COLLEGE STUDENTS IIIIIII THEIR IAIIIEAS As A

IIAAIAAIE IAFIIIEAAIAA VOCATIONAL INTERESTS:
AIID VAAAIIAAAL COUNSELING “

AA IIIIIIAIIAAIIAA AI IDENTIFICATION OF MALE 2;:

 

TIIesIs IAI IIIA Degree AI PII. D
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
JOSHUA S IIIILI. III

I 1969* ' '

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is to certify that the

thesis entitled

AN INVESTIGATION OF IDENTIFICATION

OF MALE COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH THEIR FATHERS
AS A VARIABLE INFLUENCING VOCATIONAL
INTERESTS AND VOCATIONAL COUNSELING

presented by

Joshua S. Hull, III

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

Ph. D. degree in Educat ion

fMfi 94M/Zé/

Major professor

Date June 62 1969

0-169

 

 

 

 

 

ABSTRACT

AN INVESTIGATION OF IDENTIFICATION OF MALE
COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH THEIR FATHERS AS A
VARIABLE INFLUENCING VOCATIONAL INTERESTS

AND VOCATIONAL COUNSELING

By

Joshua S. Hull

The study was designed for the twofold purpose of
investigating the relationship between father identifica—
tion and the structure of vocational interests, and the
relationship between father identification and vocational
counseling in a group of male college students. The basis
for the study was largely theoretical since no previous
research dealt directly with the relationship of identifi—
cation to interest structure or counseling processo The
present study was based on the assumption that degree of
father identification would be a variable influencing
both vocational interests and vocational counseling of
male college students.

The investigation follows a current orientation to
the study of vocational development as an integral part
of the total develOpment of personality. Extrapolations
from psychoanalytic theory concerning the influence, on
his personality, of the young male's identification with
his father served as the theoretical framework from which

the following hypotheses were drawn:

 

 

Joshua S. Hull

(1) Intensity of vocational interests for
males is related to a degree of father
identification.

(2) Range of vocational interests for males
is related to degree of father identification°

(3) Types of vocational interests for males is
related to degree of father identification.

(u) Realism of vocational interests for males
is related to degree of father identification.

(5) The manner of relating of male vocational
clients to their counselors is related to
degree of father identification.

A strong masculine identity via a high degree of
father identification is assumed to account for good
personal adjustment, and a heightened interest in the real
world. Tyler (1955), in a longitudinal study of voca-
tional development, found that awareness and acceptance of
male sex role was a precursor of scientific interests in
young boys. The present study assumes that a strong sense
of masculine identity will be reflected in intensity, range,
and types of interest, that good adjustment will be
reflected in more realistic vocational interests, and
finally that the better adjustment of the high father
identifiers will be reflected in their manner of relating
to their vocational counselors.

Participants who volunteered for the study were
twenty-eight freshmen and SOphomore males who requested
vocational counseling at the Michigan State University

Counseling Center. Subjects completed the Strong Voca-

tional Interest Blank (SVIB), the Leary Interpersonal

Joshua S. Hull

Check List (ICL), and they agreed to have all subsequent
counseling sessions tape recorded. The SVIB profiles
were pattern analyzed according to the objective method
outlined by Stephenson (1961). The intensity, range

and types of interest were determined on the basis of

the distribution of primary, secondary,and reject patterns.

A measure of fantasy was defined as a discrepancy score
between the Occupational Level (OL) scale and the Academic
Achievement (AA) scale on the SVIB.

A composite distance score between conscious
description of real self and father on the ICL for each
subject was computed. The group was divided into high and
low father identifiers on the basis of the D scores° The
final procedures involved presenting in random order five
minute taped segments from the counseling interviews from
each subject to two trained judges in order to rate the
client's manner of relating on the Relationship Scale of
Gendlin (1967). Three segments, one from the beginning,
middle, and end of each subject's total number of counsel—
ing sessions were scored in this manner, and an overall
score for each subject on the Relationship Scale was
computed.

The null form of hypotheses one, four and five were
tested by a 3 Test, while hypotheses three and four were
tested with a chi—square statistic. The .05 level was

set as the region of rejection of the null hypotheses.

 

Joshua S. Hull

The findings of this study indicated that high and
low father identifiers did not differ in the intensity
or range of their vocational interests, nor was there a
significant difference between the two groups on types of
interest. There was, however, a marked trend for subjects
in the technical and skilled trades area to be highly
identified with their fathers, while subjects with
interests in social service were more likely to be less
identified with their fathers.

Contrary to prediction high father identifiers
scored higher on an assumed measure of fantasy, while no
difference was found between the high and low father

identifiers on their manner of relating to their male

vocational counselors.

References

 

Gendlin, E., and Tomlinson, T. The Process Conception
and its Measurement in Rogers, C. (ed.) The Thera-
peutic Relationship and its Impact. Madison:

Th: University of Wisconsin Press, 1967, pp. 109—
13 .

Stephenson, R. A New Pattern Analysis Technique for the
SVIB, Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1961, 8,

355-362.

Tyler, Leona. The Development of Vocational Interests:
I. The Organization of Likes and Dislikes in Ten-
Year-Old Children, Journal of Genetic Psychology,

1955, 86, 33-34.

 

AN INVESTIGATION OF IDENTIFICATION OF MALE
COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH THEIR FATHERS AS A
VARIABLE INFLUENCING VOCATIONAL INTERESTS

AND VOCATIONAL COUNSELING
By

,Ilo”
' 6
Joshua 8? Hull III

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department of Counseling, Personnel
Services, and Educational Psychology

1969

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author wishes to express sincere appreciation
to Dr. Cecil Williams, dissertation advisor, and Dr. Bill
Kell for their willingness to share deeply in his growth;
to the late Dr. Buford Stefflre whose presence and
thoughts influenced this study; and to the other members
of the committee, Dr. Gregory Miller, committee chairman,
Dr. John Jordan and Dr. Fred Vescolani for their
generosity in serving in this capacity.

Special thanks are also offered to those who have
shared my doctoral experience, especially to Steve Bondy
and Cereta Perry, and to Dick Morril and Bob Kurtz for
their assistance as independent raters.

Thanks to Dr. Robert Hunt whose influence has

remained with me as an inspiration.

ii

 

 

 

 

DEDICATION

To My Wife, Diane

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . .

LIST OF TABLES

Chapter

I.

II.

III.

IV.

NATURE OF THE PROBLEM .

Statement of Purpose . . .
Theory . . .

Research Hypotheses . .
Definition of Terms . . .
Limitations of the Study .
Organization of the Study .

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The Concept of Identification

analytic Theory: A Brief Historical

Overview . .

Identificatibn and Vocational Development

in

Realism and Vocational Interests

The Occupational Level Scale

Clients' Manner of Relating in Vocational
Counseling and the Concept of "Process"

Summary . . . . . . .

METHODOLOGY AND ANALYSIS

Sample . . . . . . .
Procedures .. . . . . .
Instruments .

Statistical Hypotheses and Analysis

Summary . .
RESULTS . . . . . . .

Preparation of the Data . .
Test of Hypothesis One . .

iv

Psycho-

Page
ii
iii

Vi

NFJGMDULE H

FJH

 

Chapter

Test of
Test of
Test of
Test of
Summary

V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND

Hypothesis
Hypothesis
Hypothesis
Hypothesis
of Results

IMPLICATIONS .

Conclusions . .
Limitations . .
Implications .

REFERENCES

APPENDICES

O 0 0

Two
Three
Four
Five

A. RELATIONSHIP SCALE

0

0

O

O 0 Q o O

O

O

Page

78
82
814
87

. . . . 91

100

. . . . 103

o o 0'109
. . . . 110

B. LETTER REQUESTING PARTICIPATION OF THE

SUBJECTS FOR THE STUDY
C. INTERPERSONAL CHECK LIST CIRCULAR

CONTINUUM .

D. TABLES 8 to 10

 

O

O

O

O

. . . . 119

O O 9 0 12]-

o o o o .123

 

Table

10.

LIST OF TABLES

Results of Hoyt's Analysis of Variance for two

independent raters on the Relationship Scale . .

t test of significance between high and low
father identifiers on a measure of interest
intensity . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Chi-square test of significance between interests
of high and low father identifiers . . . ..

Chi—square test of significance between high and

low father identifiers on social service, cultural
and combined social service-cultural occupational
interests . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

t test of significance between high and low father
identifiers on a measure of fantasy . . . . .

Hoyt's Analysis of Variance for computation of
inter-rater reliability for two raters on the
"Relationship Scale" . . . . . . . . . .

t test for significance between means of high
and low father identifers on the "Relationship
Scale" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Composite D scores for twenty—eight subjects from
their fathers on two dimensions, Dom & Love . .

Number of primary, secondary, reject and
unclassified patterns and OL-AA scores for
twenty-eight subjects . . . . . . . . .

Ratings by two raters on the Relationship Scale of
twenty—four subjects rank ordered on father
identification . . . . . . . . . . . .

vi

 

Page

62

75

77

8O

83

85

86

12A

125

127

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER I

NATURE OF THE PROBLEM

Father identification, defined as the degree to
which a son by self report perceives himself as being
similar or dissimilar to his own father, may be a psycho-
logical variable of central importance common to the two
processes of vocational development and vocational
counseling.

Ginzberg et_al. (1951) suggested that "too strong"
or "too weak" an identification would of necessity impede
the process of vocational choice, but that "partial"
identification would be best for reaching a mature decision
since it provides guidelines, but also gives freedom and
flexibility in making a choice. Brunkan (1966) tested
the Ginzberg position by hypothesizing that problems of
indecision in vocational choice would be accompanied by a
high degree of father identification, whereas no problem
in choice would be accompanied by an average degree of
father identification. The results of the study under—
taken by Brunkan indicated that the hypothesis proposed
by Ginzberg may need to be reversed. Contrary to pre—
diction, Brunkan found that his group of vocationally
undecided subjects were less closely identified with their

1

 

 

 

 

fathers than the group of subjects who were vocationally
decided. He found that high father identifiers fell into
a category entitled "unfulfilled" rather than "undecided."
The author suggested that dependency and fear of failure
may be useful explanatory concepts in seeking further
understanding of the high father identifier. If then,
as is suggested by these findings, the low father identi-
fier is the one more likely to be experiencing difficulty
in vocational decision making and career planning, voca-
tional counselors need to be cognizant of the possible
relationship and influence of father identification as a
variable in the vocational development process. Any such
implications of this variable affecting vocational
development demands the theoretical attention and practi-
cal concern of the counselor. The ability of counselors
to assist male students in the resolution of vocational
undertainty may be aided by an understanding of the
dynamics of identification generally, and more specifically
by a knowledge of any possible relationship between father
identification on the one hand and the structure of
vocational interests and the process of vocational
counseling on the other.

It has been the personal observation of those working
with clients that students experiencing vocational uncer—
tainty often request vocational interest testing when

presenting themselves for help at the college counseling

 

 

 

service. This request may serve the purpose of giving
an external focus to the students' confusion and diffi—
culties. It has been noted, however, that test informa—
tion alone is not always sufficient for the resolution
of the vocational indecision. The counselor—client
relationship in vocational counseling remains a variable
of notable significance in facilitating the vocational
decision making process of the client. The willingness
of the client to become involved in an affective relation—
ship with his vocational counselor may be crucial in the
facilitation of this process and the resolution of the
vocational indecision.

Maes (1962) found that "successful" father identi—
fiers demonstrated less defensiveness in situations
reminiscent of the paternal relationship than "unsuccess—
ful" father identifiers. Since the vocational counseling
of male subjects by male vocational counselors is likely
to be reminiscent of the paternal relationship, a transfer
of emotions from the former relationship to the latter
might be expected.

Hill (1967) has pointed to the increasing realiza-
tion that vocational counseling is an "interpersonal
relationship" which promotes self exploration and greater
self awareness via a focus on the intra-psychic life of
the client. Thus a need for defensiveness on the part of

the client vis a vis his vocational counselor could be

 

 

 

 

 

expected to reduce the effectiveness of the counseling
process.
In light of the foregoing discussion the present

investigation was designed to study the possible relatione

 

ship between father identification and vocational interests
and between father identification and the process of
vocational counseling. More specifically, the investiga-
tion attempted to demonstrate empirically that the
variable of father identification affects the range of
interests, types of interests, and realism of interests
as reflected in psychometric data and will also affect
the process of vocational counseling by influencing the
degree of affective response of the male client towards
his counselor, as revealed in process ratings of taped
counseling sessions in a group of vocationally undecided

freshmen and sophomore college males.

