An Information Test of Interests
- Author:
Kathryn McHale
rrofcssor of Education, Goucher College, and Acting Director and Educational
Secretary of the American Association of University Women A determining factor which lias been scarcely utilized for vocational guidance is the interest of the individual. Vocational guidance directors have sought to tap interests, but few have determined accurately the degree to which any fundamental interest is possessed. They have not, with any degree of satisfaction, been able to tap accurately the interests of those who are not conscious, in the sense of being fully aware, of a vocational interest. The major proportion of college undergraduates are without vocational information and do not have marked vocational interests, but are anxious to know how their general and special interests can be directed to vocational choice. If we possessed full knowledge of the degree of existing interests in any individual, we could the nturn to a more intelligent study of the individual’s abilities and pertinent vocational pursuits as related to his interests. We have sufficient evidence to prove that if any individual pursues an activity in which he is wholeheartedly interested, he will put forth his greatest effort, insuring greater success within the limits of his ability. The evidence can be found in a review of studies of interests.2
The most convincing is that of E. L. Thorndike, who” in the elaboration of the Bridges’ data, found the following:3-4 “The order of a pupil’s interests as lie estimates them gives almost as good a prophecy of the order of his grades as does the order of his abilities as he estimates them. Neither gives a very close prophecy because the distinctions involved are so fine?and because the grade received in a single course is so afflicted with chance error. Widen the distinction (as by comparing mathematics, language, physical sciences, history, drawing, and music) and reduce the 1 Read tit the annual meeting of the National Vocational Guidance Association, Atlantic City, February 20-22, 19:50. *See Kathryn McIIale, An Experimental Study of the i ocalionai interests of a Liberal Arts College Group, The Journal or Applied Psychology, Vol. VIII, No. 2, June, 1924. 3 Bridges, J. W. and Dollinger, V. M., Correlation Beticeen Interest and Ability in College Courses, Psychological Review, 27, 1920. * Tiiorndike, E. L., The Correlation Between Interests and Abilities in College Courses, Psychological Review, 28, 1921.
chance error (as by taking the average in four or more courses in each) and the correlation between interest and ability will surely rise considerably above 0.70. On the whole Bridges’ data seem to corroborate the doctrine of a very close relation between the order of an individual’s interests and the order of his abilities.” Make-Up of the Information Test of Interests
These suggestions, along with others, influenced the writer to formulate a working idea to guide an objective study^ of vocational interests in Goucher College; the idea being, that if one made an information test based on interests, perhaps one would arrive at something more tangible by way of a guidance tool. The following sources served, for the most part, to furnish the vocabulary and test content: (a) books, (b) information, and (c) tabulated magazine and newspaper clippings read by Goucher students in incidental or casual reading for a period of three months. Several hundred tests of the recognition type, made up principally from these sources, were criticized by judges who left 247 as being the most representative. On the cover page of the test appeared a suggested list of vocations for college women with two directions to the student, (a) to underline five of her choices in order of preference, (b) to read the test directions and proceed when the signal was given.
Samples of the test, with directions follow: Underline the word or words which will make the statement accurate.
Group I
The most widely used individual general intelligence test in the elementary schools is the Pintner-Patterson Performance Tests Seguin Form Board Stanford Binet-Simon Army Alpha. The Education Bill would if passed Abolish State’s Rights Provide for government inspection of schools Allow for school standardization Establish a National Department of Education with a Secretary in the President’s cabinet.
Group II
The “Findex System” is used in Bookkeeping Stenography Filing Typewriting A comptometrist is secured to use principally a Typewriter Dictating machine Telephone Computing machine
Group III
Root vegetables are best kept by Cutting tops Removing dirt Keeping dirt and tops attached Placing in water The best depth of a pan which will keep milk sweet longest is one which is 3 5 7 9 (inches) Tripe is a Fish Animal membrane Fowl Vegetable In reading an electric meter the dial on the right in a complete revolution indicates in kilowatt hours 10 100 1,000 10,000 A butler or waitress should start to serve Left of person at hostess’s left Left of person at hostess’s right Farthest person from the hostess Nearest person to the pantry
Group IV
The “Hippocratic Oath” is taken by college graduates with an M.D. Ph.D. A.B. LL.B. The capacity of an empty stomach is 0 12 3 (ounces)
Group V
A codicil is An attachment A bill A supplement to a will A wish The greatest of our Chief Justices was Wm. “White Wm. Taft John Marshall James Kent This test was given to 133 Goueher Juniors in January, 1922. It was finished in fifty minutes by the quickest and in eighty minutes by the slowest.
In January, 1924, a questionnaire was sent to each individual to whom the test had been given. At the same time a “followup letter” was sent to their employers. A summary of the most significant findings follows.
