Vocational Interests and Basic Values

Abstract

Two studies investigated the relations between vocational interests and basic values. In Study 1, hypotheses relating interests to values were derived and tested among 97 clients in career counseling. Conventional interests correlated positively with conformity, security, and tradition values and negatively with self-direction, stimulation, and universalism values. Enterprising interests correlated positively with power and achievement values and negatively with universalism values. Social interests correlated positively with benevolence values. Artistic and investigative interests correlated positively with self-direction and universalism values and negatively with conformity, security, and tradition values. Realistic interests, as expected, did not correlate with values. Study 2 replicated these findings among 545 counselees and showed that findings better matched the hypothesized pattern of relations among individuals who had reached a quality career decision during counseling. Implications for the implementation of both interests and values in career counseling are discussed.