Alexandra Alonzo

Melissa Masoni

Evangelina Orozco

Jennifer Phinney

Holland, J.L., Johnston, J.A., Asama, N.F., Polys, S.M. (1993). Validating and using the career beliefs inventory. Journal of Career Development, Vol 9(4).

Before the Career Beliefs Inventory (CBI) there has been no formal way of evaluating career beliefs. In 1983, Krumboltz came up with the CBI, which describes the client’s career beliefs. This then gives the client and the counselor an overview of the beliefs that may promote or impede a person’s occupational decision making. One goal of this study was to compare the CBI scale to a variety of other inventories to see how they correlate. These inventories included the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO), the Self Directed Search (SDS), the Vocational Identity Scale (VI), and the Preconscious Activity Scale (PA). The second goal was to observe the client’s reaction to the interpretation of their results in career counseling.

The subjects included 125 adults from two career planning programs in Missouri and Kansas, 37 men and 88 women. Demographic variables were similar except with the largest difference being gender. All the adults were administered the five inventories including the Dogmatism Scale. The CBI consists of 25 scales ranging from 2 to 8 items for each scale. The Administrative Index of 25 matched pairs of items was included to detect inconsistent responses. The NEO consists of 12 item scales, which assess neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The SDS has six scales of 38 items. The VI includes 18 true-false items. The PA scale was reduced from 38 items to 26 half true and half false. The short 20-item form of the Dogmatism scale was used as opposed to the 40-item. With the Missouri sample (n=86) the CBI, NEO, PA, SDS, and Dogmatism scale were administered by mail and the Kansas sample (n=39) took all the scales at the same time when they first attended a career counseling session.

The SDS scales discovered some traditional gender differences particularly in the Realistic and Investigative scales. However the NEO and CBI scales demonstrated only small differences. The PA scale is not related to gender, however the Dogmatism scale revealed that women are less dogmatic than men. The correlation of the CBI support the meanings attributed to the scales and imply that the CBI scales have impressive construct validity. The Administrative Index, which is the measure of the tendency to give consistent responses when similar ideas are worded differently, seems to be a good measure of competency and positive outlook. This is significantly correlated with the CBI scales and also implies desirable personal characteristics such as hard working, open, belief and self determination, and so on. The four correlations between age and the CBI scales appear difficult to interpret and are probably of little value. CBI and SDS have some weak but plausible intercorrelations.

The second part of the study was working in small groups consisting of adults and undergraduates who had not yet participated in the correlational study. The aim was to explore how to use the CBI, to learn if individual scale interpretations had validity, and to secure an appreciation of the effects of the test taking and interpretative discussions. In the two informal evaluations, it was discovered that the participants found the CBI helpful because it promoted other career activities such as talking with friends, spouses, or family about career plans.

Though this study of the CBI is based on a small adult sample, it still demonstrates construct validity. In conclusion, the CBI primarily promoted client and group interaction.

I. CAREER BELIEFS INVENTORY

A. Krumboltz, 1983

B. Describes career beliefs

C. Summarizes beliefs that may promotes or impedes occupational decision making

II. GOALS OF STUDY

A. Compare CBI scale to other inventories to see correlation

1. NEO Personality Inventory (NEO)

2. Self Directed Search (SDS)

3. Vocational Identity scale (VI)

4. Preconscious Activity scale (PA)

B. Clients reaction to result interpretation

III. PROCEDURE & MEASURES

A. 5 inventories and Dogmatism scale

1. Administered to all adults

B. Administration of scales

1. Missouri sample by mail

2. Kansas sample in first career counseling session

IV. RESULTS

A. Part One

1. SDS scales: gender differences and weak but plausible correlations with the CBI

2. PA scale: not related to gender

3. Dogmatism scale: women are less dogmatic than men

4. Administrative Index: good measure of competency & positive outlook, is correlated w/ the CBI scales, & implies desirable characteristics

B. Part Two

1. Small group informal evaluations: CBI promoted career activity such as talking w/ friends, spouses, and family about career plans

2. CBI: demonstrates construct validity & promotes client and group interaction