Statement of Purpose

 

The purpose of this investigation is twofold. It

 

seeks to determine whether there is a relationship between
father identification and vocational interests on the one
hand and father identification and the process of voca-
tional counseling on the other, in a group of vocationally
undecided freshmen and sophomore college males who

requested vocational testing and counseling at a college

 

counseling center.

   

 

 

 

re— __

5

Theory

Psychoanalytic theory has posited that the ability
of an individual to be productive in love and work is a
measure of emotional maturity. Thus, identification
with his father, which for the young male is thought to
be crucial to his emotional maturation, might be expected
to influence the emergence of interests in future love or
work roles.

The major theoretical basis for this study grew out
of certain assumptions derived from the psychoanalytic
framework on the nature and process of identification of
young males with the same sexed parent. The orthodox
psychoanalytic position holds that if the process of the
identification of the male child with his father or father
surrogate is successful, there are results and benefits
to the child culminating in a resolution of the oedipus
complex with concomitant relinquishment of the mother as
a sex object; incorporation of parental values and atti-
tudes, permitting greater autonomy to the child; reduction
of anxiety and a more comfortable relationship with the
parents specifically and with authority figures in
general.

The general line of reasoning in translating these
benefits into the vocational developmental area as pro—
posed here is that strong father identification will

result in a sense of freedom and autonomy which the young

 

 

 

 

 

 

male can employ in his exploration of the real world.
This freedom and autonomy within the personality should
lead to a broadened range of interests which will be
reflected in more diverse and well defined patterns of
interest on structured interest inventories such as the
Strong Vocational Interest Blank (SVIB). The vocational
interests of low father identifiers will reflect
neurotic confusions, disturbances, and relationships to
the real world. It is believed that interest patterns of
the low father identifier will be less well defined and
will be restricted in range, tending to cluster in the
social service and cultural areas. The heightened person
orientation, that is social service clustering, of the
vocational interest of the low father identifiers could
be interpreted according to psychoanalytic theory to have
either a defensive or a reparative aim. Defensively such
an orientation towards persons may be used, for example,
to bolster a damaged sense of self esteem by placing the
subject in a supposedly superior position or relationship
to those he would help, or may serve to prove to the per—
son that he is 1oveable and worthwhile because he helps
other people. Reparatively, orientation towards persons
could be used as a genuine effort to work out in relation—
ship to others the deprivations experienced in the father—

son relationship, which originally led to the failure in

identification.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The low father identifier may also be blocked in his
reality testing capacity. The failure to resolve the
oedipal complex with its hostile-competitive and sexually-
aggressive feelings prevents the low father identifier
from forming a comfortable relationship with the parents.
In the absence of a good relationship with the parents
the low father identifier is not as free to learn from
his environment since it is not "safe" for him to subject
his values to social scrutiny and to verify or to change
the values accordingly. Thus blocked in his learning
from the real world, the low father identifier may be
tempted to take refuge in an inner world of fantasy
and accomplish in his mind the great deeds that he cannot
effect in reality. This tendency of the low father
identifier to have recourse to a world of fantasy, if it
exists, should be reflected in his vocational interests
and also reflected in a structured inventory of vocational
interests.

Finally the more successful resolution of the oedipal
complex and the dimunition of castration anxiety on the
part of the high father identifier will be reflected in
his becoming more affectively involved with his male
counselor, while the low father identifiers due to exces-
sive castration anxiety will be inhibited from relating
affectively with this presumably more powerful male and

will tend to hold him to a more distant relationship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research Hypotheses

 

The foregoing discussion of the psychoanalytic con—

ception of the process of identification and its influence

on the development of the total personality served as the

basis for the research hypotheses that were developed and

tested in this study.

The five hypotheses were:

1.

Intensity of vocational interests for male
subjects-is related to degree of father
identification.

The range of vocational interests for male
subjects is related to the degree of father
identification.

Types of vocational interests for male subjects
is related to degree of father identification.
Realism of vocational interests for male
subjects is related to degree of father
identification.

The manner of relating to male vocational
counselors is related to the degree

of father identification of male subjects.

Definition of Terms

 

Identification is defined for purposes of this study

 

as a measure of the similarity of the conscious description

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

of self and the conscious description of father by a
subject on the Leary Interpersonal Check List (ICL).

High and Low Father Identifiers refers respectively

 

to the two halves of the total group of subjects who
describe themselves on the ICL as being more or less
similar to their fathers.

Vocational Interests, as referred to in this

 

study, means the interests as empirically defined and
measured by the separate scales of the SVIB.

Vocationally Undecided is a term which refers

 

equally to all subjects of this study. The assumption
of vocational indecision is made by virtue of the fact
that all subjects came to the Counseling Center seeking
vocational testing and counseling. This assumption was
supported categorically in the initial screening inter-
view of each subject.

Intensity of Interest connotes the extent to which

 

a subject's scale scores on the SVIB profile sheet

deviate from the "men in general" zones on these same
scales. Intensity of interest is inferred from the
relative number of objectively defined primary, secondary,
and reject patterns according to Stephenson's (1961)
method of pattern analysis resulting from these devia—
tions. Thus subjects with a greater number of such
patterns are said to have more intense interests than

those subjects with fewer patterns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

No attempt has been made to give differential
weights to the various types of patterns. Tyler (1955)
has warned that scale scores indicate the direction of
interests but not the degree of interest. Thus primary,
secondary, and reject patterns are all weighted equally
in measuring intensity of interests.

Unclassified Pattern of Interest refers to any of
the eleven occupational groupings on the SVIB profile
sheet of a subject which was not analyzed as a primary,
secondary, or reject pattern according to Stephenson's
(1961) technique of objective pattern analysis.

Range of Interests is used to refer to the distri—

 

bution of primary and secondary patterns of interest
according to Stephenson's (1961) objective pattern
analysis on the SVIB profile sheet of a subject. The
range of interests is defined in a relative sense so that
those subjects with primary and secondary patterns occur—
ring in a greater number of occupational groupings on

the SVIB profile sheet will be defined as having a wider
range of interests than those subjects with fewer primary
and secondary patterns.

Fantasy Measure in this study is defined in the
relative sense that those subjects with a greater dif—
ference score between the Occupational Level (OL) scale
and the Academic Achievement (AA) scale (OL > AA only),

on the SVIB profile sheet will be assumed to have a

 

 

 

 

ll

 

larger component of fantasy in their occupational
interests than subjects with a smaller difference score

between OL and AA.

Manner of Relating refers in this study to the

 

degree of willingness of a subject to become affectively
involved with his counselor by revealing himself in words
and actions. This variable is measured by the Gendlin
Relationship Soale.*

Process in this study is used interchangeably with

”manner of relating.”

Limitations of the Study

 

Since this study was dealing only with the relation-
ship between variables as they existed at a single point
in time, no cause and effect relationship in a strictly
scientific sense can be established. This study dealt
with a single psychological variable (viz. father identi—
fication) which has been judged a priori to have a possible
relationship to the structure of vocational interests and
the process of vocational counseling. The choice of this
single variable was in no way intended to suggest that it
is either the only determinant or even necessarily the
primary determinant of structure or process.

This study was limited by its sample. The partici—

pants are university students, all freshmen and sophomore

 

*
See Appendix A.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12

males, who sought vocational testing and counseling.

No information was available on a similar group of
vocationally undecided students who do not volunteer for
counseling. A final limitation of this study was that
all subjects expressed vocational indecision and volun-
teered for counseling service; therefore, no generaliza—
tions can be made concerning the student population at

large based upon the sample in this investigation.

Organization of the Study

 

The following chapter will include a review of the
literature related to this study. Chapter III will con-
tain a restatement of the hypotheses in testable form, a
description of the sample, and a report of the methodology
employed. The results along with some discussion will be
reported in Chapter IV. Chapter V will contain a summary
of the study, conclusions, and implications for further

research.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

As was stated in Chapter I, this investigation was
designed to study the relationship between the identifica-
tion of male college students with their fathers and the
variables of intensity, range and types of vocational
interests, degree of realism of interests, and the
variable of "process" in vocational counseling. This
chapter is divided into four main sections. In the first
section a brief historical overview of the psychoanalytic
concept of identification is given. In the next section
the findings of some research studies on the relationship
of identification to vocational development are presented.
Section three presents the findings of some studies_
dealing with reality orientation as a personality
variable and vocational interests and contains some
information on the Occupational Level (OL) scale of the
Strong Vocational Interest Blank (SVIB). The fourth and
final section reviews the literature on client expecta—
tions of vocational counseling and elaborates on the

concept of "Process" or ”Manner of relating" in counsel—

ing.

13

 

 

 

 

 

 

1A

The Concept of Identification in
Psychoanalytic Theory: ABrief
Historical Overview

Freud has generally been credited with introducing
the term "identification" into the psychological litera-
ture (Tolman, 1943, Stoke, l950). Throughout his writings
Freud employed the term "identification" but with a
variety of meanings, and some confusion and vagueness
has surrounded the term ever since. Part of the ambi—
guity arises from the dual use of the term made by Freud
himself in referring to both normal and pathological
aspects of personality development. Despite the lack of
clear cut agreement the term "identification" in psycho—
analytic literature most commonly connotes an "uncon-
scious process wherein a transformation of the self
occurs as a result of introjection and whereby the self
adOpts certain characteristics of the external object"
(Sommers, 1956). Further differentiation has been given
to the term by classifying it as primary or secondary,
partial or total, positive or negative, early or late,
and as ego or superego identification. The distinction
between primary or secondary identification is of some
considerable importance in understanding personality
development.

As will be pointed out in the discussion below,
primary identification takes place to reduce tensions at

the physiological level of the organism, while secondary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

identification takes place at a time when the individual
is becoming aware of himself as a social being in rela-
tion to others and serves to reduce tensions at the
psychological level. The importance of secondary identi—
fication in the total development of personality is
apparent when it is realized that the personality is the
sum of all the roles the individual has adopted, and the
acceptance of all roles is subsequent to and dependent
upon the adequacy of the identification of the individual
with and as a sexual being. Thus the roles adopted in the
world of social relations, such as son, husband and father,
are dependent on the sexual identification which they
imply. The male individual's functioning in his various
roles is directly related to the degree of adequacy of
the masculine identification which for the son most often
comes through his fahter. Also in the world of work, the
division of labor is most often made along lines of
sexual identification, so that most societies recognize
"man's" work and "woman's" work. Here again it is
assumed in analytic theory that interest in and adequacy
of role performance in the world of work comes as a
corollary to the strength of the sexual identification.
A more formal distinction between primary and secondary

identification follows.

 

 

 

 

16

Primary Identification

The earlier writings of Freud employed the term
"identification" to refer to the undifferentiated per-
ceptions of the young infant. The use of this term to
connote the infant's lack of distinction between himself.
and the external world has come to be called."primary
identification." The prototypical occurrence of this
phenomenon takes place with the incorporation of the
mother's breast. The reduction of physiological tensions
through the attainment of oneness with the parent is the
aim of this type of identification. The present study
does not deal with primary identification, but rather it
deals with the process of "secondary identification" as
Freud's subsequent and more frequent usage of the term

has come to be known.

Secondary Identification

Like primary identification, secondary identification
aims at the reduction of tension within the organism.
The tension at this stage of development arises from non—
physiological sources and is a product of the child's
intereaction with the ”significant others." The struggle
for biological survival has been mastered, and the child's
energies are now invested in mastering the struggle for

survival at the psychological level.

 

 

 

 

 

17

As the child develops a sensitivity to the nuances
of his relationships with "significant others," he develops
a dependence on these powerful figures (parents) for a
sense of well being. Their acceptance gives a sense of
security, and their rejection is experienced as a threat
of emotional destruction. While at this stage of develop—
ment, the young male child experiences a complex of feel—
ings centering on the mother as a desirable object of his
infantile sexuality which Freud termed the "oedipal com—
plex." The oedipal period is brought to a conclusion,
and the child is thrust into the latency period due to
the traumatic effects of threat of castration by the more
powerful male father and the growing awareness of the
woman's lack of a penis. Anna Freud (1937) described a
defense mechanism termed "identification with the
aggressor" which allows the male child to ally himself
with the aggressive, primitive socializer (i.e., father)
and thus avoid the threat of punishment by becoming one
with this powerful authority figure. The effect of the
young male's identification with his father serves to
reduce the severe anxiety arising out of the conflict
between his infantile desires and the prohibitions of

the parents or other ”moral authorities."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18

Anna Freud describes this process in the following

excerpt:

By impersonating the aggressor, assuming his
attributes or imitating his aggression, the child
transformed himself from the person threatened
into the person who makes the threat. (Anna
Freud, 1937, p. 121).

