EXAMINING THE INVARIANCE OF HOLLANDS VOCATIONAL-INTEREST MODEL ACROSSGENDER

This study examines the structural invariance of Holland's (1973, 1985 ) vocational interest model across gender. Evidence of gender differen ces in the fit of Holland's model was sought by submitting 14 (7 male; 7 female) previously published Strong Interest inventory (SII) Genera l Occupational Themes (GOT) scale correlation matrices to multiple str uctural analytic techniques. Randomization tests of hypothesized order relations (Hubert & Arabie, 1987) and single sample confirmatory fact or analyses (CFA) indicated a moderate to strong correspondence betwee n GOT data and Holland's circular order and circumplex models. Randomi zation tests of differences in model-data fit, and two-sample CFA indi cated that these models are a no more or less accurate representation of the observed data for men than for women. Additional analyses aimed at identifying gender differences in the misfit of specific aspects o f Holland's model also yielded no evidence of differential fit. (C) 19 97 Academic Press.