University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Vocational interest development from adolescence to adulthood: a meta-analysis on mean-level change

Hoff, Kevin A.

Content Files
HOFF-THESIS-2016.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/92979

Description

Title
Vocational interest development from adolescence to adulthood: a meta-analysis on mean-level change
Author(s)
Hoff, Kevin A.
Issue Date
2016-07-22
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Rounds, James B.
Committee Member(s)
  • Newman, Daniel A.
  • Briley, Daniel A.
Department of Study
Educational Psychology
Discipline
Educational Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Date of Ingest
2016-11-10T18:35:35Z
Keyword(s)
  • vocational interests
  • meta-analysis
Abstract
Interests are among the most widely applied individual difference constructs in education and psychology. Despite their widespread usage, it is not known whether vocational interests undergo mean-level changes with age. If interests do change, in what direction? And do changes vary across age, kinds of interests, and gender? In the current meta-analysis, we aggregate effect sizes from 53 longitudinal studies on mean-level change in vocational interests, containing 98 total samples and 20,927 participants. Meta-analytic regression models were used to assess patterns of change during different age periods spanning early adolescence to middle adulthood. Results showed that mean-level interest scores increase slightly with age (d = .04). This age effect primarily involved interest in People orientation (d = .09) rather than Things orientation (d = .00). Patterns of change also varied across age categories. Mean-level interest scores decreased during early adolescence (d = -.10) before increasing throughout late adolescence (d = .09). During young adulthood, mean-level interest scores continued to change, but the direction of change varied across kinds of interests. Gender differences associated with occupational stereotypes showed distinct patterns of change across age categories. Gender gaps in Realistic and Social interests widened during early adolescence, but tended to decrease throughout the remainder of adolescence and young adulthood. Overall, findings suggest that vocational interest intensity undergoes meaningful changes from adolescence to adulthood, with theoretical and practical implications concerning the development of vocational interests.
Graduation Semester
2016-08
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/92979
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2016 Kevin Hoff

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