Date of Award
5-1-1971
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Counseling Psychology & Community Services
Abstract
Problem: The purpose of this study was to develop normative data on the Vocational Preference Inventory with an Indian' population and to determine the relationships between the VPI scales and the Occupational Aspiration Scale, scholastic achievement, intelligence, and selected occupational information. The study also examined the differences between a North Dakota non-Indian high school sample and a North Dakota high school sample on the VPI scales.
Procedure: The research sample for this study consisted of 161 North Dakota Indian high school juniors and seniors enrolled at the Turtle Mountain - Community School, Belcourt, North Dakota, and the Standing Rock Community School, Fort Yates, North Dakota, for the 1970-71 academic year.
All students were administered the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI), the Occupational Information Form (OIF), the Occupational Aspiration Scale (OAS), and the Student Report Form (SRF) in the early fall. Subjects were divided into groups based on sex and the reservation on which they resided. Scholastic achievement and intelligence test scores were obtained from the cumulative records.
The statistical techniques employed were a two-way analysis of variance, Dunn's "c" test and Scheffe's test for mean comparisons, and Pearson's Product-Moment correlation technique. The .05 level was used as the criterion level for statistical significance.
Results:
1. Significant differences were found for the mean score comparisons of three VPI scales. The Turtle Mountain Community School females scored lower on the Artistic scale than did the non-Indian females, while in this school the Indian males scored higher on the Self-Control scale than did the non-Indian males. Both Indian male groups scored higher on the Infrequency scale than did the non-Indian males.
2. A significant negative relationship was found between the Realistic scale and intelligence test scores for the Turtle Mountain Community School males, while a significant positive relationship was found between the Status scale and intelligence test scores for these males.
3. Significant negative relationships were found between the ITED standard composite scores and the Realistic scale for the Turtle Mountain Community School males, the Conventional scale for the Turtle Mountain Community School females, and the Infrequency scale for the Standing Rock Community School females. A significant positive relationship was found between the ITED standard composite scores and the Intellectual scale for the Standing Rock Community School males.
4. Significant differences were found on the six vocational scales of the VPI with the Standing Rock males scoring higher than the Turtle Mountain males on the Artistic scale, while the Standing Rock females scored higher on the Intellectual scale than did the Turtle Mountain females.
5. No significant relationships were found between the Total Acquiescence scale of the VPI and knowledge of work or location of work in specific occupations for all Indian student groups.
6. A positive relationship was found between the total OAS scores and the VPI Status scale scores for all Indian student groups.
Recommended Citation
Koss, Allen B., "The Use of the Vocational Preference Inventory with a North Dakota Indian Population" (1971). Theses and Dissertations. 3497.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/3497