The ”oneness" in secondary identification is sought by
incorporating or introjecting the attitudes, characteris-
tics, and behavior of the aggressor. The taking over of
these attitudes and characteristics results in the forma—
tion of the superego which was described by Freud:

The external restrictions are introjected, so
that the superego takes the place of the parental
function, and thenceforward observes, guides and
threatens the ego in just the same way as parents
acted toward the child before. (Freud, 1933, p. 89).

The initial internalization of parental values and atti—
tudes is selective and one—sided, in which the harshness
and severity of the parents is taken into the superego
in preference to their kinder and more gentle character—
istics. With the growth and development of the person-
ality, the superego becomes more impersonal by becoming
more remote from the original parents. In the process,
the superego becomes less primitive and more lenient in
its modification by succeeding life experiences. The
successful resolution of the oedipus complex through a

strong and healthy identification is an integral and

necessary step in this process of superego maturation.

 

 

 

 

 

19

The fact that dientification with the same sexed parent
may be partially successful is implicit in Freud's
writings.

As stated in Chapter I, more complete or more
successful identification with the father results in cer-
tain benefits to the boy according to psychoanalytic
theory. Chief among these benefits are the resolution
of the oedipus complex with a consequent lessening of
anxiety and lessening of unconscious transference in
relationships with adults and a reduction in defensive—
ness in relationship to authority figures generally.

From the foregoing it can be seen that within the
psychoanalytic position the porcess of identification is
considered crucial to the normal development of the per-
sonality. The present study assumes that the process
of identification can be no less important to the develop—
ment of vocational interests than to the development of
personality as a whole. Some recent research has been
aimed at investigating the relationship of identification
to vocational interests, and attention will now be focused
on some findings in this area.

Identification and Vocational
Development

 

 

The traditional model of research in the area of
vocational development attempted to relate parental atti—

tudes and parental identification to specific fields of

 

 

 

 

 

2O

vocational choice. Brunkan (1966) departed from that
approach and attempted to relate the variables of
attitudes and identification to problems in vocational
choice. He tested two hypotheses relating degree of
parental identification with problems of vocational
choice. Based on Ginzberg's supposition that a high
degree of father identification would be accompanied by
problems in vocational choice, Brunkan hypothesized that
the degree of identification would be differentially
related to various vocational choice problem categories.
The categories were suggested by Crites (1963) as problems
of adjustment, indecision, and unrealism. Brunkan hypothe-
sized further that differences of degree of identification
for the various problem categories would be related to
which parent was being rated and whether the real or ideal
parent was being rated. A second hypothesis in the same
study proposed that problems of indecision would be
accompanied by a high degree of father identification,
whereas no problem in choice would be accompanied by an
average degree of father identification.

Neither hypothesis was supported, and the degree of
identification with father or mother did not vary signifi—
cantly from one problem category to another. This study
seems to be hampered in its findings by a serious methodo-
logical flaw; namely the lack of meaningful and discrete

problem categories. The categories used by Brunkan,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21

that is, adjustment, indecision, and unrealism are over—
lapping categories. In the absense of discrete cate—
gories, the analysis of variance technique employed by
the researcher remains an inappropriate methodology.

With respect to the second hypothesis, the data
failed to support the notion that vocational indecision
ould be associated with a high degree of father identi-
fication; the data actually suggested that the hypothesis
should be reversed, thus supporting the hypothesis for-
mulated in the present study. The data indicated that
the mean of the vocationally undecided subjects was lower
on father identification than the mean of the decided
group. The hypothesis was based upon Ginzberg's belief
that a high degree of identification would restrict
autonomy and therefore limit choice. Contrarily, the
present study is based on the assumption that a high
degree of identification contributed to the development
of a strong, healthy, integrated ego which served to
enhance autonomy and free choice rather than restrict it.

A different approach in assessing the influence of
identification on vocational choice was adopted by Sommers
(1956). Dealing primarily with the early and negative
aspects of identification in relation to ego functions,
he analyzed three case histories with respect to the role
that conflict in identification played in their voca—

tional choices. The common theme seen by Sommers in

 

 

 

 

 

 

22

these three cases was a defensive function played by

the vocational choice as a denial of identification with
a hated parent. In all three cases the vocational choice
was defensively motivated in a search for self esteem,
adequacy, and status.

An example of this phenomenon is seen in the case
of a young man whose occupation was that of a policeman.
This person harbored doubts that he was aggressive enough
to succeed as a policeman. A history of unsuccessful
attempts at various occupations contributed to his
feeling of being unfit for any kind of job.

Unfortunate experiences in his upbringing by his
grandparents contributed significantly to a predominately
evil image of his father. The young man was caught in
the grip of a terrifying fear that he was destined to
become just like his bad—tempered aggressive and "crazy"
father. This fear coupled with a fear of impulses
toward homosexuality drove the subject to reassure him—
self of his courage and masculinity by becoming a police-
man. The choice of this occupation was interpreted as
an attempt by this young man to cling to a highly primi—
tive and autistic ego ideal, and his whole way of life
was motivated predominately by an attempt to contradict
the fact that the fateful introjection and identifica-

tion with the father had taken place.

 

 

 

 

 

23

This case illustrates that as a defensive maneuver,
career preference can serve a variety of purposes. Among
these might be the exclusion from awareness of painful
feelings of inadequacy, imperfection and low self
esteem, rebellion against the father‘s wishes, and an
express denial of paternal identification.

Crites (1962) investigated the relationship of
parental identification and interest development using as
subjects 350 males divided into three groups (100
vocational—educational clients at a university counseling
center, 100 more vocational—educational clients as a
replication group, and 150 non—clients as a generalization
group). Crites hypothesized that the degree of parental
identification would be reflected in the interest pattern
of the offspring. Furthermore he hypothesized that
masculine and feminine dimensions of occupational inter—
est should be reflected in the students‘ interest profile
depending on the parent with which the student identified.
He suggested that interest in an area such as social work,
which embodies both masculine and feminine attributes,
would be indicative of mixed sex identification.

Finally Crites reasoned, a combination of both the sex of
the parent and the degree of identification should produce
a particular interest pattern which would reflect the
relevant interaction of masculine and feminine interests

for that individual.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24

Crites employed the Semantic Differential in
order to get ratings of "self," "father” and "mother" on
nine scales designed to assess kind, degree and pattern
of parental identification. For the same subjects
interest patterns on the SVIB were analyzed by Stephen—
son's (1961) pattern analysis technique.

His findings indicated that the degree of identifi-
cation of male subjects with their fathers was correlated
with their interest patterns on the SVIB. No correlation
was found between the degree of identification with their
mothers and those male subjects' interest patterns on
the SVIB. Crites reported in this study that strong
father identification was correlated with interests in
business detail, slight father identification was corre—
lated with high interest scores in the literary area,
and moderate father identification was associated with
interests in the physical and social sciences. The
importance of identification in relation to vocational
interests was demonstrated in the observation in this
study that as long as some identification with parents
existed, predictable interest patterns emerged.

Steimel and Suziedelis (1963) based their study on
a model which suggests that the role of identification
with parents in the development of interests is pro—
nounced. These authors tested the hypothesis that the

predominance of perceived parental influence of one

 

 

 

 

25

 

parent would be related to SVIB scores. They administered
a perceived parental influences instrument to 198 college
freshmen and sophomores in order to test their prediction
that father influenced male college students would have
different interest patterns on the SVIB than would mother
influenced students. These authors, on the basis of this
instrument, selected 8A of the 198 subjects whose responses
placed them at the extremes in terms of perceived parental
influence and found that father—influenced boys scored
higher on masculine occupations and mother—influenced

boys were higher on more feminine occupations. In addi-
tion, their findings indicated that father influenced
subjects chose to major in exact sciences, while mother
influenced subjects tended toward the liberal arts.
Although unanswered questions remain as to the exact
interpretation of Steimel and Suziedelis' data, they have
demonstrated that the perception of parental influence

is clearly related to vocational interests.

Stewart (1959) tested the hypothesis that the SVIB
scores of adolescent males are related to the degree of
their identification with their mothers. He had ninety-
seven junior and senior high school boys perform Q—sorts
about their ideal self concept, and their concept of
what they thought their mothers would prefer them to be.
Fifty-four mothers of these same subjects were available
to perform Q—sorts on their conception of what their

sons were like and how they would like them to be

 

 

 

26

ideally. Each student subject also completed the SVIB
and a brief questionnaire about vocational aspiration.
Stewart found that the student subjects' identification
with the mothers' values was associated with greater
acceptance of socially sensitive behaviors and higher
interest maturity scores. Stewart also found that a

boy's identification with his mother increased the likeli-
hood of a SVIB rejection pattern in a masculine area.

The results of the foregoing studies seem to support
the notion that identification with a parent or adult model
is important, at least indirectly, in the vocational
choice process. No direct relationships have been
demonstrated, however, and the findings of the several
studies are not always consistent. The measures of
identification employed are not powerful. In this sec—
tion an attempt has been made to present research con—
sidered to be relevant to an investigation of identifica—
tion in relation to vocational interests. In the next
section attention will be directed towards reality
orientation as a personality variable and its relation to

vocational interest development.

Realism and Vocational Interests

 

Crites (1960) hypothesized that ego strength is
related to interest patterning and to occupational
interest level. He predicted that ego strength would be

correlated with the degree to which interests are

 

 

 

 

 

27

 

patterned and also correlated with occupational interest
level. Operationally, ego strength was measured by
Barron‘s Ego Strength (Es) scale on the MMPI. Interest
patterning was determined by the number of scale scores
falling in the A, B+ and B areas on the SVIB profile
sheet. Occupational interest level was measured by the
Occupational Level (OL) scale on the SVIB. The hypothe—
sized relationship between Es and interest patterning
was supported, while the expected relationship between
Es and OL did not find support.

Another study which attempted to relate realism in
vocational choice to healthy ego functioning was con-
ducted by Small (1953). Hypothesizing that a healthy
ego would be able to delay gratification more success—
fully than a weak ego, he predicted that well adjusted
adolescent males would express realistic first occupa-
tional preferences, while the reverse would hold for
poorly adjusted boys.

Small tested this prediction on fifty pairs of
fifteen to nineteen year-old bcys matched on all signifi—
cant background features except adjustment. The hypothe-
sis was supported; the job preferences and reasons for
their selection indicated that the choices of the better
adjusted boys reflected participation in their environ—
ment, while choices of the maladjusted boys reflected

detachment from their environments, a tendency to act

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

28

out their impulses, and to have feelings of self depre-
cation. The two studies just cited, Crites (1960) and
Small (1963), may be interpreted to support the belief
that a healthy ego is one that is in contact with
reality and that this reality orientation is reflected
in inventoried vocational interests on an instrument
such as the SVIB (Crites, 1960) and is also reflected
in the stated vocational preferences of well adjusted
boys (Small, 1963).

Attention will now be directed to the Occupational
Level scale of the SVIB which was used in the present
study in relation to the Academic Achievement scale as a
means of assessing degree of realism or fantasy in voca-

tional interests.

The Occupational Level Scale

 

The Occupational Level (0L) scale was introduced by
Strong in the late 30's, and a high degree of speculation
as to its exact meaning has existed from that time to the
present. Strong constructed the scale empirically by
contrasting interests of business and professional men
with the interests of unskilled workmen. He found a
definitive progression in mean 0L scores from unskilled
through semi—skilled on up to business executives and
professionals. Strong himself was most tentative in
giving meaning to the OL scale and warned of methodologi-

cal problems in the construction of the scale involving

 

29

unreliable data and unknown sampling biases (Strong,
1943).

In 19Al Darley referred to the OL scale as a quanti-
tative statement of eventual adult level of aspiration.
He said that it "represented the degree to which the
individual's total background has prepared him to seek
the prestige and discharge the social responsibilities
growing out of high income, professional status, recog—
nition or leadership in the community” (Darley, 1941).
Darley later referred to OL as ”drive," but in 1955 he
stated that this interpretation may have been overextended.

