This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 69-4946 NAVIN, Sally L. Price, 1938- INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF SELECTED VOCA­ TIONALLY RELATED VARIABLES OF ADOLES­ CENT GIRLS. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1968 Education, guidance and counseling University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan SALLY L. PRICE NAVIN 1969 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF SELECTED VOCATIONALLY RELATED VARIABLES OF'ADOLESCENT GIRLS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Sally Price Navin, B.A., M.A. ■ft * * * * The Ohio State University 1968 Approved by JVaviser Faculty of Bspcial Services College or Education ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This writer is indebted to several persons who were of valuable assistance during the completion of the doctoral program and specifically during the completion of this study. To my adviser, Dr. Anthony C. Riccio, thanks is expressed for his encouragement throughout my program of studies. His cooperation in this research is appreciated. To Dr. Herman J. Peters and Dr. James V. Wigtil gratitude is expressed for their cooperation in serving as readers for the study. To Dr. Jack Cochran for making available resources necessary for the study as well as his own time and effort goes sincere appreciation. To my parents, my aunt, my brother and his family, Lois Kemp, and the many others who provided encouragement and help throughout my program of studies, my most sincere gratitude is expressed. ii VITA June 7, 1938 Born - Marysville, Ohio 1961 . B.A., Long Beach State College, Long Beach, California 1961-•63 . Teacher, Santa Ana City Schools, Santa Ana, California 1964 . M.A., The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1964 ■66 . Counselor, Columbus Public Schools, Columbus, Ohio 1966 -68 . Teaching Associate, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii VITA iii LIST OF TABLES vi Chapter I . INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem Definition of Terms Limitations of the Study Importance of the Study Organization of the Remainder of the Dissertation II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 19 Vocational Development of Females Career Saliency Work Values Vocational Choice Women in Work Career Patterns Variables Central to the Study Self-Concept Vocational Maturity Level of Occupational Aspiration Motivation Achievement III. PROCEDURES 80 Setting Population Instruments Administration of Instruments Statistical Analysis iv Chapter Page IV. FINDINGS ................................................ 101 Question 1 Question 2 V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS.................. 134 Summary Conclusions Implications Recommendations for Further Study BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................. 145 v LIST OF TABLES TABLE Page 1. Means and Standard Deviations of Self-Concept, Self-Acceptance, Ideal-Self, Vocational Maturity, Level of Occupational Aspiration, School Motivation, Achievement, and Intelligence for Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Grades and College Preparatory, Vocational and Mixed Curricula Girls ................ 102 2. t Ratio of Self-Concept, Self-Acceptance, Ideal-Self, Vocational Maturity, Level of Occupational Aspiration, School Motivation, Achievement, and Intelligence for Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Grades and College Preparatory, Vocational and Mixed Curricula Girls ................................... 103 3. Intercorrelation Matrix for Self-Concept, Self-Acceptance, Ideal-Self, Vocational Maturity, Level of Occupational Aspiration, School Motivation, Achievement, and Intelligence for Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Grade G i r l s........................... 109 4. Intercorrelation Matrix for Self-Concept, Self-Acceptance, Ideal-Self, Vocational Maturity, Level of Occupational Aspiration, School Motivation, Achievement, and Intelligence for College Preparatory, Vocational and Mixed Curricula Girls ................ Ill 5. Intercorrelation Matrix for Self-Concept, Self-Acceptance, Ideal-Self, Vocational Maturity, Level of Occupational Aspiration, School Motivation, Achievemeitt, and Intelligence for Ninth Grade Girls .................. 113 Intercorrelation Matrix for Self-Concept, Self-Acceptance, Ideal-Self, Vocational Maturity, Level of Occupational Aspiration, School Motivation, Achievement, and Intelligence for Tenth Grade Girls .................. 117 vi TABLE Page 7. Intercorrelation Matrix for Self-Concept, Self-Acceptance, Ideal-Self, Vocational Maturity, Level of Occupational Aspiration, School Motivation, Achievement, and Intelligence for Eleventh Grade Girls .............. 