The relationship of vocational identity to academic ability, locus of control and self-esteem

t8,(2.10 !

!

THE RELATIONSHIP OF VOCATIONAL IDENTITY TO ACADEMIC ABILITY,

LOCUS OF ^CONTROL AND SELF.ESTEEM

Paul Malone B.A.(Honsr), Dtp. Ed.

ô'L.ì(\cr\{,o{ + b 1O

Thesls submitted

tn fulftlment of

the requirements

for

the Master

of

^Arts

Departnent

of

Psychology UNIVERSITY OF ^ADELAIDE

JuIy'

¹⁹⁸⁹

CONTENTS

Ab st ra ct Statement

Ac kn ow 1e dg em en ts

Chapter 0ne CAREER DEVEL0PMENT AND THE VOCAT IONAL IDENTITY CONSTRUCT

Theoretieal basis for vocationaL identÍty to

I

The current status of career decision ^making 3

within vocational ^guidance

Career decision making and vocationaL maturity Decision making and cereer development

Personal ity correlates of vocational decision making and vocatÍonal identity Self-constructs and vocational development The vocational identity construct

Problems in the definition ^of

v ocat i onaL id enti ty

The development ^o f the vocational identity construct and its associated measures

Identity, vocational identity ^and psychological functioning

Theoretical basis for the relationship ^of vocational identity to locus ^o f control

6

I l0 L' I6

the relationship ^of

sel f-esteem

l9

25

28

,0

52

t4 t7 t8

l8 4I

Purpose Summary

of the first experiment of hypotheses

Chapter Two SELECTI0N 0F TEST INSTRUMENTS AND

DETER14INATION OF THEIR RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

Heasures of vocational identity

Measures of Locus of control

Measures of self-esteem 47

CONTENTS

Chapter Three EXPERIMENT 0NE: C0RRELATES 0F V0CAT I0NAL IDENTITY

INTRODUCTION METHOD

Subjects Instruments Procedures

Statistical anaJ.yses

RE 5UL TS

Test reliability Table 1.1

57 57 58 58 60 6.t

62 62 63

63

65

65

66

Table 3.2

Comparisons Table l.l

TabI e I .4

Test-retest correlations for Locus of control, ^{se.L f} -esteem and vocational identity for each abi lity group

Cronbachrs alpha for seLf-esteem, by academic

ability group

Locus of control: Group means,

standard deviations ^and signi ficance of differences

among grouP .means

between acsdemic ability groups 64

VocationaL identity: Group means; 64

standard deviations and

significance of differences amon9 group means

TabLe I .5 5el f-esteem: Group means,

standard deviations and

signi ficance of differences

among group means

Table l .6 Self:confidence: Group means,

standard deviations and

signi ficance of differences amon9 9roup ^means

0rientation to the future: Group

means, st andard deviation s and

signi ficance of differences among grouP means

Table 1.7 66

CONTE NTS

Ch'a p te r (ctd. )

ThTee EXPERIHENT ONE: CORRELATES OF ^VOCATIONAL IDENTI TY

Table l

66

66

68

69

69

7L

72

78 79

8t .8 0ccupationa.l knowledge: Group

means, standard deviations and

significance of differences

among group means

Table 1.9 Locue of controf: means and

standard deviations of the consist,ent and inconsistent academic ability groups

Correlations between measures

Table 1.10 Correlations between the main

variables on first ^assessment for the total ^group

Table l.ll Correlations between vocational identity, locus of control ^and

seL f-esteem on second assessment

for the totaJ. ^group

Tabl e I .1.2 Correlations between the main

variables on first assessment

for the three academic _aroups considered separately

DISCUSSION

Reliability Validity

Academic ability effects on mean scores Sex effects on meen scores

Correlations between measures

Chapter Four EXPERIMENT Tl'.l0: C0RRELATES 0F V0CATI0NAL IDENTITY

INTRODUCTION METHOD

76 76

87

9I

9I

95 95

Subject numbers delineated by 98

school and academic ability Subjects

Table 4.I

TabIe 4.2 Mean ages of academic ability groups in each school, and for the total sample

