A longitudinal test of the influence of congruence: Job satisfaction, competency utilization, and counterproductive behavior.

The assumption that congruence between workers and jobs results in job satisfaction is fundamental to vocational theory. Evidence that person–job congruence goes with satisfaction is mixed; correlations are often too small to be of practical value. A hypothesis that interest congruence is more closely linked with job satisfaction for workers with clearly defined interests as opposed to workers with poorly defined interests is tested. Hypotheses about other consequences of person–job incongruence—counterproductive behavior, low job involvement, and turnover—also are tested in a predictive study. The hypothesis that differentiation moderates the relation between congruence and satisfaction and other hypotheses about the consequences of incongruence did not receive support, but the results do imply that congruence is a moderately efficient predictor of satisfaction when between-occupation sources of variance are excluded by the research design. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Geographic distribution of U.S. psychologists: A human ecological analysis.

Characteristics of cities and states were correlated with measures of the geographic distribution of US psychologists. Correlations for psychologists providing mental health services were compared with correlations for psychiatrists, clinical social workers, and school guidance personnel. Population size was the strongest correlate of the absolute number of psychologists in various states and cities. When number relative to population was considered, psychologists were concentrated in affluent urban states and in university towns. The same pattern was obtained for all the groups providing mental health services. No evidence was obtained that any of these groups are distributed in a way offering special advantages for serving groups such as poor, Black, or rural people, who appear to need better access to mental health services. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of two major scientific information exchange processes in psychology: 1962 and 1976.

From 1962 to 1976 the amount of scientific information produced by psychologists and presented at American Psychological Association conventions or published in "core" psychology journals doubled. A series of studies compared the scientific communication activities of these 2 media at the beginning and end of this doubling period. Results indicate that relatively few significant changes have taken place in these media, despite the enormous increases in the numbers of psychologists and in the amount of psychological information disseminated. Those changes observed suggest (a) an increasing emphasis on applied work and (b) an increased reliance on informal communication processes. It is hypothesized that the overall stability of these media relates to their maintaining quality control over information exchanged among scientists and to discouraging rapid changes in the general nature of the discipline. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Student-college congruency as a predictor of satisfaction.

Tested hypotheses about person-environment congruency, consistency, and differentiation from J. L. Holland's (1973) theory of careers. Ss were 1,878 undergraduates from 1 college and 1 university who had been given the Self-Directed Search before their freshman year followed by a satisfaction questionnaire 1 or 3 yrs later. 2 analyses were conducted. The 1st was a 3-factor multiple analysis of variance with school, sex, and congruency level as the independent variables. The 2nd was a 4-factor multiple analysis of variance with school, sex, consistency, and differentiation as independent variables. 3 college satisfaction measures were the dependent variables. Statistically significant main effects (p     

Youth employment, crime, and schooling: A longitudinal study of a national sample.

Examined the effect of employment on delinquent behavior in over 2,000 6th–12th grade students who were surveyed on their work experiences and the extent of their involvement during the last year in drug use and other delinquent activities. Regression analysis was used to examine the effect of working while attending secondary school on 1982 self-reported delinquency. Evidence from this study implies that teenage working does not increase delinquency and does not have a detrimental effect on commitment to education, involvement in extracurricular activities, time spent on homework, attachment to school, or attachment to parents. The models examined suggest that working decreases school attendance and dependence on parents for some subgroups, but these effects are not translated into increases in delinquency. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A theory-ridden approach to program evaluation: A method for stimulating researcher-implementer collaboration.

Presents a program development evaluation (PDE) method designed to integrate theory testing with the development and evaluation of action programs. Organizational development and action research as antecedents of PDE are addressed, and the PDE method is discussed, including its theory, objectives, and strength and fidelity. Two examples are cited to illustrate how the PDE method enables the translation of practitioner ideas into theoretical terms and promotes project development. Limitations and virtues of the method, such as its complexity and expense, are addressed. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Validity of vocational aspirations and interest inventories: Extended, replicated, and reinterpreted.

This study found that classified vocational aspirations—singly or in combination—of Navy recruits (467 men and 250 women) were superior to the Vocational Preference Inventory. Predictions for persons with coherent vocational aspirations (aspirations all in the same occupational category) were very predictive over a short time interval, but the hypothesized links between the coherence of vocational aspirations and the Identity Scale (J. L. Holland et al; see record 1981-26762-001), NEO Personality Inventory scales, and scales of the Vocational Preference Inventory received only partial support. This study replicates much earlier work (e.g., F. H. Borgen and M. J. Seling, 1978). Implications for test development and practitioners are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and persistence in education: A longitudinal study.

Personality correlates of persistence in education were examined in the context of a causal model of attainment in an 8-yr study of a nationally representative sample of 2,213 high school males. Interviews and questionnaires were administered to Ss 3 times during their high school career beginning when Ss were in 10th grade. Measures included the Quick Test of General Intelligence, Ss' GPAs, and the Educational Attainment, Times 4 and 5. Results imply that low anxiety and high commitment increase persistence in education even when social background and intelligence are statistically controlled. A more detailed investigation of the schooling process showed that schooling experiences (especially grades received) are related to the development of personality characteristics that are useful in achieving later-life educational status. The causal direction of this relation was examined, showing that rewards in school operate to mold individuals' personalities. The utility of adhering to traditional reward systems is questioned. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some diagnostic scales for research in decision making and personality: Identity, information, and barriers.

Developed a 2-page form to operationalize a diagnostic scheme for research and career counseling. The form contains 3 scales: Vocational Identity, (the need for) Occupational Information, and Barriers (personal limits or environmental problems). The scales were developed using a sample of 496 high school sophomores and were validated using a new sample of 824 high school students, college students, and workers. Scale reliabilities ranged from .23 (Barriers scale, 4 items) to .89 (Vocational Identity scale, 23 items). Construct validity of scales was supported by external ratings, factor analysis, item content, item process analysis, correlational analysis, and earlier research. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)