EFFECTS OF GENDER, CONSTRUCT TYPE, OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION, AND CAREER RELEVANCE ON VOCATIONAL DIFFERENTIATION

This study was designed to replicate and extend previous research on 1 aspect of vocational structure, vocational differentiation. Results o f a 2 (gender) X 2 (occupational information) X 2 construct type) X 3 (career relevance) between Ss study revealed 2 sets of noteworthy find ings. First, results replicated previous findings concerning the impac t of each of these factors on levels of vocational differentiation. Hi gher levels of vocational differentiation were found in men than were found in women and were related to the use of personal constructs when Ss judged highly irrelevant career alternatives. Second, these effect s were qualified by an interaction between construct type (personal an d provided) and career relevance (high, mixed, and low). Personally el icited constructs were used with greater differentiation than were sta ndard provided ones only when participants evaluated highly relevant c areer alternatives. This effect challenges longstanding assumptions re garding differences between personal and provided vocational construct s, and the implications of this are discussed.