120 8. Intercorrelation Matrix for Self-Concept, Self-Acceptance, Ideal-Self, Vocational Maturity, Level of Occupational Aspiration, School Motivation, Achievement, and Intelligence for Twelfth Grade Girls ................ 123 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In the course of history the social and psychological roles of the female have remained fairly constant. Traditionally women were expected to be passive with men and nurturant to others They were expected to inhibit their social and sexual aggressiveness. They were expected to cultivate a competitive attractiveness to males and to ignore intellectual qualities. It has only been within the recent past that the life of the woman has been provided the opportunity for actualization in its own right (De Beauvoir, 1952; Erikson, 1963) Generally the differences between the roles of men and women are not supported by biological, anthropological, or psychological reality. Currently changes are being brought about through biological control which negate the biological reasons as an explanation of the problems facing women today. The birth control pill is an example (Time, 10/19/66). Many of the role expectations of male and female are cultural in origin. Anthropologists describe cultures in which roles common to women in one, are assigned to men in another (Mead, 1949; Sanford, 1966), Albert (1963) points out that nature makes us male or female while the values and norms of the society in which we develop makes us men or women. Psychologically, traits which 1 distinguish the female from the male are more often in theory than in reality (Fromm, 1959). The circumstances of growing up for the girl toward full development of a healthy female personality are not optimistic. As Erikson (1959) points put, women through the ages have let themselves he incarcerated, immobilized, enslaved, infantilized, and exploited. In the American society the major avenue for self-realization is through one's work. For men this avenue offers the opportunity for the implementation of self-concept (Super, 1963) and the potential for self-actualization. For them their identity can be as certain as the conditions from which they can predict their own vocational and thus personal futures. The picture of women in the world of work reveals both rapid change and adherence-to cultural habit. Rapid change is reflected in the numbers of women working and in the nature of demands upon them. Adherence to cultural habit is revealed in the limited opportunities available and in the-rigidity of patterns of behavior (Ginzberg, 1956; Girls and Womens Occupations, 1955; Hawkes, 1960j Mead, 1962; Parsons, 19£6), In 1920, women workers numbered eight and a quarter million; in 1961, twenty-five million; and by 1970, they will pumber over thirty ipillion (Peterson, 1963; President's CJommission on the Status of Women, 1963). Three out of five of these women are married and by 1970 they will constitute more than one-third the total labor force. Eight out Of ten girls now in high school will be employed at some period in thpir lives (Kretch, 1965). Typically they will work for a period after completion.of education* retire from the working force for from /V 3 ten to twenty years, then return to the labor market. The average mother had her last child by age twenty-five and by her early thirties finds her family in school and herself ready to work (Useem, 1960), At that time she finds herself a vocational adolescent. In spite of their total numbers in the work force, seventy per cent of all women workers are found in four occupational categories: clerical, operatives, service workers, and professional-technical (Wood, 1959). Most jobs held by women are in low-paid categories. One example of handicaps faced by women is shown in the Fair Labor Standards Act which permits the levels of women's earnings to be lower than those of men. These inequalities in the position of women in the world of work reflect severe role strain (American Council on Education, 1960; Hottel, 1954; Komarovsky, 1953; Zapoleon, 1961). The large majority of women must juggle education, career, and homemaking in some order. The most satisfying status for a woman appears to be that of both being married and having a career (Havighurst, 1965; Mulvay, 1963; Parsons, 1956). A number of problems arise in this regard. Girls are generally untrained for the role of housewife. Furthermore, the typical housewife role is not seen as permitting full realization of a woman's creative potential (Wagman, 1966). Modern conveniences appear to have the effect of lessening even further the potential for that creative homemaking. The competition in a career raises another problem of security for the masculine counter­ part as well as the maintenance of femininity in essentially masculine endeavors. The President's Commission on Home and Community 4 (Mead and Kaplan, 1965) points out that we know little