Super and three of his students took the position
that Darley's interpretation of OL as a measure of drive
or level of aspiration is indefensible: "It has not
been demonstrated that the OL score can or cannot indicate
how much a person will exert himself to rise on the occu-
pational ladder or to succeed in his field of activity"
(Barnett, Handelsman, Stewart and Super, 1952, p. 29).
However these same authors, earlier in their same mono—
graph, said: "True, the OL scale may yet be shown to
measure drive, and we have not demonstrated that it does
not do so” (p. 26).

Barnett, in the first article of the monograph,
reported a study of 700 men, defined as chronically or
non—chronically unemployed. Non—chronically unemployed

subjects had significantly higher average 0L scores than

 

 

 

 

 

 

30

the chronically unemployed. Barnett concludes that OL
"is, in a sense, a measure of satisfaction or dissatis—
faction with a way of life" (Barnett, gt_al., 1952, p. 6).

Stewart's study, the third in the monograph, was
designed to test the hypothesis that occupational level
is, in part, a function of social background. He found
that 0L scores were slightly related to the occupational
status of maternal grandparents and to the religious
background of the family.

Holland (1959) has linked the OL score more
closely with personality by proposing that it is a function
of ones self evaluation reflecting ones status needs. OL,
in some way more implicit than explicit, is the perception
by the individual of his own level of competence and poten—
tial and his self estimate of worth with respect to others.
However, Shutz and Blocker (1961) found a low correlation
between OL and a quantitative measure presumed to reflect
self concept or self attitude. Carkhuff and Drasgow
(1966) conclude that 0L and status have not yet been
clearly shown to be related. They explain that this
state of affairs does not mean that they are definitely
unrelated, but that there may be measurement and criterion
problems to be solved before the relationship can be made
explicit.

In the 1960 study of Crites, previously cited, the

results failed to support the expected relationship between

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31

ego strength and occupational interest level. The lack
of a significant relationship between Es and 0L might be
interpreted to support the position of those who hold
that OL is a measure of status of interest, not a

measure of drive. Crites himself feels that the constel—
lation of high occupational interest level, low interest
patterning, and weak ego functions is characteristic of
clinets with vague goals who want to be in a profession
but cannot specify which one.

One fairly common interpretation of the OL which
embodies elements from all of the foregoing viewpoints
holds that this scale taps the individual's motivation to
live a particular style of life. Whether this motivation
is realistic or fantasied, reactive or proactive,
defensive or healthy remains unclear and most likely
varies with the individual case. The present study was
designed to contrast the OL scale with the Academic
Achievement (AA) scale. The AA scale is correlated with
"staying in school” and therefore gives a measure of how
willing the individual is to work to achieve his goals.
Any significant discrepancy between OL, the measure of
style of life desired, and AA, the willingness to work
toward that goal may be a measure of the extent of
fantasy. The present study was designed to explore the
possible relationship between father identification and
fantasy, and hypothesized an inverse relationship, i.e.,

fantasy increases as father identification decreases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

32

This concludes a review of literature pertinent to
the first part of this study, dealing with father identi—
fication and vocational interests. A second part of this
study was designed to assess the clients’ manner of
relating in vocational counseling, and some attention
will now be given to this concept and its measurement in
counseling research.

Clients' Manner of Relating in

Vocational Counseling and the
Concept of ”Process”

 

 

 

This section of the review of the literature is
divided into two parts. The first is intended to present
some evidence of vocational client expectations of the
counseling process, and the second part is intended to
elucidate the conception of "process" and its measurement
in counseling and psychotherapy.

Client Expectations of Counseling
Process

 

Bordin (1955) found that counselor characteristics
such as warmth, nurturance, and fatherliness were sig—
nificant variables entering into a client's choice of
counselors when these clients were seeking help with
personal—social concerns. Clients seeking information
concerning educational—vocational indecisions tended
not to assign importance to the personal characteristics
of the counselor. The results of this study might be

interpreted to mean that at least some clients seeking

 

 

 

 

 

33

vocational counseling view their indecisions as rooted
in problems external to themselves and are reluctant to
become involved in a personal counseling relationship
aimed at enhancing self understanding of ones inner
needs and motivations.

Findings similar to these were reported by Dipboye
(1951) in a study of interpersonal relationships between
counselors and clients. Dipboye investigated the impact
of variation in clients' topical units of discussion on
counselor style and found that counselors tend to respond
cognitively in interviews concerning educational-
vocational problems and to respond affectively when
personal—social problems were under consideration. It
can be inferred that the differential affective or cog—
nitive style of responding was due at least in part to
the set of the oounselees.

Grater (1964) in a study of client preferences for
affective or cognitive counselor characteristics found
that a discussion of personal problems discussed in the
first interview was associated with a client's preference
for affective qualities over cognitive qualities in the
counselor. "Knowledgeable," ”logical," ”efficient,"
"successful" were counselor characteristics preferred
by clients discussing vocational concerns, whereas "warm,"
”kind," and "accepting" were counselor qualities judged
to be more important to clients discussing personal prob—

lems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

34

An inference can be drawn from the three studies
cited above that many clients seeking vocational counsel—
ing may not wish to or expect to be involved in an inter—
personal counseling relationship. It is not clear,
however, that this is the expectation of all vocational
clients, and also it is not clear whether vocational
clients themselves may be divided according to some
variable into those who prefer to use counseling as an
interpersonal relationship and those who prefer to
deemphasize the relationship aspects of the situation and
use it more as a source of information. Information
gained from studying groups of students seeking voca-
tional counseling and divided on a variable thought to
be influential in ones manner of relating may help

clarify the differential preferences for affective or

 

cognitive counselor characteristics in a group of voca—
tional clients.

The present study used the concept of "process" in
counseling as a possible means of identifying clients
open to a personal relationship in vocational counseling
and those who were not. A discussion of the meaning and
measurement of "process” in counseling follows.

Process Conception and Measurement
in Counseling and Psychotherapy

 

 

Tracing process conception and measurement,

Gendlin (1967) underlines three characteristics of

 

 

 

 

35

client—centered counseling that make process a natural
concern of the client—centered approach of Carl Rogers.
Theoretically Rogers' client—centered counseling posits
a self propelled change process facilitated by the
therapist's awareness and response to the feeling
process in the client. A second characteristic of the
client-centered approach stresses a natural process of
positive change and growth which is a natural function of
the organism's tendency toward wholeness. A third
source of the concept is the importance assigned by
Rogers to "experience" in his theory.

The aim of therapy is to restore experience to a

 

place of primacy in the organization of the individual's
personality. Neurotic distortion arises when the atti-
tudes and values of others are the main forces shaping
the personality. The individual's own bodily experience
must be the basis for personality organization, for

value judgments, and for perceptions and reactions.

 

Therapy is the increasing use by the individual of his
ongoing experience and the gaining in congruence between
the individual's actual experiences, judgments, and
ceptions, i.e., awareness.

The chief problem then, if meaningful research is
to be performed, becomes the formulation of a method for
checking ”congruence” between awareness and experience.

But how does one measure the contents of experience in

 

 

 

 

 

 

36

order to assess increasing congruence between experience
and conceptualization in the client?

An advance in the direction of assessing process
was made by Gendlin and Zimring (1955) who viewed per—
sonality not as made up of contents (”experiences") but
as ongoing experiencing and feeling process. Gendlin
defines ”process" in counseling as "the degree to which
the individual employs directly felt experience in his
verbalization” (Gendlin and Tomilson, 1967, p. 115).
Process is the variable measured by the Relationship
Scale, a copy of which is contained in Appendix A.

For an understanding of the rationale behind the
Relationship Scale it is essential that the reader be
cognizant that verbalization does not just represent
experience, but rather verbalization is the carrying
forward of the experiencing process. The client is not
just talking about experiencing; he is experiencing!
The more the individual's experiencing is central to
his speaking and reacting, the higher he moves on the
"process continuum."

A theory of process in counseling places emphasis
not upon what the client says but upon the extent to
which his words refer to concretely felt experiencing.
This distinction describes the differences between
therapy and mere intellectualization. The crucial

variable to be measured in a theory of process is the

 

 

 

 

 

37

extent to which the individual refers inwardly to some-
thing directly felt.

The present study employed the Relationship Scale
in an attempt to demonstrate a difference in "manner of
relating” or degree of "process” of high and low male
father identifiers in relating to their male vocational

counselors.

Summary

From the foregoing review of the literature the
present investigation was designed to obviate problems
encountered in previous research and to address atten—
tion to questions not previously investigated.

The study is based on the psychoanalytic assumption
that the young male's identification with the father or
father surrogate is a crucial and necessary step in
normal personality development. The first section of the
review was intended to present evidence of the impact of
paternal identification on personality development which
can be extrapolated to vocational interest development,

a sub area of personality development.

 

Unlike some previous investigators (Brunkan, 1966;

Ginzberg, 1951; Sommers, 1956), the present study attempted

 

to focus on the healthy and positive aspects of identifi-
cation. The impact of identification on the personality
was considered from the point of normal development as

fostering strength and autonomy in the developing ego.

 

 

 

38

Evidence was presented that conflict in identifica—
tion can be detrimental to personality development
generally and to vocational interest development spe—
cifically. Thus it is recognized that vocational
interests can be an expression of participation of a
strong, healthy, integrated ego in the real world, or
alternatively can be an expression of the defensive
tactics of a weak, threatened, insecure, and self
deprecating ego seeking to avoid the painful feelings
of inadequacy, imperfection, and low self esteem.

Studies by Crites, 1962; Steimel and Suziedelis,
1963; and Stewart, 1959 were cited, and although they
did not cross validate one another in the discovery of
any direct relationships between identification and
vocational interests, and in spite of the fact that
their findings were not always consistent with one
another, it is apparent from their combined data that
parental identification is important in the development
of vocational interests.

Vocational interests as an ego function led to a

consideration of reality orientation and vocational

 

interests. Studies by Crites (1960) and Small (1963)

were reviewed which generally supported the position

 

that a healthy ego is one that is in contact with
reality. This relation between ego and reality has been

reflected in patterns of interest on the SVIB (Crites,

 

 

 

 

39

1960) and in the realistic vocational choices of well
adjusted boys in relation to maladjusted boys (Small,
1963).

Since the Occupational Level (OL) scale was used
in the present study in an attempt to relate father
identification to degree of realism or fantasy in voca—
tional interests, attention was given to the historical
development of the scale and to the various interpreta—
tions given to the scale in previous studies. No con-
sensus as to the meaning of the OL was achieved by the
various investigators, and Strong himself was most
cautious in giving any interpretation to this scale.
The bulk of the literature on the OL scale points to an
interpretation indicating a level of aspiration or the
style of life which an individual would like to live.
There is some indication that 0L is not always corre—
lated with reality factors of ability or willingness to
work towards achieving the goals. The Academic Achieve-
ment (AA) scale on the other hand is correlated with
staying in school and advancing toward a degree. The
present study hypothesized that differences between 0L
and AA might logically be ascribed to a fantasy compo-
nent. Since the previous section supported the belief
that reality in vocational interests is reflective of
good adjustment and recourse to fantasy is indicative

of poor adjustment, the present study sought to

 

Tear-4.,- U -

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

A0

demonstrate a relationship between low father identifica—
tion and a high degree of fantasy in vocational interests.
This concluded a review of the literature pertinent to
the first part of this study investigating the relation—
ship between father identification and vocational
interests.

The fourth and final section of this chapter was
divided into two parts and presented information con-
sidered pertinent to the investigation of the relation—
ship of father identification and the actual process of
vocational counseling. The first part of this section
presented findings of several authors (Bordin, 1955;
Dipboye, 1951; and Grater, l96u) concerning the expecta—

tions of clients appraoching vocational counseling.

 

Generally it was reported that clients seeking vocational
counseling in contrast to clients seeking counseling for
personal problems do not expect or wish to become
involved in an interpersonal counseling relationship.
Vocational clients are characterized as valuing "knowl-

' and "success" as qualities

edge," "logic," "efficiency,'
in their counselors, while clients seeking help with
personal problems value qualities of ”warmth," "kindness,"
and "acceptance,” in their counselors. And yet it has
been the personal observation of the author that the

distinction between the vocational client and the

personal—social client often breaks down in actual

 

 

 

 

 

 

A1

practice. A more basic psychological variable such as
parental identification may affect the manner of relat—

ing to people in general and be reflected in the way

that persons approach counseling. This difference in the
approach to counseling might be demonstrated in a
relatively homogeneous group, composed as this study is

of all vocational clients. In order to assess the clients'
manner of relating, the conception of "process" in counsel-
ing was introduced, and some discussion of its meaning

and measurement concluded this chapter.

