Temporal Stability of Occupational Interest Inventories

Abstract

Test-retest reliability data gathered from 83 sources (62 independent samples) were analyzed using a multiple-regression method to estimate the effects of several factors on the temporal stability of occupational interest inventories. Seven self-report inventories were examined—the Act Interest Inventory, the Career Assessment Inventory, the California Occupational Preference System Interest Inventory, the Jackson Vocational Interest Survey, the Ohio Vocational Interest Survey, the Strong Vocational Interest Blank, and the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory, Form T325 of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank. Samples encompassed a wide range of subjects. Subjects' ages and retest intervals were significant predictors of reliability. Number of items and homogeneity had anomalous relations with stability. Subjects' sex and sample size did not significantly affect reliability. A summary table provides expected reliability coefficients tabulated for combinations of age by test-retest interval.