99

CONTE NTS

Chapter Four EXPERIMENT Ttl0: C0RRELATES 0F V0CATI0NAL

(ctd. ) ^TDENTITY

Instruments

P ro cedur es

Statistical analyses

RESULTS

99

t02

r0l

t06

106

r06

107

108

t0 ⁹

LL2

ll4

1t5

rt9 Internal- test reJ-iebility for vocational

Ídentity, locus of control and orientation to the future, and inter-item correlations for job expectation, work attraction and

work motivation

Tabl e ⁴.t Cronbachrs alpha for Iocus of control, vocational identity and orientation to the future, by academic ability ^group Teble 4.4 Inter-item correlations for

job expectation, work attraction and work motivation scales

Comparison among meens for different

su b- ^gr o ups

Tabl e ⁴ .5 Academic ability ^group means,

standard deviations and

signi ficance of differences among

meens for aIl variables

Table 4.6 l,leIe and female mean scores on

the work and unemployment beliefs sceles for subjects in Featherrs

(fSg¡ ) ^{sample, and} in the current study

Relationships between m'easures

TabLe 4.7 Correlations between the mein

variabLes for the total group

Table 4.8 Correlations between Èhe main

variabLes for subjects in the

highér and lower academic

ability groups, controlling for

gender

CONTENTS

Chapter Four EXPERIMENT Tlrl0: CORRELATES 0F V0CATI0NAL

(ctd. ) ^IDENTITY

Regression Table 4.9

analyses

DIsCUSSION

Reliabitity

Comparison among means

ReLationships between measures

Chapter Five ^IMPL ICATIONS F0R CAREER INTERVENTI0N Some general considerations

Regression analyses for the

prediction of vocational identity for the higher and fower academic

ability ^gDoups

Use of the Vocational Identity scele in career intervention and associated research Work attitudes and unemployment beliefs

L20 LzL

r22 r22 L2t L26

It2 rt2 tt4 rt7

APPENDICES TO CHAPTER THREE

APPENDICES TO CHAPTER FOUR

140

Appendix ) L Vocational Identity- comparison 14t

of mean scores and standard

deviations with published norms

Appendix 1.2 Item-total correlations for the I4Z

Sel f-Est eem 5ca 1e

14t Appendix 4 I Non-par ametr ic analysis of L44

differences in salary aspiration

smong the three academic ability groups, and between the two sexes

Appendix 4.2 Correlations between the mein 146

variables for subjects in the higher and lo¡rer academic ability

grouPs

REFERENCES r47

IITHE RELATIONSHIP OF VOCATIOML IDENTITY TO ACADEMIC ABILITY,

LOCUS OF ^CONTROL AND SELF.ESTEEMII

ABSÏRACT

This

thesis

describes two studÍes

of

the vocational

identity

construct

as

^assessed

by the

Vocational

Identity scale

(Holland, Daiger and

Powerr

1980).

VocatÍonaI

ídentity is a

new element

in

Holland's revÍsed Theory

of

Careers (Holland, _1985), and

refers to

the degree to which

an individual

possesses

a clear and stable

self-image of vocationally relevant

attrlbutes,

such as goals,

interests

and talents.

Chapter One

reviews

some

of the major theories of

^career

development,

including

those models which focus

on

self-constructs.

HoIIand's revised approach

ls

descrlbed as an important example

of

the

Iatter.

^{The main} hypothesÍs

of the flrst

investigatÍon then follows, namely

that individuals Ín

mÍd-adolescence

who

possess

a

well developedr

or differentiated,

vocational

identity, tend to be

^less

external in their attributions and

more

posÍtive in

self-esteem, compared with

their

less

dlfferentÍated

counterparts. Sex and academic

abÍlity

were also included as major variables

in the first study. It

was expected

that both

could have

a

moderating

effect on the

^main

varÍables,

and

that in partlcular,

external

orientatÍon in

locus of

control

would

be

associated

with

^below average academic

abÍIity.