Summary of Findings
1. Of the eight selected groups of occupations for women (Education and Social Service, Ilomemaking, Business, Writing and Journalism, Science, Law, Art and Architecture, Music), Education and Social Service was the most popular choice, 41.3 per cent selecting it as a first choice and GO.O per cent as a second choice. (Chart I)
2. Ilomemaking was the next most popular choice. The maternal tendency may be in the case of women the most potent determiner of vocational choice, disregarding, of course, other possible factors such as, the reluctance to accept directly the pursuit of a career with money earning responsibilities, desire for an optional amount of leisure or independence, etc.
Chart I?Vocational Interests ok College Women First Second Choice in Choice in Suggested List of Vocations Total Total Per Cent Per Cent Group I (Educational and Social Service)* 41.3 GO.O 1. Community Service 2. Library and Museum Work 3. Boys’ and Girls’ Work 4. Vocational Guidance 5. Educational Research 6. Teaching 7. Rural Work 8. Protective Work 9. Child Welfare 10. Family Case Work 11. Recreation 12. Dramatics 13. Interpreting and Translating 14. Physical Education and Hygiene Teaching Group II (Homemaking, etc.) 27.0 15.0 1. Homemaking (Home Economics, Household Arts, etc.) 2. Dietetics and Food 3. Interior Decorating 4. Institutional Management 5. Costume Design Group III (Business) 17.2 12.0 1. Civic and Government Service 2. Personnel Management 3. Professional Secretarial Work 4. General Secretarial Work 5. Salesmanship G. Advertising and Publicity 7. Banking 8. Publishing 9. Business Group IVt G.OG 5.2G 1. Journalism 2. Short Story Writing Group V (Science, etc.) 5.26 5.2G 1. Medical Social Work 2. Medicine INFORMATION TEST 57 3. Biological Work 4. Technology 5. Chemistry 6. Bacteriology Group VI (Law) 0.75 0.75 1. Law Group VII f 0.75 0.75 1. Art 2. Architecture Group VIIIt 0.75 0.75 1. Music
The names in parenthesis designate the general fields covered in these
groups.
t Not included in the test.
3. The degree of stability or change of choice was studied. In two years 24 per cent had changed their first choice and 40 per cent their second choice. As to the number of the graduates who were engaged in the vocation for which they had expressed a preference in their Junior year, only 24 per cent were following their first choice and 27 per cent their second choice. Twenty per cent were pursuing vocations not mentioned at all in their first choice. These facts emphasize the unreliability of choice and the need for the recognition of the principle that vocational guidance, vocational adjustment, and vocational fitness are only names for a process which should be continuous in its operation.
4. Correlations between choice and the results of the Vocational Interest Test for College Women were “low.” This fact seems to verify the undesirability of using choice as an index of interest in guidance.
5. The correlations between scores of the Vocational Interest Test for College Women and the Thorndike Intelligence Examination for College Freshmen showed no relationship. The test of vocational interests is designed to test the ability to recognize information based on interests rather than intelligence. 6. In the case of certain groups a significant degree of relationship between choice and estimates of vocational success was obtained as shown in Chart II. Chart II?Comparison of Vocational Choice and Vocational Success.
Correlation Between Vocational Test and Name of Test Success Estimated by the Employer on a Scale of Five , r P.E. Group I (Educational and Social Service) 0.71 ?0.05 Group II (Homemaking) Group III (Business) 0.81 ?0.09 Group V (Science) 0.67 ?0.07 Group VI (Law)
The number of cases included represents 63 per cent of the original group, as 37 per cent are not pursuing paid vocations. There is no correlation for Homemaking as the estimates of success made by husbands were not taken seriously, first because they, no doubt, would have been prejudiced by new factors, and second, because they probably would not have analyzed homemaking into its recognized components. No one is pursuing Law (the only other test for which we have no correlation), in fact or in study, and no one is pursuing Art, Architecture or Music.
It might be stated that, since three of these coefficients of correlation, interpreted by their probable errors are reliable and “high” (and one “very high”) the vocational test is capable of predicting fairly accurately (within these limits) degrees of success. If degrees of interests are indicative of success it would seem that this test has a degree of validity in prediction which is a little better and more objective than choices as the individual selects and holds to them; general intelligence tests as used for specific vocational guidance; academic marks; judgments of fitness; extra-curricular achievement, etc. This test will be enlarged eventually to include content on all major vocations engaged in by college women in addition to those mentioned. Its validity as well as reliability as an objective measure of vocational interests is being constantly refined to the desired limits. It is hoped that the development of the interest test will allow more objective and adequate guidance in vocational choice in the future as data are gathered on this and other college groups. In at least three major vocational fields for women, this test has proved economical and expedient as a tool for promoting better vocational adjustment.
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