Investigating the feasibility of using vocational interests in the classification of Canadian military personnel

Abstract

This study investigated the feasibility of using Holland's typology of vocational interests to classify military personnel. Data were obtained from Canadian Forces personnel (n = 1992) and from university students (n = 627). The Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI) was used to measure vocational interests. This measure met psychometric criteria for use. There were no differences in the measure that could be related to Anglophone and Francophone cultural background, subjects form other cultural backgrounds, and male and female subjects.

Tests of a priori predictions about the differences of interests in military occupations and in academic faculties supported the validity of Holland's typology. As well, there was a relationship between a student's CWPI factor type and ratings of different Canadian Forces occupations. Typically, the CWPI factor which was significant in the rating was the CWPI factor that was predominant in the rated occupation. Discriminant analysis of the distribution of CWPI interest factors in military occupations essentially classified occupations into two types: those with a high Objective component, i.e. those of a "hands on" nature, and those with a low Objective component. Discriminant analysis of the five occupational families derived from ability based tests (Catano & Ibel, 1995) found that only the Objective factor discriminated among the occupational families.

Tests of Holland's theory of congruence, i.e. the degree of relatedness between individual and occupation vocational type, and its relationship to performance by using a number of congruence indices derived for the CWPI provided only modest support for this aspect of the theory. The results indicated that there might be some usefulness in incorporating vocational interests in the classification of military personnel. Recommendations were made for future research.