A construct validity study of the career development inventory and the attitude scale of the career maturity inventory

The purpose of this study was to gain more information about the nomological network that supported the construct of career maturity. To achieve this purpose nine hypotheses were tested using a sample of 104 fourth year college students and 24 first year college students. These hypotheses tested the relationship of the within and between portions of the nomological network, the monotonic function of scores on measures of career maturity, and the sex differences of scores on measures of career maturity. A correlation matrix, a truncated multitrait-multimethod matrix, and t-tests between group means revealed that the convergent and discriminant validity of the construct of career maturity as measured by the Career Development Inventory and the Attitude Scale of the Career Maturity Inventory is far from assured. The Attitude Scale of the CMI failed to converge on the attitudinal scales of the CDI and correlated significantly with three out of the four cognitive scales of the CDI. The attitudinal scales of the CDI converged as expected. The cognitive scales of the CDI showed moderate correlations with each other with the exception of Scale 6, Information A and Preferred Occupation. Scale 6 had very low correlations with all of the CDI scales. Scales 1, 3, 4, and 5 of the CDI and the Attitude Scale of the CMI failed to present a pattern of correlations that would support their discriminant validity. Scale 1 of the CDI had significantly higher r's with locus of control and personal adjustment than with Scale 3 of the CDI. The Attitude Scale of the CMI had a significantly higher r-with grade point average than with Scales 2 and 6 of the CDI. It also had a significantly higher r with locus of control than with Scale 2 of the CDI. Scale 3 had a significantly higher r with grade point average than with Scales 1, 2 and 6 of the CDI. Scale 4 had a significantly higher r with grade point average than with Scales 2 and 6 of the CDI. Scale 5 had a significantly higher r with grade “l point average than with Scale 6 of the CDI. There were no significant differences between mean scores of female and male fourth year college 6 students at the .05 level on Scales 2, 3 and 5 of the CDI and the Attitude Scale of the CMI. Fourth year college students had significantly higher mean scores at the .05 level than first year college students on Scales 1 and 5 of the CDI.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Counselor Education

Department dc:contributor.department

Counselor Education

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1981

Author dc:creator

• Dean, Susan A.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/53852

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/53852