Age differences in a sample of state vocational rehabilitation clients with traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To examine the relations among age, neuropsychological functioning, and vocational rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Study Design and Participants: Prospective study of 78 adults (18-57 years) who qualified for services with the Missouri Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), based on a history of TBI followed from enrollment to case closure. Group differences based on age were examined for neuropsychological and vocational outcome with multivariate analysis of variance and nonparametric methods. Main Outcome Measures: Neuropsychological test data and DVR data regarding vocational placement. Results: Age-related differences were present for a measure of mental flexibility, isolated demographic characteristics, and 1 DVR service category. Contrary to hypotheses, there were no age-related differences in vocational outcome. Conclusions: In contrast to hospital-based samples, age does not appear to be a negative indicator for individuals admitted to a state DVR program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical evaluation of the role of gastrinemia and tumor tissue sensitivity to gastrin in cancer of the large intestines

This study examined the role of vocational behaviors in the treatment of 80 crack users. The study had two general aims: (a) to predict which crack users had acquired jobs after 30 days in treatment; and (b) to examine if vocational behaviors assessed at admission and follow-up accounted for variations in recovery motivation, psychological functioning, and treatment completion. Multivariate analyses identified four predictors (race, having a polysubstance problem, 12-step sponsor, and specific job skill) of job acquisition. Multivariate analyses also indicated that past year employment was negatively related to recovery motivation but positively related to psychological functioning and treatment completion, and that job acquisition was negatively related to one measure of recovery motivation but positively related to psychological functioning. Future research should use multiple group designs to examine the effects associated with including a vocational component in treatment programs.     

高等职业学院学生英语学习动机调查与思考

以湖南三所高等职业学院的151名学生为对象进行问卷调查,分析了高等职业学院学生的英语学习动机并提出相应的教学对策.     

Evaluating Vocational Interventions: A Tale of Two Career Development Seminars.

Formal evaluation of two career development seminars was conducted to determine what kind of vocational interventions were helping what kind of people. Students experienced a wide variety of vocational treatments (e.g., standardized inventories, workbooks, writing exercises, discussions, individual counseling) and were asked to rate the helpfulness of each vocational intervention. No interactions between characteristics of students and treatment ratings were found, but an overall main effect of all treatments on raising students' level of vocational identity was found. Suggestions are made for improving the management and evaluation of career development seminars. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of simulated applicant status on Kuder Form D Occupational Interest scores.

How does intent of people taking written tests of vocational interests effect the scores they receive? 4 groups of college students took Kuder's Form D. 3 were instructed to assume they were applying for specific jobs; one was told they were to respond as if in preparation for vocational counseling. Intent of "applicant" can alter scores. Changes in the choice of norms and way of catching bias on the part of Ss were suggested. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4LB37B. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The working alliance and employment outcomes for people with severe mental illness enrolled in vocational programs.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the working alliance and employment outcomes in persons with severe mental illness receiving vocational services. Another purpose of this study was to determine whether working alliance differences exist between clients receiving evidence-based supported employment services and those receiving traditional stepwise vocational services. Design: This study was a secondary analysis of a 2-year randomized controlled trial comparing two employment programs providing services to people with severe mental illness. Results: Contrary to expectations, no overall relationship was found between the working alliance and employment outcomes. As predicted, supported employment participants each assigned to a single vocational worker had more positive working alliances than participants served by a team of vocational workers in the traditional vocational program. Conclusions/Implications: The lack of an association between the working alliance and employment outcomes is inconsistent with previous literature. Further research is needed using standardized working alliance measures and larger samples that include both working and nonworking clients. Evidence-based supported employment, which employs individual caseloads, seems to foster better relationships than a team-based vocational approach, although future research is needed to replicate this finding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictive validity of the interview.

This paper describes the use of the interview technique as a valid and reliable instrument for predicting job placement and vocational success. The interviews of 144 blind adults were objectively and quantitatively scored, making full use of all responses elicited by the S. The results indicated that job success and vocational placement are significantly related to a number of variables tapped by the interview, such as perception of blindness, learned ways of dealing with tension, interpersonal interaction, and employment potential. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An evaluation of group and individual programs in vocational guidance.

60 male college students were divided into 3 groups: 20 received vocational counseling individually, 20 received counseling in groups, 20 received no counseling. All Ss indicated their tentative vocational choices, how certain they were of them, and how satisfied they were with them both before and after the experimental period. With original scores held constant, both group and individual counsellees were significantly more certain of their choices, more satisfied with them, and probably more realistic in them than the controls. "The time-saving quality of the group program, together with its demonstrated effectiveness, argues for the institution of group programs in vocational guidance." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measured vocational interests in relation to intraoccupational proficiency.

What is the relationship between vocational interests and occupational proficiency? Based on a study of shorthand skill involving 1100 female students, the data were subjected to statistical tests of significance and the linear regression predictive technique for cross-validation purposes. Tests employed included an interest inventory, a shorthand proficiency test, and an intelligence test plus a scale constructed to differentiate responses of superior and inferior criterion groups. The latter "worked": "Members of an occupational group can be classified on the basis of interests, with respect to quality of occupational performance." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of combined counseling and vocational training on personal adjustment.

