Search

TO HELP NONCOLLEGE-BOUND YOUTH MAKE SATISFACTORY OCCUPATIONAL DECISIONS, A PROJECTIVE OCCUPATIONAL ATTITUDE TEST WAS DEVELOPED. THE INSTRUMENT CONSISTED OF 10 DRAWINGS DEPICTING SCENES OF UNSKILLED AND SEMISKILLED MALE OCCUPATIONS. THE SCENES PORTRAYED ARTS, TOOLS, MATERIALS, WORKING ENVIRONMENTS, AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. THE INSTRUMENT WAS USED FOR INTERVIEWS WITH 400 YOUTHS, 12 TO 18 YEARS OF AGE, INCLUDING JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ENROLLEES, DROPOUTS, AND YOUTHS ENROLLED IN NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH CORPS. THE INTERVIEWER SHOWED EACH DRAWING TO THE STUDENTS AND ASKED THEM TO RESPOND. INTERVIEW DATA WERE ANALYZED AND A FOLLOWUP INTERVIEW WAS TO BE CONDUCTED 2 YEARS LATER WHEN THE STUDENTS WOULD BE EMPLOYED. THE INSTRUMENT APPEARED TO PROVIDE A RELIABLE AND FUNCTIONAL INDEX OF OCCUPATIONAL ATTITUDES, BUT THE PRELIMINARY TESTING WAS CARRIED OUT WITH ONLY A LIMITED SAMPLE OF SELECTED PERSONS. FURTHER WORK ESSENTIAL FOR VALIDATION AND STANDARDIZATION WAS IN PROGRESS AT THE TIME OF REPORTING. THIS VOLUME REPRESENTS PART 2 OF THE 13-PART FINAL REPORT ON THE VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY. RELATED VOLUMES ARE ED 010 652 THROUGH ED 010 664. (AH)

The purpose of this study was to develop a projective technique which would (1) identify youths' attitudes toward certain distributive, construction, service, and agricultural occupation, and (2) identify factors associated with occupational aspirations. Interviews were conducted with 88 Caucasian and Negro Job Corps enrollees and 91 Caucasian and Negro ninth grade pupils using 10 drawings representing work typical of the occupations. Results indicated the nature of subjects' occupational preferences and ways these are influenced by factors such as socioeconomic status and self concepts. Practically all subjects aspired to occupational levels higher than the occupations of their parents. Perceptions of parental feelings only slightly affected the occupational interests of the subjects. Most subjects seemed to view work largely from a basic need level--food, shelter, clothing, etc.--with relatively little concern for satisfying higher needs. Few subjects expressed concern about abilities and aptitudes necessary for various jobs. This suggests that more knowledge of occupations and one's abilities and aptitudes are necessary for adequateoccupational choice making decisions. Further research might focus on modifying this technique for use with groups. (CH)

THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CONGRUENCE OF SELF AND IDEAL-SELF UTILIZING A Q-SORT AND OCCUPATIONAL CHOICES MADE BY POTENTIAL 4-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS IN COMPARISON TO POTENTIAL JUNIOR COLLEGE TERMINAL STUDENTS. POTENTIAL 4-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS AND POTENTIAL JUNIOR COLLEGE TERMINAL STUDENTS WERE IDENTIFIED BY STANDARDIZED APTITUDE TESTS. OF THE SAMPLE (N 96), SIX OF THE 4-YEAR POTENTIAL COLLEGE STUDENTS MADE CHOICES IN THE INAPPROPRIATE OCCUPATIONAL AREA, WHILE 12 OF THE POTENTIAL JUNIOR COLLEGE TERMINAL STUDENTS MADE INAPPROPRIATE OCCUPATIONAL AREA CHOICES. SUBJECTS SHOWED A TENDENCY TO CHOOSE OCCUPATIONAL GOALS ABOVE THEIR APTITUDE AS OPPOSED TO SELECTING OCCUPATIONS BELOW THEIR APTITUDE LEVEL. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY ARE INCONCLUSIVE AND DO NOT PROVIDE EVIDENCE AS TO WHETHER THE GREATER CONGRUENCE OF THE SUBJECT'S APPRAISED SELF AND IDEAL-SELF IS RELATED TO HIS ABILITY TO MAKE REALISTIC OCCUPATIONAL CHOICES. FURTHER RESEARCH IS INDICATED. THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN "THE PERSONNEL AND GUIDANCE JOURNAL," VOLUME 44, OCTOBER 1965. (AUTHOR/SF)

The Projective Occupational Attitudes Test seems to provide a method of studying and analyzing the attitudes and perceptions of culturally disadvantaged youth towards work. (AG)