Briefly, "process" grows out of the client centered
approach to counseling andis defined by Gendlin as "the
degree to which the individual employs directly felt
experience in his verbalizations" (in counseling) (Gendlin
and Tomilson, 1967, p. 115). Some background on the
development of this concept and the derivation of the
"Process Scale" was reported.

The foregoing chapter has presented research and
theory considered to be relevant to an investigation of
father identification and vocational interests and voca—
tional counseling. In the next chapter the methodology
and analysis to be used in testing the hypotheses of the

present study will be presented.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY AND ANALYSIS

The sections to follow include a description of the
subjects used in the study, an explanation of the pro—
cedures used in gathering the data, and information about

the instruments chosen for testing the hypotheses.

sacral:

The subjects for this study were twenty—eight
Michigan State University freshmen and sophomore, male
students who volunteered to participate in the research
from among students requesting vocational testing and
counseling at the Michigan State University (M.S.U.)
Counseling Center during fall and winter terms of the
1968—1969 academic year. No further limitations were
placed upon a subject's inclusion in the study. Back—
ground variables of age, divorced or deceased parents,
living at home or away from home were not specified as
limiting factors for inclusion in the study, and hence no
control of these variables is claimed.

Although lack of randomness in sampling procedures
as well as the limited representativeness of the popula—

tion (i.e., all subjects drawn from a single institution)

42

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

43

must necessarily limit the generality of findings, the
study was intended to have implications for vocationally
indecisive males of freshman and sophomore college stand-
ing. Thus the sample was not intended to be representa—
tive of all college students in general. It was,
however, expected that the findings of the present study
would have implications for a larger and more general
population of college students who are experiencing

problems of vocational indecision.

Procedures

Each subject included in this study was asked
during his initial interview1 by the screening counselor
if he would be willing to participate in the study.2
Each subject was informed that participation in the study
would entail approximately two and one—half hours of
testing beyond the one and one—half hours routinely used
for the administration of the Strong Vocational Interest

Blank (SVIB) and the Edwards Personality Preference,

 

lScreeninginterview is a term used synonomously
with initial interview at the M.S.U._Counseling Center.
Screening Counselor is a term used to refer to the
counselor who conducts the initial or screening inter-
View.

 

 

2A standardized form letter presented by the
screening counselor on behalf of the researchers, to the
subjects during the initial interview, and requesting
their participation in the study is contained in Appendix
B.

 

 

 

 

 

 

44

Schedule (Edwards), and also entailed his permission
to audiotape the screening and all subsequent counseling
interviews, When a subject volunteered for the study,
he was assigned by the screening counselor a battery of
five tests, Four of these tests were written tests
(Strong, Edwards, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
Inventory [MMPI] and the Leary Interpersonal Check List
[ICL]), and were routinely administered by the testing
office section of the University Counseling Center.
The fifth test, the Thematic Aperception Test (TAT),
was individually administered to all subjects, and the
responses were tape recorded by the present investigator.
The TAT was composed of the ten cards selected by Leary
(see Leary, 1957, Appendix B)a

Of the thirty—three students who initially agreed
to participate in the study, twenty—eight completed the
psychometric data required, and tape recorded interviews
were obtained on twenty—four of these same twenty-eight
subjectsa The three students who failed to complete the
required tests were given test interpretations for those
tests completed and deleted from the studya Of the
twenty—eight subjects completing the tests, two were
assigned to female counselors, and two were assigned to

male counselors not participating in the study,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

45

Consequently the number of the subjects included in this
section of the study is twenty—four.l

In the collection of the psychometric data, machine
scoring procedures were used for the scoring of regular
answer sheets of the Strong, Edwards, and the MMPI. The
directions for the ICL asked the subject to complete five
answer sheets giving ratings of impressions of "self,"
”mother," "father,” ”best friend," and "impressions I
wish to convey to others." The design of the study did
not include the use of all the data collected.2 The
following data were used in this study (a) the Strong,
(b) the ICL ratings of "father" and "self," and (0)
segments of the tape recorded counseling sessions.

The data collection extended from the second week
of fall term to the end of winter term, a period of
approximately twenty weeks. Upon completion of his
tests, each subject was routinely assigned by the
Counseling Center's normal procedure to a counselor who
had indicated his willingness to be involved in the
research. No limitations were placed on the counselors

in their counseling procedures. They were instructed to

 

1The design of the study required all subjects to
be assigned to male counselors.

2The collection of the data is intended to con—
tribute to an Educational—Vocational Research Data Bank
at the Counseling Center and to be available to other
researchers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

#6

proceed in any fashion that was normal for them with

each client but to tape record all sessions.

Instruments
Only those instruments which were used for testing
hypotheses in the present study are discussed in this
section. Rationale for the use of these instruments as
well as validity and reliability information for each

instrument is presented.

Interpersonal Check List

 

The variable of identification in this study was
measured with the Interpersonal Check List developed by
La Forge and Suczek (l955) to measure self perception and

perception of others. The instrument itself was

 

developed in conjunction with the Interpersonal System
of Personality (Leary, 1957) and is intended primarily
for measuring interpersonal behavior at Level II and at

Level V as defined in that system.

 

The present form (IV) of the ICL consists of I28
descriptive terms or phrases with eight of these items
applying to each of the sixteen variables of interper—
sonal behavior. These sixteen variables are paired and
grouped into eight behavioral categories or octants
arranged on a circular continuum or circumplex. These
octants are: managerial—autocratic, competitive—

narcissistic, aggressive—sadistic, rebellious—distrustful,

 

 

 

 

47

self effacing—masochistic, docile—dependent, cooperative—

   

over—conventional and responsible—hypernormalo An illustra-
tion of the classification of the 128 interpersonal
behaviors into the sixteen variable categories appears-in
Appendix C.

There is also an intensity dimension which is built
into the system and is derived by utilization of a four
point scale over which the eight items are distributed as

follows: one item for an intensity level which reflects "a

%"LL:~

mold or necessary amount of the trait," three items for
intensity level, two representing "moderate or appropriate
amount of the trait," three items for intensity level three
described as a "marked or inappropriate amount of the trait,"
and for intensity level four, there is one item indicating

an "extreme amount of the trait."

These four levels of intensity are represented by the
concentric circles in the illustration given in Appendix C.
The circle with variables closest to the center represent
level one intensity ranging out to level four intensity at
the outside of the circle. La Forge and Suczek (1955) have
reported a detailed description of the development and
statistical support for the Check List.

Validity.——A number of studies have been conducted
which have supported the validity of the ICL. Among
these studies is one done by Bieri and Lobeck (1961)

which attempted to study the differential influence of

 

 

 

 

 

 

'48

the variables of parental identification, religious
affiliation, and social class on the two aspects of

self concept on the ICL, dominance and love. They
reasoned that if self concept is a product of social
learning, then differences of experiences in social
learning due to variables of identification, religion,
and social class ought to be reflected in self concept.
Their chief finding indicated that identification per se
does not predict the subject's self concept, but there
was a definite tendency for upper class subjects to check
items in the managerial-autocratic, competitive—
narcissistic, and rebellious—distrustful octants which
suggests that a translation of social class position
into self concept is validly reflected on a measure such

as the ICL. The submissive and passive self conceptions

 

of lower class subjects further supports this validation
and is consistent with the findings of Hollingshead and
Redilick (1958) who reported an association between social
class and self concept.

Another study carried out by Gynther, Miller and
Davis (1962) found significant systematic relationships
between scores on the ICL and needs measured on the
Edwards. They reported a positive association between
the ICL love variable and "needs affiliation and nurturance“
on the Edwards, and a negative association between the

love variable and "needs autonomy and aggression."

 

 

 

 

49

Reliability.——Test-retest correlations which ranged
from .6N to .83, and averaging .78 for octant reliability
were reported by Leary and his co—workers in early
studies of internal consistency carried on in conjunction
with development of the ICL (Leary, 1957, p. A61). They
contend that the homogeneous nature of the sample tested
(Obesity Sample N = 77) probably rendered a conservative
estimate of internal consistency.

The rationale of the Interpersonal system postulates
a relationship among the variables on the circular con—
tinuum which is expressed as a monotonic decreasing
function of their separation. Leary (1957, p. H62)
reports average intervariable correlations which "confirm
that a roughly circular arrangement of the variables

can be used to describe their degree of relationship to

 

one another."

Armstrong (1958), whose sample included ratings by
fifty "normal" males and fifty alcoholic males of "self,"
"mother," "father," "wife," "ideal wife," and ”ideal
self" checked the reliability of the ICL. He concluded
that the ICL yields a highly significant coefficient of
internal consistency regardless of the population used,
and regardless of what is rated on the ICL, for example,
ratings of "self," "mother," and "father." The Kuder—
Richardson Formula applied by Armstrong to the twelve

ratings in his study yielded reliability coefficients

 

 

 

 

50

significant beyond the .01 level ranging from .953 to
.976. This small range of coefficients (.023) is
indicative of the high degree of similarity between the
internal consistency scores of even quite dissimilar
groups.

Rationale for use of ICL.——The choice of this instru—

 

ment was motivated primarily by its facility and demon—
strated effectiveness in measuring the variable of iden-
tification. Block (1958) compared the effectiveness of
both the Semantic Differential and an Adjective Check
List of seventy—nine adjectives developed by him for the
study, as measures of identification between the concepts
"your ideal self" and "your father" and "your mother."
His subjects were a group of sutdents of the University
of California, and he reported a correlation of .9A between
the two methods. The Semantic Differential has had wide
usage in measuring identification, but Block (1958, p.
8A) concluded that "the Adjective Check List served
just as well as a measure of identification as did the
Semantic Differential."

Another feature of the ICL which was praised by
Bentler (1956, p. 127) in Buros' Sixth Mental Measurement

Yearbook is its "abilit to assess the examinee's evalua—
y

 

tion of persons other than himself on the same dimensions
used for describing the self.” Bentler feels this is a

particularly noteworthy advance in light "of evidence

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

51

indicating the lack of agreement usually evidenced by a
variety of tests and scales presumably measuring identical
constructs" (p. 127). This factor makes the ICL a
particularly useful instrument for this type of research,
because there is a comparability of variables and dimen—
sions across categories of subjects (e.g., self, mother,
~father) being rated.

A final consideration in choosing any test which
asks the subject to rate himself, and in this case his
parents also, is the problem of a response set such as
social desirability. The ICL was designed to control
effects of the set of social desirability by building it
into the test. The intensity dimension in the scoring of
the ICL makes explicit allowance for the variable of social
desirability. The close equivalence between intensity
and social desirability has been pointed out by La Forge
and Suczek (1955). In another reference La Forge (1963)
pointed out that social desirability has been balanced
for the sixteen interpersonal categories and literally
built into the ICL:

. . . items were so chosen that every "intensity"
classification is equally represented in every
"interpersonal" classification (i.e., every
interpersonal category contains eight words or
phrases distributed 123:3:1 over the four levels
of judged intensity); in this sense the two classi—
fications are orthogonal . . .

As a result of the balance given the sixteen
interpersonal categories with respect to judged
intensity and endorsement frequencies, the

tendency to acquiesce and the tendency to
respond in an extreme or deviant way affect scores

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

52

on each of the sixteen interpersonal categories
with roughly equal force (La Frogs, 1963,
lu—lS).

Strong Vocational Interest Blank

 

The Strong Vocational Interest Blank (SVIB) is a
psychological measuring instrument which has been in use
since 1927 and was most recently revised in 1966. Strong
himself instigated the revision, but his untimely death
prevented his bringing it to a conclusion. The revision
was carried out primarily by David P. Campbell with the
assistance of Ralph Berdie and Kenneth Clark. As indi—
cated in the Publisher's Forward to the new manual
(Strong, 1966),

The revision involved recalculating all the basic

SVIB empirical data, . . . updating of items in

the booklet, expansion of the profile to include

several more scales, development of a simpler hand—

scoring system, and establishment of a new

reference group of men-in—general drawn from men

with a wide variety of professions and interest

patterns and tested over a wide time span, 1927—

196M.
Campbell comments that the revisions do not change the
use of the test in counseling. He points out that
scores on the scales are still "indicative of the
similarity between the individual's interests and those
interests characteristic of men in specified occupations”
(Campbell, 1966, p. 7A7). Campbell suggests that
interpretations continue to be based on general patterns

of scores rather than emphasizing a high score or scores

on any single scale(s). Low scale scores continue to be

 

 

 

 

 

 

53

indicative of areas where the individual would be likely
to experience little occupational satisfaction.

