CLASSIFYING PERSONALITY-TYPES WITH OCCUPATIONAL PROTOTYPES

The interpersonal properties of Holland's occupational preferences model was examined with respect to the Interpersonal Circumplex. We investigated the hypothesis that occupational preferences, selected on the basis of their judged interpersonal relevance, may be used to classify subjects into their appropriate trait category on the Circumplex. In Study 1, eight Interpersonal Occupation Scales (IOS) were developed to map categories from the Circumplex, with Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS) serving as the occupations item pool. The IOS was designed according to the prototype scale construction strategy (Broughton, 1984). Intraclass correlation analysis of the IOS revealed high interjudge agreement among prototype rankings. In Study 2, 236 undergraduates completed the SDS, IOS, and Wiggins' Revised Interpersonal Adjective Scales (IAS-R). On the basis of IAS-R scores, subjects were classified into one of eight personality types on the Circumplex. Discriminant function analyses, with SDS and IOS scale scores serving as separate predictors of quadrant and octant criteria, revealed significantly higher hit rates for IOS scales. Subsequent separate-group discriminant analyses indicated an average 71% correct classification rate for IOS scale predictors. Results were interpreted with respect to the link between personality and occupational preference and the use of a prototype approach in exploring this link. © 1991.