KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION AS A FACTOR IN CAREER INTERVENTION OUTCOME - AMULTIDIMENSIONAL-SCALING ANALYSIS

Multidimensional scaling techniques (MDS) were used to examine the lea rning outcomes associated with J.L. Holland's Self-Directed Search (SD S; J.L. Holland, 1990). One hundred forty-six participants were random ly assigned to 3 conditions: the SDS, an attentional control, and a no treatment control. Based on the speculations of J.L. Holland, T.M. Ma goon, and A.R. Spokane (1981), we hypothesized that participants who h ad completed the SDS would acquire Holland's complete RIASEC organizin g scheme. No evidence of Holland's 2-dimensional RIASEC configuration was found for any of the groups. Examination of the 3-dimensional MDS solutions, however, suggested the presence of a prestige dimension and supported Holland's scheme as represented by D.J. Prediger's (1981) T hings-People and Data-Ideas constructs.