GENERAL VERSUS SPECIFIC PREDICTORS OF SPECIALTY CHOICE IN PSYCHOLOGY - HOLLAND CODES AND THEORETICAL ORIENTATIONS

A general measure of vocational personality (Holland codes) as present ed in the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI; Holland, 1985) is comp ared to a more specific measure of preferences (theoretical orientatio ns) with respect to differentiating among specialty areas in psycholog y-specifically, clinical, counseling, and experimental psychology (Coa n, 1979). Counseling and clinical doctoral students differ from experi mental doctoral students on both theoretical orientations and vocation al personality. The counseling and clinical students do not differ on theoretical orientations, but do differ on vocational personality, wit h counseling students being more socially oriented than clinical stude nts. These findings are surprising in light of literature that suggest s specific preferences should be more predictive of specialty interest s. Implications for counseling are suggested, including some cautions about using rational, rather than empirical, measures of Holland three -point codes for psychologists.