To evaluate the effects of combined counseling and vocational training on personal adjustment, the Manson Evaluation test was administered to 85 students during the 1st 2 wk. of training and again near termination. The students, ages 17-21 yr., were generally characterized by previous failure in social, academic, and vocational endeavors. All students and classes received individual and group counseling by skilled counselors. Comparisons of "before" and "after" Manson scores revealed consistent and highly significant gains in personal adjustment. The findings are discussed in terms of current governmental efforts to combat socioeconomic problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of the structure of leisure interests of college students, working-age adults, and retirees.

In this study, the authors investigated the extent to which factor and spatial structures of leisure interests (a) are similar to or distinct from the structure of vocational interests and (b) differ across 3 cohorts: college students (Mage = 19.6 years, SD = 1.23), working-age adults (Mage = 29.7, SD = 1.18), and retirees (Mage = 72.3 years, SD = 5.40). Factor analytic, multidimensional scaling, and covariance structure modeling strategies were used to assess the structure of leisure interests as measured with the Leisure Interest Questionnaire (J. C. Hansen, 1998). Only partial convergence was found for the structure of leisure interests with J. L. Holland's (1985) model of vocational interest structure, suggesting that researchers should be cautious about using vocational interests as markers for leisure interests. However, the similarity in structure of interests across the three samples was greater than hypothesized. Implications for research on leisure interests and for counseling practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

中职语文应用写作教学的困境及对策

应用写作是中职语文教学的重要内容,应用写作能力是应用型人才综合职业能力培养的重要组成部分.从教师和学生两方面分析了中职语文应用写作教学面临的三个主要问题,并提出以能力培养为导向,从教学观念、方式和手段等三方面进行改革,摆脱目前的困境,确立应用写作教学在中职生综合职业能力培养体系中的重要地位.     

An analysis of vocational interests at two levels of management.

The differences in the vocational interests of top and middle management level personnel of a large, multiplant industrial corporation were studied. Each S was classified according to work level, field, and work role (line or staff). Top management Ss were found to have a higher socioeconomic level of vocational interest than middle management Ss. Clarity of interest patterning was not related to work role, nor, except in one case, was it related to managerial level of work. No differences were found in the decisiveness with which top and middle management Ss responded to interest-test items. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does competitive employment improve nonvocational outcomes for people with severe mental illness?

The authors examined the cumulative effects of work on symptoms, quality of life, and self-esteem for 149 unemployed clients with severe mental illness receiving vocational rehabilitation. Nonvocational measures were assessed at 6-month intervals throughout the 18-month study period, and vocational activity was tracked continuously. On the basis of their predominant work activity over the study period, participants were classified into 4 groups: competitive work, sheltered work, minimal work, and no work. The groups did not differ at baseline on any of the nonvocational measures. Using mixed effects regression analysis to examine rates of change over time, the authors found that the competitive work group showed higher rates of improvement in symptoms; in satisfaction with vocational services, leisure, and finances; and in self-esteem than did participants in a combined minimal work–no work group. The sheltered work group showed no such advantage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in styles of occupational identity formation in late adolescence.

Administered to 41 male and 42 female high school juniors and seniors an interview assessing identity status and questionnaires measuring vocational identity, social desirability, masculinity/femininity, and achievement motivation. On 2 identity measures, males and females had progressed equal distances toward the achievement of an occupational identity. However, for young men, vocational identity was positively related to masculinity and orientations toward mastery and lack of concern about the negative evaluations of others. On the identity interview, occupational exploration was related to femininity, and occupational commitment was related to masculinity and mastery. For young women, vocational identity was positively related to masculinity and an orientation toward hard work; vocational identity was negatively related to competitiveness. Over 40% of the Ss were identity achievers, exhibiting high levels of occupational exploration and commitment. Identity formation in the late high school years is discussed in terms of a relative equilibrium before the transition marked by leaving home. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fear of failure and unrealistic vocational aspiration.

Realistic or unrealistic vocational aspiration was related to need for achievement and assessment of one's capability. The person more strongly motivated to avoid failure, rather than to achieve success, tended to be unrealistic in his vocational aspiration (under or over) rather than to aspire towards some realistic goal wherein he might actually have to prove himself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vocational Interests (The Self-Directed Search) of Female Carpenters.

In this national sample of female carpenters (N=411) who began their apprenticeship with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters during the 1990s in the United States, the author provides a profile of female carpenters' vocational interests (The Self-Directed Search). The vocational interests of 137 male carpenters also were gathered for comparison. The results indicate that the vocational interests of female and male carpenters are dominated by Realistic interests. These outcomes are supported by earlier work with the Strong Interest Inventory. The author suggests that test construction and sampling play a role in the controversy about gender bias in interest inventories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)