Reliability.--Although there is some variation with
age of subjects and time interval between testing, the
general stability of the SVIB over long periods.of time
has been well established (Strong, 1943; Campbell, 1966).
Test re-test reliabilities have been reported as ranging
from .56 (thirty year period) to .91 (two week period).
Another study by Campbell (1965) points to the statisti—
cal stability of the SVIB scales over long periods of
time. In this study the SVIB profile patterns of
Professor E. G. Boring of Harvard from 1927, 19A8 and
1965 give an impressive example of interest stability
over time.

A final consideration of stability of interests
concerns occupational groups. Do the characteristic
interests of an occupation keep changing? Three studies
(Strong and Tucker, 1952; Kreidt, 1949; McCormack, 195A)
collected new criterion groups for occupations where
scales already existed. These groups were physicians,
psychologists and social workers respectively. Although
some differences were found between the original and
new criterion groups, it was not clear how many of the
differences were due to shifts in interest within the
occupations, and how much due to the use of different

sampling methods. No differences between the original

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5n,

criterion group and another sample collected about
fifteen years later were reported in a study of per—
sonnel directors (Kreidt, Stone, Paterson, 1952).
Similar results were reported by Strong (19M9) in which
the 1930 Accountant scale still adequately represented
the interests of junior accountants. Two studies by
Campbell (1966a, 1966b), by holding sampling techniques
constant attempted to reduce the confounding of
changes due to real differences of interest in occupa—
tions over time as contrasted to changes due to dis—
similar sampling techniques. For the occupations used,
namely ministers, bankers, school superintendants and
corporation presidents, the profiles show hardly any
shifts common to all of the groups. There was a slight
tendency for all of these occupations except bankers to
show a slight increase in social service interests and
a slight decrease in scientific interests.
Validity.-—The concurrent validity of the occupa—
tional interest scales depends on their ability to dis—
tinguish members of occupational groups from men—in—
general. "Continued membership in an occupation" has
traditionally been the criterion used to establish the
concurrent validity of the SVIB scales. Satisfaction
in an occupation or success within an occupation might
seem to be more reasonable criteria for establishing

concurrent validity of the scales, but it seems valid

 

 

 

 

 

55

to assume that remaining in an occupation is in some part
accounted for by success and satisfaction. The new
manual (Strong, 1966, 33—34) presents data that indi—
cates that the scales are successful in separating
occupational groups.

Cross validation data to ensure that the methods
used in scale development are not vulnerable to chance
differences are not generally available for the SVIB
scales. The manual explains that it is wiser to use all
of the data for scale development once the method has
been proven rather than devoting a part of the data to
cross validation. The manual states that, ”The SVIB
scales have stood up well in cross validation studies,
though there is usually a mild shrinkage when the
relevant scale is applied to new samples" (Strong,

1966, p. 3“).

A second validity requirement depends on how well
the scales separate occupations from each other. Here
the scales are less effective. This fact, however, can
be attributed to a similarity of interests between some
occupations and need not be a reflection of poor validity.
That scales could be developed to differentiate between
occupational groups is not disputed, but they would have
the disadvantage of concealing similarities between
occupations. The exact nature of these similarities is

unknown at the present time. When efforts have been made

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

56

to partial out the overlap,entirely different groupings
have emerged.

Predictive Validity.——If the SVIB is to be a useful

 

tool in counseling and research, the test must possess a
reasonable degree of predictive validity. That the SVIB
possesses predictive validity and does predict future
occupational choices from present interest scores was
supported by a study reported by Strong (1955) in an
eighteen year follow—up of 633 Stanford University stu—
dents. There was a high degree of agreement between
interest scores obtained in 1927—1930 and positions held
in 1949. Of all those with A ratings on the physicians
scale at the time of the original testing, eighty per
cent had become physicians or had entered occupations
whose interests correlate .50 or higher with those of
physicians. Looking at the data a different way reveals
that scores obtained by those 633 students on their "own"
eventual occupational scales predicted fairly accurately
the occupations the students would be engaged in eighteen
years later. The data indicated that students with an
A+ rating on any scale had a likelihood of eighty—eight
chances out of one hundred of being employed in that
occupation eighteen years later. This expectancy ratio,
it should be noted, is a conservative estimate because

it does not take into account those subjects who entered

closely related occupations where the interests are

 

 

 

 

 

 

57
highly correlated with the occupational scale in which

high scores had been obtained earlier.

Rationale for Use.-—The SVIB has a distinguished

 

history of research and has a demonstrated utility as a
tool in rendering vocational counseling. The instrument
was judged appropriate for vocational counseling and
research with the subjects of this study.

One area of research in which application of the

SVIB has not been plentiful and in which additional work

 

is needed, deals with the range and intensity of interests.
David Campbell mentions this as an area in which further
research ought to be carried on with the SVIB (Strong,
1966, p. 50).

Finally the SVIB was considered especially appro—

priate for a study of this nature due to the empirical

 

nature of occupational scales. The test, by being con-
structed with an external referent, has the advantage of

tying its constructs to the real world. This is advan—

 

tageous in attempting to measure psychological processes
such as identification, the nature of which is logical
and hypothetical.

At this point attention will be directed to the
third instrument used in the second part of this study,

viz, the Gendlin Manner of Relating Scale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

58

The Relationship Scale

The 1963 revision of a scale written by Eugene T.
Gendlin and Marilyn Geist was based on a strand of the Pro—
cess Scale by A. W. Walker, R. A. Rablen and C. R. Rogers
(1960), is used in the second part of this study to measure
the clients' manner of relating to his vocational counselor.
The process conception in counseling and therapy and its.
measurement has been reviewed in Chapter II and attention now
is given to the validity and reliability studies doen on the
Process Scale which logically apply to the Relationship
Scale also.

On the basis of the theory regarding experiencing out—
lined in Chapter II Rogers (1958), through naturalistic ob—
servation, endeavored to identify the elements significant
in change. The result was a "Process Scale" (Rogers and
Rablen, 1958) which consists of seven variables or strands
each described by seven stages. The Relationship Scale is
based on one of these strands.

Validity and Reliability.—-The data for some initial

 

informal studies were segments of interviews, and the cri—
terion adopted was the clinical judgment that movement had
occurred in the particular case being studied. These pro—
cedures led to a substantially improved scale which Walker,
Rablen and Rogers (1959) used to rate twenty—four segments
taken from two early and two late interviews of six cases.
Measures of outcome on these cases had already been ester—

nally rated and provided a basis for an initial statement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

59

regarding the scale's validity. Correlations between the
ratings of these segments in a randomly presented order made
by two judges yielded a coefficient of .83, and the inde-
pendent ratings of these judges correlate .89 (rho) with the
externally rated outcome. These findings were given a dual
interpretation which suggested that strands of the Process
Scale described behavior which could be reliably rated and
which appeared to be associated with other external criteria
of improvement.

Tomlinson (1959) in his masters research at the Univer—
sity of Wisconsin chose 360 segments of varying length from
forty interviews of twenty cases, nine segments from each
interview, eighteen segments from each case. By external
criteria ten cases were judged more successful and ten cases

less successful, and early and late interviews of more suc—

 

cessful cases were matched with corresponding interviews of
less successful cases. Ratings of three judges yielded
reliability coefficients ranging from .47 to .63, and the
results showed no clear difference between process scores of
earlier and later interviews regardless of rated outcome.
Tomlinson suggested that the matching procedure in his
methodology may have distorted the evidence of significant
change in individual cases.

On the other hand the results of this study did show
Significant differences between process scores of the two
groups, the higher ratings being associated with the more

successful cases. The significance was attributed entirely

——— _ I

 

 

 

60

to the different starting points of the more successful and
less successful cases, indicating that the successful client
enters therapy at a higher level of process than the less
successful client.

Hart (1961) sought to identify optimal circumstances
for reliable ratings with the Process Scale. When used by
experience raters under optimal conditions, he found that the
scale had an interrater reliability ranging from .72 to .95.
Combinations of both tape and typescript units rather than
either alone, and non time—limited ratings were found to be
optimal conditions contributing significantly to higher
reliabilities.

An interjudge reliability check on the raters for the
present study was performed, and a reliability coefficient
of .85 was established, which compares favorably to the
reliability of this scale established under optimal condi—
tions. A description of the procedures used and the computa-
tions of the interjudge reliability for this study follows.

Procedures for Acquiring Data on Clients‘ Manner of

 

Relating.——As mentioned earlier it was planned that the
screening and all subsequent counseling interviews of the

subjects would be tape—recorded. The data for the second

part of this study were obtained by training two ratersl to

rate three randomly presented five—minute segments from the

1The raters were two first year interns in the M.S.U.
Counseling Center who were considered to have a high
degree of knowledge of counseling process and to be sensi-
tive to the nuances of personal relationship by virtue of
their advanced training.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

beginning, middle, and end of the total length of counsel—
ing for each subject (N=24). Total number of taped sessions
for the subjects ranged from one to seven. The three five—
minute segments for each subject were taken from the
original tapes according to a prearranged scheme. They

were placed on specially prepared tape for purposes of
rating. Segments for presentation to the raters were re—
corded in a random fashion. Before the rating of the seg—
ments from the regular counseling sessions was begun, train—

ing tapes were prepared by drawing five minute segments from

 

already existing tapes in the Educational—Vocational and
Personal—Social research libraries of the M.S.U. Counseling
Center. The training of the raters consisted of the two
raters along with this researcher and his research supervisor
listening to ten five—minute segments. Practice ratings

were given by the two raters, and a discussion of their
ratings followed. Two more praCtice tapes were prepared and

rated independently by the raters. A reliability check of

 

these ratings computed by Hoyt‘s Analysis of Variance
established a coefficient of reliability at .8521 on these
fifteen segments. The computation of this reliability
coefficient is present in Table l.

Rationale for Use of Relationship Scale.——This scale

 

was conceptualized and constructed for the purpose of assess—
ing a client’s manner of relating to his counselor within a
client—centered milieu. The typical mode of operation at

the M.S.U. Counseling Center and particularly with reference

 

 

 

 

62

TABLE l.——Results of Hoyt's Analysis of Variance for two
independent raters on the Relationship Scale.

 

 

 

 

df ss s2

Segments lit 30.2 2.1517 (82R)
Raters l .033
Error 14 H.466 .319 (82E)

TOTAL 29 3A.?

2 2

Ptt = S r E S e = 2.15 - .319 = .8521

J S P 2.15

to the counselors used in this study can be aptly termed

client—centered or relationship oriented. The instrument

 

was therefore judged to be particularly well suited to
measure the manner of relating to their counselor of the

subjects included in this study.

Statistical Hypotheses and Analysis

 

This study, by the nature of the data to be analyzed,
divided itself into two principal parts. The first part
dealt with the variable of father identification and
attempted to relate that variable to vocational interests
in their range, intensity and types, and degree of realism,
all of the latter being defined in terms of psychometric
data on the SVIB.

The second part of the study, based on the same sub—
jects attempted to relate father identification to

"process" or "relationship” in vocational counseling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

63

The raw data for measuring the dependent variable
("prOCGSS") in this part of the study comes from the
tape recorded counseling interviews. All twenty—four
subjects for this part of the study were assigned to
male counselors for the purpose of investigation of the
relationship between the way a college male identifies
with his father and relates with his male vocational
counselor.

The independent variable, father identification,
was measured as a composite distance score between "Self"
and "Father" on the Leary Interpersonal Check List when
plotted on a two dimensional circumplex (Dominance and
Love) according to the methodology outlined by Leary
(1956). Range, intensity and types of interest were
measured by objective pattern analysis of the SVIB after
the method outlined by Stephenson (1961). An alternative
method of using deviation scores from the mean of the
various occupational scales in the present sample as a
measure of intensity of interests was rejected as inap—
propriate in light of the psychometric properties of the
SVIB. Tyler (1955) has warned against such a faulty
interpretation of scale scores on the Strong, advising
that they indicate the direction of interests but not the
amount.

