With the growth of self-awareness and expanding experience in the world, the adolescent's vocational interests become more stable. However, workers with incarcerated youth in Alabama reported their clients seemed to have a conflict between what they said they would like to do vocationally and their responses on vocational interest inventories.In this study it was hypothesized there were no significant differences between the expressed and tested vocational interests of incarcerated and nonincarcerated adolescents. It was found that the two groups were equivalent with regard to sex, race, age, schooling completed, reading level, and intelligence. The incarcerated youth however, (significantly more often) showed conflict between their expressed and tested vocational interests. The null hypothesis was rejected.Caution is advised when giving vocational guidance and counsel to incarcerated adolescents. Their stated vocational goals may be more impulsive than an accurate reflection of a stable self-awareness.
Gender Differences in the Validity of Career Interest Inventories
