Tests in Counseling Psychology

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Tests in Counseling Psychology
PS397 Psychological Measurement Testing
March 22, 2007
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Todays Class

• Strong Vocational Interest Blank
• Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory
• Campbell Interest and Skills Survey
• Kuder Occupational Interest Survey
• Interest tests for Non-professionals
• Gender bias Other Issues

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What do you want to be when you grow-up?
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Strong Vocational Interest Blank

• E. K. Strong began research on interests of
  different people in different professions
• Members of same profession often had similar
  interests
• Interest patterns well-established by age 17 and
  stable for as long as 22 years

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Strong Vocational Interest Blank

• Extent to which the respondents interests match
  those of individuals in various professions
• Main concern was issue of gender bias
• Different forms used for males and females
• Lack of theoretical background

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Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory

• Merged male and female forms into one form
• Based test on J. L. Hollands Theory of
  Vocational Choice
• People can be classified into one or more of six
  categories according to interest
• Work environments can also be classified into
  these same themes

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Hollands Theory of Vocational Choice
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Strong Campbell Interest Inventory

• Made up of seven sections
• Occupation (131 items)
• School subjects (36 items)
• Activities (51 items)
• Amusements (39 items)
• Types of people (24 items)
• Preference between 2 activities (30 items)
• Your characteristics (14 items)

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Strong Campbell Interest Inventory

• Report consists of four scores
• Administrative index and special scales
• General occupational themes
• Basic interest scales
• Occupational scales
• Newest version published in 1985
• Addition of 207 occupational scales

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Campbell Interest and Skill Survey

• Respondents degree of interest in
• Different occupations
• A nutritionist, advising people on their diets
• Different school subjects
• Chemistry
• Different activities
• Telling stories to children
• Indicate skill in different activities
• Organize a political campaign

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Campbell Interest and Skill Survey

• Report has three components
• 1. Orientation scales
• Influencing
• Organizing
• Helping
• Creating
• Analyzing
• Producing
• Adventuring
• Career Match-up Game

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Campbell Interest and Skill Survey

• Orientation Scales

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Campbell Interest and Skill Survey

• Report has three components
• 2. Basic scales
• Overview of categories of occupation

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Campbell Interest and Skill Survey

• Report has three components
• 3. Occupational scales
• Matches with particular occupations

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Campbell Interest and Skill Survey

• Extra Scales
• Academic focus scale
• Comfort in academic setting
• Extroversion scale
• Jobs with appropriate amount of interpersonal
  interaction

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Kuder Occupational Interest Survey

• Derived from Kuder Preference Survey (1939)
• Presented with 100 triads of alternative
  activities
• Scores on 10 general occupational interests
• Similarity between your interest and others
  employed in various occupations
• Helps students select a major

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Kuder Occupational Interest Survey

• Separate norms for men and women
• Short-term reliability high (.80-.95)
• Scores stable for up to 30 years
• Helpful in high school and university counseling
  situations

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Non-Professional Interest Tests

• Minnesota Vocational Interest Inventory
• Based on SVIB scales
• 9 basic interest areas and specific occupations
• Career Assessment Inventory
• Written at 6th grade reading level
• Similar to SCII and CISS

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The Self-Directed Search

• Developed by J. L. Holland
• Self-administered, self-scored, self-interpreted
• Mirror counseling process
• Develop personal career theory
• List occupational goals and preferences
• Ability and skills in these areas is assessed

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Gender Bias Other Issues

• Earliest interest inventories tended to be gender
  biased
• Particular bias against women
• Strong would argue that using the same norms for
  men and women would reduce validity of the test
• Gender bias has been reduced, not eliminated

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Gender Bias Other Issues

• Cultural biases have also been found
• Scores are not an indication of success in the
  profession
• Success in an occupation is based on aptitude and
  ability

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Websites of Interest

• Career Match-Up Game
• http//admin.acadiau.ca/counsel/CareerMatch/index.
  html
• Campbell Interest and Skill Survey
• http//www.pearsonassessments.com/tests/ciss.htm
• Self-Directed Search
• http//www.self-directed-search.com/