Additional scales assessing

orientatÍon to the future, job

^knowledge

and occupational self-confidence were included

to

^assess

the valldity of the

measures

of vocational Ídentity, locus of control

^and

self-esteem. The

specÍfic

scales used

in

the

first

^{study are discussed}

in

Chapter ^Two

The

first

study

is

described

in

Chapter

Three.

The

six

^measures

specÍfied above were administered

to

eighty seven subjects

in

Year 10

distributed

across three academlc streams

in a

^high school located in

Adelaide.

The vocational

identity,

locus

of control

and self-esteem

scales were re-administered

three

weeks

Iater in

order

to

establfsh

indices of test-retest rellability.

Adequate

reliability

estÍmates were generally obtained, although there was some concern regarding the

reliabiJ-ity of the

Iocus

of control

scale

for

^use

with

subjects of below average academic

abilÍty.

Analysis of,variance was undertaken

to

assess

the

significance of the difference

in abitity

group means, with sex as

a

second Índependent

variable.

There were

no signÍficant dÍfferences

^among

the

^three

academic

abilÍty

^groups

with

respect

to

vocatÍonal

identÍty, a

result

which is interpreted as beÍng consistent with Holland's

views.

Students

of higher

academic

ability

tended

to be less external,

as

predÍcted,

but this effect

was

significant

^{only on}

the first

^occasÍon

of testing. SignifÍcant

group

differences

^were

also

obtained

for

occupatÍonal self-confiderrce, and

job

knowledge. Boys

also

obtained

higher self-esteem scores than girls, but only on the first

adninistration, and there were no other sex

effects of

^note.

For subjects

consÍdered

as a whole, the correlations

between

variables were generally

as predicted. In

accordance

with the

^main hypothesis,

subjects

who

were

more

differentiated in

vocatÍonal

identlty also

tended

to be less external, and

more

positive in self-esteem. This result

was generaJ.Iy considered

as

supporting

Holland's notion

that

the

lndividual's level of

vocational

identity is

a

partial indfcator of

the degree

of

psychological adjustrnent. Further

fnter-correlations

supported

the valídity of the

vocatÍonaI identity and self-esteem scaLes; and although

the correlation of locus

of

control with job

knowledge tvas

not sÍgniffcant, there

^{was lndirect}

evidence supporting the

valldity of

the former measure.

A

noteworthy complicatÍon

was that

when

the

corresponding

intdr-correLations for the three abitity

^groups

were

separately

calculated,

Ít

was found

that

two values

for

the lower

ability

^subjects

ran

counter

to the fÍndings

applying

to the

^whole

group.

For lower

ability

subjects, the association between vocational

identity

^{and locus}

of control

was

not significantly different

from zero, contrary

to

^the

main hypothesls, and

in addition there

was

a

^moderate negative ^(but

non-significant) correlation between vocatfonal identity

^and

orientation to the future.

The

Iast

^{resuLt was} considered important,

in that it

^suggested

that the

vocatlonal

identlty

measure may

not

^be

valid for

students

of

lower academic

ability.

The second investigation

is

descrÍbed

in

^Chapter

Four.

Two hundred

and eleven Year

I0

^students

distributed

across

four

schools were

tested.

^The sample canprised

malnly

students

of

hÍgher and lower academÍc

abÍlity. Vocational identity, locus of controL

^and

orientation to the future

scales were administered, together

with

^a questionnaire assessíng work

attitudes

and employment

beliefs,

^and

salary

asplration, Ín

an attempt

to

explicate

the

differences between

the higher and lower

abitity

^groups

Ín

^the

fÍrst

study.

Analyses

of

variance were performed,

by

academic

abiLity

group, school and

sex.

No academic

ability effects

were found

in

the case of vocational

Ídentity, but the

higher

abilÍty

^{group was}

less

external than

the

^lower

ability

group, as

before.

There were few sÍgnifÍcant dffferences arnong

the

academic groups

wÍth

respect

to the

varÍables assessed by

the

questÍonnaire; however,

the

higher

abilÍty

^{group had}

greater

expectation

of obtaÍnirg a job on

completÍng

theÍr

main

studies, and had greater salary aspÍrations, as predÍcted.

