Thursday, October 2, 2008

Holland's Theory Of Types

Career choice and career adjustment represents an extension of a person’s personality.

Stereotypes – people’s impressions and generalizations about work. Holland uses this to assess personality.

Holland assigns both people and work environments to specific categories.

THE SIX TYPES

Realistic:
The Realistic Environment
· Physically demanding
· Work settings: have tools, machines, or animals that can be manipulated
· Technical competencies to fix machines, repair electronics, etc.
· Ability to work with things
· Construction sites, factories, auto garages
· Physical agility or strength
· Hazardous and may be cause for physical injury

The Realistic Personality Type
· Enjoy using tools and machines in hobbies
· Like courses that are very practical and teach the use of physical or mechanical skills
· Little tolerance of abstract and theoretical descriptions
· Practical, problem-solving manner
· Value money, power, and status over human relationships

Behavior of Realistic Clients
· Like to expect specific suggestions and advice to solve career problems – a practical solution
· Reluctant to discuss feelings
· Women may be harassed in these environments

Investigative:
The Investigative Environment
· Search for solutions through math and scientific interests
· Use complex and abstract thinking to solve problems creatively
· Computer programmers, doctors, mathematicians, biologists, etc.
· Cautious and critical thinking
· Logic and precise methodical thinking
· Use intellect to work independently to solve problems
· Not encouraged to use human relationship skills, nor machines






The Investigative Personality Type
_ Enjoy puzzles and challenges that require intellect
_ Enjoy learning and are confident about math and science
_ Seek to work independently to solve questions
_ Like courses in math and sciences
_ Not like to supervise other people

Behavior of Investigative Clients
_ Tend to enjoy the challenge of an unanswered question
_ Will solve a problem even if there is little financial or other reward
_ When solving career problem, they may want to solve it themselves from a rational point of view
_ They may view counselor as a fellow investigator, not an expert

Artistic:
The Artistic Environment
_ Free and open, encouraging creativity and personal expression
_ Freedom in developing products and answers
_ Musician, fine artist, freelance writer
_ Free to dress how they want to, keep few appointments, and structure their own time
_ Encourages personal and emotional expression, not logical
_ Tools are used for expression

The Artistic Personality Type
_ Likes the opportunity to express themselves in free and unsystematic way, creating music, art, or writing
_ Want to improve ability in language, art, music, or writing
_ Original and creative
_ Dislike technical writing and would prefer fiction or poetry

Behavior of Artistic Clients
_ Usually makes known how much art, music, writing is important to them
_ May prefer non-structured counseling session
_ Excitement centers on creative activity
_ Their expression may be unclear or appear disordered
_ Most likely to rely on emotions

Social:
The Social Environment
_ Encourages people to be flexible and understanding of each other
_ People can work with others through helping with personal or career issues, teaching, affecting spiritually, or being socially responsible
_ Emphasizes human values: idealism, kindness, friendliness, generosity
_ Education, social service, and mental health professions
_ Teacher, counselor, therapist, superintendent





The Social Personality Type
_ Interested in helping people through teaching, helping with personal or vocational problems, or providing personal service
_ Enjoy solving problems through discussion and teamwork
_ Prefer to talk and resolve complex that may be ethical in nature
_ Place to use verbal and social skills

Behavior of Social Clients
_ Express their idealism
_ Often altruistic, more concerned about others than their own financial gain
_ Value informationrmal activities
_ Interested in counselor and his/her work¼cooperative
_ Good candidates for group counseling, but also talkative

Enterprising:
The Enterprising Environment
_ Manage and persuade people in order to achieve organizational or personal goals
_ Finance and economic issues are important
_ Self-confident, sociable, assertive
_ Promotion and power are important¼persuasion and selling
_ Sales work, buying, business management, politics

The Enterprising Personality Type
_ Acquisition of wealth is a priority
_ Enjoy being with others and like verbal skills to sell, persuade, lead
_ Assertive and popular, holds leadership positions

Behavior of Enterprising Clients
_ Present themselves in a self-assured manner¼more than they feel sometimes
_ Open about their goal to get rich, but not all the time
_ Verbal, like social people
_ May be impatient with entry-level positions

Conventional:
The Conventional Environment
_ Organization and planning
_ Office environment¼keeping records, files, reports, etc.
_ Bookkeeping, accounting
_ Word processing, calculating, copy machines
_ Clerical skills, ability to organize, dependability, ability to follow directions

The Conventional Personality Type
_ Values money, being dependable, and the stability to follow rules and orders
_ Like to be in control of situations
_ Solves straightforward problems



Behavior of Conventional Clients
_ Like to present themselves as organized, yet dependent, on others for direction
_ Difficulty being open to examining new occupations or career paths on their own initiative

COMBINATION OF TYPES

3-letter codes
People do not fit just one Holland code type
Instruments have been developed: Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI), Self-Directed Search (SDS)

EXPLANATORY CONSTRUCTS

Congruence:
Relationship of the personality to the environment, the more similar the personality is to the environment, the more congruent the relationship.
Differentiation:
People and environments may differ in terms of how clearly they belong to one type. Highly differentiated means that you are more dominant in one type.
Consistency:
The similarity or dissimilarity of types.
Certain types have more in common with some types than others.
The closer the types are on the hexagon, the more consistent.
Consistency is NOT a goal of counseling.
Identity:
The clarity and stability of a person’s current and future goals (also of the environment)
Does not relate directly to Holland types.

RESEARCH ON HOLLAND’S CONSTRUCTS

Over 500 studies have been done on Holland’s theory. Congruence is the most frequent topic studied. Also important, relating Holland types to personality characteristics.

ROLE OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION

Holland uses The Occupational Finder, The Educational Opportunities Finder, and The Dictionary of Holland Occupational Codes with the Self-Directed Search.

THE ROLE OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS

Vocational Preference Inventory - prior to the SDS (Self-Directed Search). An easy version of the SDS at sixth grade level and foreign language versions. Career Attitudes and Strategies Inventory, Position Classification Inventory; Environmental Identity Scale; My Vocational Situation - Identity.

APPLYING THE THEORY TO WOMEN

Women tend to score higher on Social, Artistic, and Conventional scales than men.


APPLYING THE THEORY TO CULTURALLY DIVERSE POPULATIONS

Holland’s theory has been studied in many countries.


COUNSELOR ISSUES

Congruence of client and counselor types is a potential issue.

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