Analysis of the D/I, T/P Interest Dimensions as Related to Persistence in a College Major
Latona, Janet R.
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/69152
Description
Title
Analysis of the D/I, T/P Interest Dimensions as Related to Persistence in a College Major
Author(s)
Latona, Janet R.
Issue Date
1987
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Harmon, Lenore W.
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Education, Guidance and Counseling
Education, Educational Psychology
Abstract
This study examined the predictability of persistence in the same college major, throughout four years of college, from information provided by the ACT World of Work Map (WWM). The ACT interest inventory scores of 3612 high school seniors, who aspired to one of 24 chosen college majors and were college seniors 4 years later, (1097 persisters, 2515 non-persisters) were analyzed. Individual coordinate points on the WWM were calculated by converting interest scores, using the present ACT conversion formula, to locations on the grid formed by the Data/Ideas (D/I), People/Things (P/T) theoretically based interest dimensions of the WWM. The relationship between persistence in a college major, the distance between an individual's coordinate point on the WWM and each of three different types of representative points on the WWM for each chosen occupational field, and the distance that occupational coordinate point lies from the center of the WWM were examined.
Results indicate that it is possible to develop a predictability measure based on the distance an individual coordinate point lies from the occupational coordinate point, adding to the information which users of the ACT interest inventory may receive. It was also found that persistence rate does not change as different occupational points range from the center to the outer edge of the WWM. However, persisters who aspire to a college major with an occupational coordinate point near the center have a larger dispersion of individual coordinate points than those aspiring to college majors with a representative occupational coordinate point distant from the center of the WWM. Theoretically, this finding adds to the descriptive understanding of individuals who are not highly differentiated in their interests, practically, ACT could develop a system of providing these individuals information which encourages them to explore, not only occupations representative of their interest area, but also any occupations with a wide diversity of tasks (those located closest to the center of the WWM). While the present job family locations of the WWM provide a substantially representative method, using the centroid of the scatter of individual coordinate points of persisters as the occupational coordinate point provides a more sensitive and descriptive reference point. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)
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