Conferences

Using the theory of Holland (1997) persons and environments can be characterised by six predominant orientations, which are arranged in a hexagon: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. According to the theory of Holland (1997) persons aspire to environments which correspond with their orientations. Therefore, we can deduce that students consider fields of study from the point of view of their dominant orientations.

In two online surveys (N= 1465 and N=499) we investigated which fields of study students had taken into consideration when selecting their subjects.

We analysed whether the fields of study constitute a circumplex according to the Holland model by means of two different methods: non-linear structure analysis (Nagy, 2006) and non-parametric circular unfolding (Mokken, Van Schuur & Leeferink, 2001). Both models allow parameter estimation of subjects, hence for every person the scale score can be estimated. We found that the data can be depicted by circumplex structures with both models: most appropriate by non-parametric circular unfolding.

References:

Holland, J.L. (1997). Making Vocational Choices. A Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments (3rd ed.). Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

Mokken, R.J. Van Schuur, W.H. & Leeferink, A.J. (2001). The circles of our minds: a nonparametric IRT model for the circumplex. In: Boomsma, A, Van Duijn, M.A.J. & Snijders, T.A.B. (eds.), Essays in Item Response Theory. Lecture notes in Statistics, Vol. 157, (pp. 339-356), New York: Springer

Nagy, G. (2006). Berufliche Interessen, kognitive und fachgebundene Kompetenzen: Ihre Bedeutung für die Studienfachwahl und die Bewährung im Studium [Vocational interests, cognitive and scholastic abilities: Their role in choice of major and success at university]. Doctoral thesis, Free University, Berlin, Germany.