^A

depressing pÍcture emerged concernÍng the

total

grouprs perceptions of the scope and duration

of

^youth unemployment.

Consistent

wÍth the

main hypothesis,

subjects

who were more

differentlated in

vocational

identity

tended

to

be less externaL. ThÍs

result

applied

to

the group consldered as

a

whole, and

for

the higher

abÍlity cohort. SÍmilarly, in support of the validity of

the

vocatlonal identÍty scale, thÍs

measure comelated

posÍtively

and

sÍgnifÍcantly with the orlentation to the future scale. In

contrast,

the correlation

between vocatÍonal.

Ídentity

and locus

of control

^was

not sÍgnfficant in the

^case

of the

^lower

ability

^group,

replicating

^a

sÍmilar finding in the first study.

However,

the

unexpected negative

correlatÍon betneen vocatlonal

identity

^and orientatÍon

to the

^future

fourld

for

the lower

abilÍty

^group

in

the

first

study

did

not re-occur;

the

corresponding association

for this

^group

fn the

second study was

positÍve. It

was concluded from the

results of

both studies

that

there was evidence

to

support the

reliabÍlity

^and

validity of

the vocational

ídentity

^measure

for

use with average and above average students

in

the

later

^years

of

hÍgh school.

Regression analyses

for the

prediction

of

vocational

identÍty

for

the

two

abÍlity

groups consÍdered separately suggested

that

attitudes

to the world of

work moderate

the relationship

between vocational

Ídentity

and locus

of control.

Fo.r

the

higher

ability

^group,

it

^was

found

that

locus

of cmtrol,

orientation

to

the

future,

^job expectatÍon

and

views on the duratlon of youth

unemployment rvere significant predlctors

of

vocational

identity. In

contrast, no predictor _was found

to

be

sÍgnificant in the

case

of the

lower

abitity subjects.

Sex of subject was not a

significant

predictor

for eÍther

^group.

From

the results of the

regression analyses, and

the

findfngs of

the

two.studÍes considered

collectively, it fs

argued

that a

^rrwork

depresslon

factorrt

associated

with

lower academÍc

ability,

^moderates

the

relationship between vocational

Ídentity

^and locus

of control,

^and

between vocational

Ídentity

and

job expectatÍon.

This

factor

does not suppress

the

formation

of vocational identity, but inhibits

the development

of an internalised locus of control,

produces more

pessimistic viervs concerning

the possÍbility of

obtaining employment,

and renders

indlviduals less

^confident

Ín

occupational

settlngs.

^The

conclusion

follows that

Holland's constructlon

of

vocational identity as an informal index

of

psychological and career adjustment may not be

completely applicable

for

students

of

below average academic

ability.

Chapter

Flve

considers

these

conclusions

Ín relatÍon to

career counselling.

This thesis contains no materlal which has been accepted

for

the award

of

any other degnee

or

dfproma

in

any

universlty.

To

the

best

of

^my

knowledge

and belief, the thesÍs

contains

no material

^previously

published

or

wrftten by any other person, except where due reference is

made

ln the text of the thesis. r

consent

to the thesls

being ^made available

for

photocopying and loan

if

appllcable

ff

accepted

for

the award

of

the degree.

PauI Malone

lst.

^{JuIy 1989}

ACXNOlryLEDGEMENTS

r

wish

to

express my deepest appreciatlon

to

^my supervisor,

Dr.

Eric

Rump

of the

Psychorogy Department,

unÍversity of

Aderaide,

for

his advice and suggestions.

His crltlcal

^response

to draft materÍal,

and

hfs

patience and support throughout

the

period

of

^my candidature as a

part-time student are

particularly

acknowledged.

The proof-reading assfstance

of

Mr John

Starr,

formerly

Dlrector

of Engineering

at the South Australian

Branch

of the

^AustralLan

Broadcasting Corporation, was

of

great value

Ín

the

final

stage

of

the preparatlon

of this

thesis.

PauI Malone 30 JuIy 1989