Interests and Attitudes Testing
Teresa Simpson
Lauren Buckley
Sharon Baird
Interest Inventories: Current Setting
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Technical Advances in test construction
 Douglas N. Jackson
 PRF – Personality Research Form
PRF – Different Options in
Development
Parallel forms (A, B and AA, BB) of 300
and 400 items
 Longer forms provide 22 scale scores based
on 20 items
 Including 2 validity scores, infrequency
and desirability
 Shorter forms have only 15 20-item scales
 Form E consists of 352 of the best items
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Faking and Social Desirabilities
Subject to the possibility of deliberate
misrepresentation
 Although, evidence of the success with
which respondents can dissemble on
personality inventories is plentiful.
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Interest Inventories: Jackson
Vocational Interest Survey (JVIS)
Measured two dimensions: work roles, and
work styles
 Contains 34 basic interest scales
 Covers 26 work roles and 8 work styles
 Designed to be equally applicable to men
and women
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Jackson Vocational Interest Survey
Norms were derived from large samples of
college and high school students in the U.S.
and Canada
 Can be hand-scored quickly
 Scores modeled after Holland’s six themes
 Include the 10 General Occupational
Themes
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Kuder Occupational Interest Survey
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Developed by Frederic Kuder
Earliest tests used forcedchoice triad items
Scores were obtained for 10
broad interest areas
Can be scored on site or
through publisher
Can be administered and
scored on computer
KOIS (cont.)
Provides both occupational scores and 10
broad, homogeneous basic interest scores,
labeled Vocational Interest Estimates (VIE).
 The VIE are percentile scores derived from
short scales equivalent to the 10 interest
area scores of the Kuder Preference Record.
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KOIS (cont.)
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They can be converted to the Holland theme
bodes by direct correspondence for some
scales and by averaging percentiles on two
or three Kuder scales for others.
Career Assessment Inventory- The
Vocational Version (CAI-VV)
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Released in 1975
Similar to the Strong
Designed specifically for persons
seeking a career that does not
require a four-year college degree
or advanced professional training.
305 inventory items grouped under
three content categories: Activities,
School Subjects, Occupations.
Written at a 6th grade reading level.
CAI-VV (cont.)
Provides scores on three scales: Holland’s
General Theme scales, 22 homogeneous
Basic Interest Area scales, and 91
Occupational scales
 Also included are Administrative Indices
and four Nonoccupational scales
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Self-Directed Search (SDS)
Developed by John Holland
 Organized around interests
 Procedure calls for self-rating of abilities
and reported competencies
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Significant Trends (Sharon Baird)
Inventory Development and Use
 Models of Occupations
 Opinion Surveys and Attitude Scales
 Locus of Control
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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
History
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History:
 Isabel Briggs Myer & Katharine Myers
 Based on Carl Jung’s theory of
psychological types
 Created in 1943
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Cost
MBTI Form M Profile - $9.20
 Mostly used by career counselors
 FIRO-B Profile and Leadership Report
Using FIRO-B and MBTI - $27.80
 Leadership training for Career Service
Professionals
 Maintain certification for administering
the MBTI - $275.00
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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Reports
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Profile)
 Step II for the Profile
 Interpretive Report
 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Career Report
 Strong and MBTI Career Report
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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Sample Test Questions
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Please review handout being passed around
Strong Interest Inventory
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Named after E.K.
Strong
Developed in the
1920’s
Used for career and
educational choices
Used to help people
understand job
dissatisfaction
Used for those hiring
or educating others
Benefits of the Strong
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Achieve satisfaction in
your work
Identify career options
consistent with your
interests
Choose appropriate
education and training
relevant to your
interests
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Maintain balance
between your work
and leisure activities
Understand aspects of
your personality most
closely associated with
your interests
Determine your
preferred learning
environments
Benefits of the Strong
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Learn about your
preferences for
leadership, risk taking,
and teamwork
Use interests in
shaping your career
direction
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Decide on a focus for
the future
Direct your own
career exploration at
various stages in your
life
Holland’s Themes
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Investigative (I) individuals prefer
investigative careers such as biochemist,
orthodontist, anthropologist, economist,
researcher, and management analyst. The I
type usually has mathematical and
scientific abilities, enjoys working alone,
enjoys research, and likes to solve
problems. The I type generally favors
working with ideas rather than with people
or things. People describe the I type as
being: analytical, curious, methodical,
rational, cautious, independent, precise,
reserved, complex, intellectual, and
modest.
Holland’s Themes
Realistic (R) individuals prefer realistic careers
such as mechanical engineer, production
planner, building inspector, safety engineer, and
marine surveyor. The R type usually has
mechanical and athletic abilities, enjoys
working outdoors, and likes to work with tools
and machines. The R type generally prefers to
work with things rather than people. People
usually describe the R type as being:
conforming, frank, genuine, humble, modest,
practical, natural, persistent, and thrifty.
Holland’s Themes
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Artistic (A) individuals prefer artistic careers
such as architect, copy writer, technical
editor, story editor, composer, stage director,
interior decorator, and commercial designer.
The A type usually has artistic skills, enjoys
creating original work, and has a good
imagination. The A type usually enjoys
working with ideas rather than things. People
describe the A type as being: open,
imaginative, original, intuitive, emotional,
independent, idealistic, and unconventional.
Holland’s Themes
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Social (S) individuals prefer social careers
such as teacher, clinical psychologist,
psychiatric case worker, personnel
manager, paralegal assistant, and speech
therapist. The S type usually has social
skills, is interested in human relationships,
and likes to help others with problems.
The S type likes to work with people
rather than with things. People describe
the S type as being: helpful, responsible,
warm, cooperative, idealistic, sociable,
tactful, friendly, kind, sympathetic,
generous, patient, and understanding.
Holland’s Themes
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Conventional (C) individuals prefer
conventional careers such as
accountant, cost clerk, bookkeeper,
budget analyst, and business
programmer. The C type enjoys
working with words and numbers.
People describe the C type as being:
conforming, practical, careful,
obedient, thrifty, efficient, orderly,
conscientious, and persistent.
Holland’s Themes
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Enterprising (E) individuals prefer
enterprising careers such as public relations
representative, financial planner, real estate
agent, sales representative, stockbroker, and
attorney. The E type usually has leadership
and speaking abilities, is interested in
economics and politics, and likes to be
influential. The E type likes to work with
people and ideas rather than things. People
describe the E type as being: adventurous,
energetic, optimistic, agreeable, extroverted,
popular, sociable, self-confident, and
ambitious.
Scoring
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All scores are reported
as standard scores
with a mean of 50 and
SD of 10
Reliability
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Median retest
reliability for a sample
of 191 employed
adults was .90
For the Basic Interest
Scales, .86
For the General
Occupational Themes,
.89
Cost of the Test
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$300. setup fee
$11.20 each test
The Discover Test (Sharon Baird)