Stability and change in vocational interests from late childhood to early adolescence

Abstract

This study examines the age and gender specific development of vocational interest across a three-year span with a sample of 541 students. At time of the first measurement, students were in fourth to sixth grade (mean age = 10.8 years; SD = 1.00) and 48.8% were girls. Results from the multilevel growth curve models showed that Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, and Social interests declined over time, while Enterprising and Conventional interests remained stable. Thus, our findings suggest that the disruption hypothesis, which assumes that the fundamental biological, psychological and social changes in the transition from childhood to adolescence are associated with a temporary decline in certain personality traits, can be extended to vocational interests. Although our analyses revealed gender differences on initial status for all RIASEC scales, there was no significant evidence for gender differences in interest development over time. Gender based differences in children were found to be smaller than those found in adolescents and adults. Contrary to our expectations, girls reported higher Investigative interests than boys. Analyses of profile elevation and differentiation revealed a decline of profile elevation but no concurrent increase in profile differentiation.