An assumed measure of fantasy derived as a dis—

crepancy score between the OL (Occupational Level) and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

64

AA (Academic Achievement) scales of the SVIB was used
in this study. As indicated in Chapter II, the exact
meaning of the OL scale is uncertain. The literature
revealed that it was in some way indicative of level of
aspiration, and very possibly indicative of the style
of life to which the subject aspires. Small (1953)
suggested that the student with a high OL score and a
flat profile is the one who aspires to a professional
way of life with no clear conception of what that pro—
fession ought to be. The AA scale, on the other hand,
is empirically related to a student's staying in college
and progressing towards an academic degree. For purposes
of this study it is being interpreted as a measure of
how willing the subject is to work towards the realiza-
tion of his occupational goal. If OL is a measure of the
style of life the subject fantasizes or would like to
achieve, and AA is a measure of his realistic striving
toward that goal, any discrepancy in the direction of

0L being higher than AA gives a measure which will be

interpreted in this study as fantasy.

Hypotheses
The review of the literature led to a restatement
of the research hypotheses, originally presented in

Chapter I. The hypotheses were cast into the following

statistically testable forms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2a:

65

Males who are more highly identified with their
fathers will have more intense occupational
interests than low father identifiers.

No difference will be found in intensity of
vocational interests as measured by the mean
number of primary, secondary and reject patterns
between the high and low father identifiers.

Symbolically: H : M = M2

0 1
Legend; Ml = high father identifier group mean;
M2 = low father identifier group mean.

The high father identifier group mean score on a
measure of interest intensity will exceed that of
the low father identifier group.

Symbolically: H : M > M

1a 1 2
Legend: M1 = high father identifier group mean;
M2 = low father identifier group mean.

Males who are more highly identified with their
fathers will manifest a wider range of interests
than low father identifiers.

No difference will be found in the range of
interests as measured by the relative frequencies
of primary and secondary patterns of interest
between the high and low father identifiers.

Symbolically: HO : Fl = F2
Legend: Fl = Pattern frequencies for high
father identifiers;

F2 = Pattern frequencies for low
father identifiers.

The frequency of primary and secondary patterns of
interest for high father identifiers will exceed
that of low father identifiers.
Symbolically: H2a ; F1 > F2
Legend; F1 = frequencies for high father
‘ identifiers
F = frequencies for low father
identifiers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3a:

 

66

Males who are low father identifiers will show
more intense interest in the social service and
cultural occupations than high father identifiers.

No difference will be found in intensity of
interests for social service and cultural occupa—
tions as measured by the relative frequencies of
primary and secondary patterns of interest in
these two areas betweeen the high and low father
identifiers.
Symbolically: HO : Fl = F2

Legend; Fl = pattern frequencies for high

father identifiers;

F = pattern frequencies for low
father identifiers.

The frequency of primary and secondary patterns of
interest in the social service and cultural occu—
pations for low father identifiers will exceed the
frequency of these patterns for high father identi-
fiers.

Symbolically: H3a: Fl < F2

Legend: F = pattern frequencies of high
father identifiers;

"-11
II

pattern frequencies of low
father identifiers.

Males who are high father identifiers will manifest
a higher degree of realism in their occupational
interests than low father identifiers.

No difference will be found in the degree of
fantasy as measured by the mean discrepancies
between the Occupational Level (0L) and the
Academic Achievement (AA) scales of the SVIB
for high and low father identifiers.

(OL — AA) (0L - AA
Symbolically: H ; Z 1 Z )2

0 N1 — N2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hu

a.

6'7

ZiOl—AA)1
Legend: -——-fi———+ = mean discrepancy score for
1 high father identifier;
Z(OL—AA)9
——~—N——~; = mean discrepancy score for
2 low father identifiers.

The mean discrepancy score of males who are low
father identifiers on a measure of fantasy will
exceed that for the high father identifiers.

2(OL—AA)1 2(OL -AA)2

 

Symbolically: HAa: N — N < O
l 2
2(OL—AA)1
Legend: ——-—¢N-: = mean discrepancy score
1 for high father identifier;

2(OL-AA)2
—«—~N*-—v = mean discrepancy score
2 for low father identifier.

Males who are high father identifiers will relate
more affectively to their male vocational counselors
than low father identifiers.

No difference Will be found in the manner of relating
as measured by mean ratings 0: counseling inter—
views between high and low father identifiers.
Symbolically; HO: M1 a M2

Legend: M1 = mean ratings for high identifiers;

M2 = mean ratings for low identifiers.

The high identifier group mean score for ratings on
a measure of relationship will exceed that of the
low identifiers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Symbolicall

H
Legend: M = group mean for high father
identifiers;

M2 = group mean for low father
identifiers.

Analysis

The null form of hypotheses one, four and five were
tested for significant differences by Student‘s t test.
Since all of these hypotheses were directional, one—
tailed tests were used. The level of significance was
set at the .05 level for the testing of all hypotheses
in this study.

The null form of hypotheses two and three were
tested for significant differences in the distribution

of patterns of interest by the X2 statistic.

Summary

This chapter presented a description of the samples
used in the two parts of this study. The procedures for
gathering the data were presented along with reliability
and validity information on the instruments used in
measuring the variables pertinent to the study. A
rationale for the use of each instrument was presented.
Statistical hypotheses for the purpose of testing the

research hypotheses presented in Chapter I were presented,

and the appropriate statistical analysis of the data

for testing these hypotheses was stated.

 

 

 

 

69

Methodologically the study is divided into two
parts. The first part is based on a sample of twenty—
eight subjects who volunteered to participate for the

research at the time of their initial contact with the

M.S.U. Counseling Center. All subjects were male freshmen

and sophomores seeking vocational testing and counseling.
Originally thirty—one subjects volunteered for the study.
Three of these original subjects failed to complete the

necessary testing and therefore could not be included in

the study.

The first part of the study was designed to test
hypothesized differences in intensity, range, realism and

types of vocational interests between high and low father

identifiers.

The twenty—eight subjects were divided on the
independent variable of father identification into two

categories designated as high father identifiers and low

father identifiers. The division was made on the basis

of descriptions of father and self on the Leary Inter—

personal Check List (ICL). The Check List yields a com—

posite score of the two dimensions of Dominance and
Love which can be plotted on a circumplex after the

manner of Leary (1956). Relative distance of self from

father operationally defines whether the subject identi—
fies more highly or less highly with father in this

study. Predictions of intensity, range, realism, and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

70

fl

types of interest are made in the first part of this
study based on psychoanalytic theory and previous

research findings.

The specific operationalized predictions and their
manner of analysis were:

1. High father identifiers will show more intense
patterns of interest. Operationally this
means that high father identifiers will show
a greater frequency of primary, secondary
and reject patterns by objective pattern
analysis of the SVIB than their low father
identifying counterparts. A t test was used
to test the null form of this hypothesis.

2. Father identifiers would show a greater range
of interests reflective of better social
adjustment and interest in the real world.

A x2 test was used to test for statistically
significant difference in the distribution of

primary and secondary patterns for the two
groups.

3. Low father identifiers will have significantly
more primary and secondary patterns in the
social service and cultural interest groups
on the SVIB. A X2 test was used in the analysis
of the statistical hypothesis derived from
this prediction.

The difference between the Occupational Level
Scale (OL) and the Academic Achievement Scale
(AA) (OL — AA) will be higher for the low
father identifier and will be reflective of
less realism and more fantasy in the voca—
tional interests of the low father identifier.
A t test for difference between means was
used to test the statistical hypothesis.

The second part of this study was based on twenty—
four of the twenty—eight subjects used in the first part
of the study for whom tape recorded counseling sessions
were available.

The subjects for this part of the study

remain divided into the two categories of high and low

_;l

 

 

 

 

 

71

father identification, the independent variable. Based
on the psychoanalytic theory of oedipal resolution and

reduction of castration anxiety, the following hypothesis
was formulated.
5. High father identifiers will enter into a
closer personal relationship with their
male vocational counselors than will the
low father identifiers. A t test for a
difference between means was used to test

for significance of the statistical
hypothesis

The dependent variable, i.e., the client‘s manner

of relating was measured by the "Relationship Scale" (see

Appendix A) revised by Gendlin and based on a strand of

the "Process Scale" of Rogers et a1. (1958). This scale

is designed for measuring the clinet‘s manner of relating

to his counselor within the client—centered milieu. The
raw data for the dependent variable consisted of the

tape recorded counseling sessions. Three five minute

segments taken from the beginning, middle and end of
total taped counseling sessions on each subject were
presented to two raters trained in the use of the

"Relationship Scale.” A post—training, pre—experimental

check of interrater reliability for these two raters on
an independent sample of fourteen segments yielded a

correlation of .85.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER IV

RESULTS

This chapter presents an analysis of the data and
reports findings of the hypotheses tested. Each hypothe-
sis is restated, the findings relevant to each hypothesis

are presented, and conclusions are drawn.

Preparation of the Data

Identification Score

The initial procedure in the preparation of the
data involved the acquisition of identification scores
by deviating each subject‘s response to his self
concept on the summary scores of Love and Dominance
from his response for his father. In this manner it was
possible to rank order the subjects from high to low on
the variable of father identification by computing D—
scores and listing them from smallest to largest. A
median dichotomized the list; the subjects above the
median were considered as high father identifiers;

those below the median were considered low father

identifiers (see Appendix D, Table 8 for a tabulation

of D—scores).

72

 

 

 

 

 

73
Interest Patterns

The next step in the preparation of the data
involved the pattern analysis of the Strong Vocational
Interest Blank (SVIB) profiles for each subject accord—
ing to the objective method outlined by Stephenson
(1961). The frequencies of primary, secondary, reject,

and unclassified patterns were tabulated for each

subject (see Appendix D, Table 9).

Fantasy Measure

The score on this measure was computed for each
subject by taking the difference between the Occupational
Level (OL) and Academic Achievement (AA) scales, sub—

tracting AA from OL (see Appendix D, Table 9).

Relationship Score

The final procedure in the preparation of the data
involved the computation of a relationship score for each
subject. A representative score on the "Relationship
Scale" for each subject was obtained by averaging the
two overall ratings for each subject by two raters. The
overall rating was chosen by the author as the most
representative of the three ratings of each subject by
each rater. In all cases the score chosen was either a

median or a mode (see Appendix D, Table 11 for tabulation

of ratings for all subjects on the ”Relationship Scale").

 

 

 

 

 

 

7L:

This completed the preparation of the data for the
testing of the hypotheses. All of the hypotheses were
tested for significance at the .05 level by a one-tailed
test.

Test of Hypothesis One

1: Male subjects who score higher on a measure
of father identification will score higher
on a measure of interest intensity.

The hypothesis was cast into the form of the

following null hypothesis which predicts that:

HO: There is no difference in the mean number of

primary, secondary and reject patterns
revealed by an objective pattern analysis of
the SVIB profile sheets for both high and
low father identifiers.

A t test was used to test the significance of the
difference between the mean number of patterns for both
groups. A 3 value of .7 revealed that the means for the
two groups were not significantly different, and the null
hypothesis was accepted. The high and low father identi—
fiers as defined in this sample did not differ signifi-
cantly on a measure of interest intensity. The results
of the analysis are presented in Table 2.

An inspection of the raw data presented in

Appendix D, Table 2 indicates a remarkable similarity in

the mean number of primary, secondary, and reject
patterns for all twenty—eight subjects regardless of

degree of father identification. It might be concluded

 

 

 

 

 

75

from this that intensity of interests as measured by the
SVIB is not a critical variable differentiating high

and low father identifiers. Some further questions

raised by these findings and a discussion of the impli—
cations of the results reported will be offered in

Chapter V.

TABLE 2.-—t test of significance between high and low
father identifiers on a measure of interest intensity.

 

 

 

 

Father Measure of Intensity
Identification
Group E SD F t Signifi—
ratio value canoe
Level
High (N = 14) 7.07 1.8
85* .7 n.s.*

Low (N = 14)

 

*

Not significant. A 3 value of 2.16 for thirteen
degrees of freedom is required for a significant differ—
ence at the .05 level.

