealed that subjects with Realistic measured interest had a lower need to exert Control, than did the other subjects.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc332050 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | Rose, Grace (Grace Elizabeth) |
| Contributors | Doster, Joseph A., 1943-, Johnson, Douglas A., Burke, Angela J., Schneider, Lawrence J. |
| Publisher | North Texas State University |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | vi, 88 leaves: ill., Text |
| Rights | Public, Rose, Grace (Grace Elizabeth), Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. |
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