Test of Hypothesis Two
H2: High father identifiers will have a wider
range of interests than low father identi-
fiers as revealed by objective pattern
analysis of the SVIB.
Operationally this hypothesis was intended to
predict a difference in the distribution of interest

patterns for the two groups defined as high and low on

 

 

 

 

 

father identification. Specifically it was meant to
predict that high father identifiers would show interests
in more areas than low father identifiers. The areas
defined were arrived at by grouping the occupational
scales on the SVIB profile sheet. The null hypothesis

which was formulated to test this hypothesis predicts

that:

HO: There are no differences in the distribution
of primary and secondary patterns across five
occupational categories for high and low
father identifiers.

The five occupational categoreis used were as

follows:

Category (1) was a combination of groups I and II
on the SVIB profile sheet and is used here to mean
scientific interests either physical or biological.

Category (2) is a combination of groups III and IV
appearing on the SVIB profile sheet and as used here
refers to interests in technical supervision or the
technical and skilled trades.

Category (3) is a combination of SVIB profile
sheet groups V and VI and combines social service and
cultural interests, both of which are regarded as
weighted with interest in the more "feminine" occupa—
tions in our culture.

Category (4) is a combination of SVIB profile
sheet groups VII and VIII which comprises the scales

measuring interests in business and business detail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

77

Category (5) consists of the scales comprising
groups IX and X on the SVIB profile sheet which indicates
interests in the verbal—linguistic-persuasive occupations,
for example salesman or lawyer.

Group XI on the profile sheet is comprised of a
single scale and was eliminated from the present analysis.
Chi-square was used to test for significance in

the range of interests between high and low father
identifiers over the five categories. The findings are

summarized in Table 3.

TABLE 3.—-Chi—square test of significance between the
interests of high and low father identifiers.

 

 

 

Occupational Primary and Secondary Chi— Signifi—
Interest Patterns square canoe
Categories High Low Value Level
Ident. Ident.

1 (Scientific) 5 4 .10 n.s.*
2 (Technical) 10 4 2.60 .11
3 (Social service

Cultural) 7 9 .66 n.s.
4 (Business) 7 5 .32 n.s.
5 (Verbal—

Linguistic—

Persuasive) 6 8 .30 n.s.

 

*Not significant; overall Chi—square = 3.98 > .05.

 

 

 

 

 

 

78

The overall chi—square analysis revealed that there
was no significant differences in the ranges of interests
of high and low father identifiers in this sample. There
was one very definite trend apparent in the high propor—
tion of father identifiers in relation to low father
identifiers in Category II, the technical and Skilled
trades interest areas. The analysis indicates that the
value of Chi—square approach significance between high
and low father identifiers in the technical and skilled
trades occupational interest category. Subjects with
primary or secondary patterns in this group were more
likely (2.5 to 1) to be highly identified with their
fathers. This finding, along with the findings of
Hypothesis I may indicate that ”types of interest" is a
more critical variable differentiating high and low father

identifiers than intensity or range of interests.

Test of Hypothesis Three

H : Male subjects who score lower on a measure of
3 father identification will show more interests
in the social service and cultural areas than
subjects scoring higher on father identifica—

tion.

In a general way this hypothesis was formulated in

order to study possible differences in the types of

occupational interests of high and low father identifiers.

Factor analyses of the M—F scale on the SVIB have revealed

that the Feminine end of this continuum is heavily

Weighted in favor of social service and cultural interests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

79

Stereotypes of occupations within our culture have also
generally considered the social service and cultural
interests to be of a "feminine" nature. Thus male
subjects with a faulty sense of masculine identity,
possibly due to poor father identification, could be
expected to show interests in one, the other or both
social service and cultural type activities. The null
hypothesis which was formulated in order to test this
hypothesis predicts that:

HO: There is no difference in the distributions
of interest patterns of high and low father
identifiers in the social service, cultural
or combined social service—cultural areas
as measured by objective pattern analysis
of the SVIB.

The results of the chi—square analysis of the data

testing this hypothesis are summarized in Table 4.

The results of the analysis summarized in this
table indicate that there is a marked trend, though not
a significant difference, in the proportion of high and
low father identifiers who manifest interest in the
social service and cultural areas. The findings, though
not statistically significant, are in the direction pre—
dicted, namely that a greater proportion of high father
identifiers would reject interest in the social service
and cultural areas, while a greater proportion of low

father identifiers would manifest interest in these areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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81

Taken separately, social service interest would
appear to be a more critical variable differentiating high
and low father identifiers than cultural interest.
Possible differences between high and low father identi—
fiers in the cultural interest areas seem to be obscured
by the overwhelming tendency for both groups in this
study to obtain reject or unclassified patterns in this
area. Actually twice as many low fahter identifiers as
high father identifiers obtained primary and secondary
patterns in the cultural interest category, but the
number of subjects involved (6) was hardly enough to be
little more than suggestive of a possible trend.

An overall chi-square analysis of the combination
of the two interest areas, social service and cultural,
indicated a nearly significant (.10>p>.05) difference in
the proportions of high and low father identifiers.
This might suggest that a combination of cultural and
social service interest is a more powerful indicator of
low father identification than interests in either area
alone.

In summary, the data, though not supporting a
statistically significant difference, do suggest the.
likelihood that subjects with interests in the social
service area or combined social service—cultural areas
are less likely to be highly identified with their

fathers than subjects showing no interest or indifference

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

82

 

in this area. A larger number of subjects might have
supported the same conclusion_for the cultural area
also, and at the very least this conclusion was not
contradicted in this study. Further discussion of these

findings will be deferred to Chapter V.

Test of Hypothesis Four

 

H4: Subjects who score low on a measure of
father identification will score signifi—
cantly higher on a measure of fantasy than
subjects scoring higher on father identifi—
cation.

The null hypothesis which was formulated for testing

this hypothesis predicts that:

HO: There is no difference between the means of
high and low father identifiers on a measure.
of fantasy.

The measure of fantasy used in this study was
defined as a discrepancy between the Occupational Level
(OL) scale and the Academic Achievement (AA) scale on
the SVIB. The relationship of OL to AA as a measure of
fantasy is a non—validated construct and was included
in this investigation for exploratory purposes. The
literature cited in Chapter II concerning the meaning of
the OL scale pointed to the ambiguity which continues to
characterize the interpretation of this scale.

The t test results indicated that the means of the

OL-AA discrepancy scores, while not significant at the .05

level, did differentiate between the high and low father

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

82

u

identifiers at the .10 level of significance. These

results are summarized in Table 5.

TABLE 5.--E test of significance between high and low
father identifiers on a measure of fantasy.

 

 

Father Measure of Fantasy Signifi—
Identification canoe
Gr0”“ —

Mr X SD S _, F t Level

DX Ratio Value

 

High (N = 14 15.92 21.68
4.47 2.32* 1.77 .10

Low (N = 14) 8.0 9.33

 

*
Not significant

While the results fail to be significant at the .05
level, significance of difference at the .10 level between
high and low father identifiers on the mean discrepancy
scores between OL and AA does suggest that this trend
needs further attention. The interpretation of results
of this hypothesis within the structure of this present
study remains indeterminate, since the near significant
relationship was opposite the predicted direction. The
results indicate, contrary to prediction, that for this
sample the high father identifiers received a greater
mean discrepancy score between 0L and AA than the low
father identifiers. The hypothesis about the relative

degree of fantasy in the occupational interests of high

 

 

 

 

 

 

8A

and low father identifiers may need to be revised or a
new interpretation given to the discrepancy between 0L

and AA. More will be said about this in Chapter V.

Test of Hypothesis Five
H5: §ubjects who score higher on a measure of
lather identification will score signifi—
cantly higher on a scale measuring "process"
or ”manner of relating" in counseling than
low father identifiers.
The null hypothesis predicts that:
HO: There is no difference between the mean
ratings of high and low father identifiers
on the "Relationship Scale."*
The first step in testing this hypothesis was to
arrive at a single rating on the "Relationship Scale"
for each subject. Six ratings were obtained on each of
twenty—four of the original twenty-eight subjects in
this study, for whom taped counseling sessions were
available. The ratings were made by two raters trained
in the use of the "Relationship Scale." Three ratings
on each subject were made by each rater. The most
representative of these three ratings was taken as the
single rating by each rater for each subject. The rating
most often taken was a modal rating, but when no modal
rating was available, the median was taken. Thus a
subject with a A—3-A rating pattern was rated as a A,
but a 2—3—A rating pattern was rated as a 3. The inter—
e single measures for the two

rater reliability on thes
_____________,___fl__

*See Appendix A for illustration of this scale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

85

raters :n all twenty—four subjects was computed by
Hoyt’s Analysis of Variance at .92. A summary of this

analysis is presented in Table 6.

TABLE 6.——Hoyt's Analysis of Variance for computation of
inter—rater reliability for two raters on the "Relation-

 

 

ship Scale."
Source d.f. Sum of Squares Variance
,. 1012 2310A _ 2
Ratings 23 ‘T - m - 24.67 (SSR) 1.07 (S R)

 

 

 

1155“ 2310A _ 2
Raters l __2F— — 2—§_2E — .08 (880) .08 (S C)
2
Error 23 3U.67—24.67-.08 = 9.02 (SSE) .392(S E)
2310A _
Total “7 501.6 - m - 34.67
2 2
S R — S E
Reliabilit R = —v—————w— = .92
5’ tt S2R
Reliability = .92

Following the establishment of inter—rater reli—
ability, the two separate single measures from the two
raters on each subject were averaged to produce a single

score for each subject.

 

 

 

 

 

 

86

The null hypothesis that the mean ratings for high
and low father identifiers would not differ was tested
by a t test, and the null hypothesis was accepted. The
high and low father identifiers did not differ on their
mean scores on the "Relationship Scale." The results

are summarized in Table 7.

TABLE 7.——t test for significance between means of high
and low father identifiers on the "Relationship Scale.”

 

 

Father Signifi-
Identifi- _ F t cance
cation X S — . Level
Group DX Ratio d.f. Value
High
N = 12 3.16 .

.19 1.64 11 .47 n.s.*
Low
N = 12 3.25

 

*
Not significant at the .05 level of significance.

An inspection of the raw scores for the two groups.
on the "Relationship Scale" indicates a slight trend for
more low father identifiers to score 2.5 or below on the
scale (see Appendix D, Table 11). Twice as many low
father identifiers as high father identifiers fell into
this category. The proportion of high and low fathers
scoring 3.5 or above was the same. Although the number

.of subjects involved was very small, it might be a very

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

87

slight indication that low father identifiers are more
likely to reject a personal relationship with their
male vocational counselors. This possibility, however

can be offered only most tentatively from the data.

Summary of Results
All of the hypotheses in the study were tested

for significance at the .05 level. Hypothesis one and
two which predicted differences in intensity and range
of interests for high and low father identifiers were
not supported by an analysis of the data. High and

low father identifiers did not differ significantly on

 

measures of intensity and range of interests. The
results at this point seem to suggest that types of
interest rather than intensity or range of interests are
a more significant variable differentiating high and low
father identifiers.

In the analysis of range of interests the overall
range of primary and secondary patterns over five occupa—
tional groupings: scientific, technical, social service,
cultural, business and verbal—1inguistic—persuasive did
not significantly differentiate high and low father
identifiers. One group of identifiers was as likely as
the other to score primary or secondary patterns in
any of these areas. However, a difference within one
area did appear. In the technical and skilled trades,

occupational interest area it became apparent that

IIIIIIIIIIIIII'll-Illlll---______i

 

 

 

 

 

88

subjects with primary or secondary patterns were much
more likely (2.5 to 1) to be highly identified with
their fathers.

Hypothesis three which predicted that low father

identifiers would show significantly greater interests

 

in the social service and cultural areas was not supported.
by a statistical analysis of the data. The data,

however, indicated a strong trend in the direction pre—
dicted for low father identifiers to score proportion-
ately more primary and secondary patterns and propor—

tionately fewer reject and unclassified patterns in

 

social service area than the high father identifiers.
Both groups, high and low, on father identification

overwhelmingly tended to obtain reject and unclassified

 

patterns in the cultural interest area. A chi—square
analysis indicated that low father identifiers in this
sample were just as likely as high father identifiers

to score reject or unclassified patterns in the cultural
interest area. Twice as many low father identifiers as
high father identifiers scored primary and secondary
patterns in the cultural interest area, which was as
predicted, but the number of subjects (6) involved was
too small to be more than slightly indicative of a
possible trend. A larger sample might indicate a signifi-
cant difference between the patterns of interest of high

and low father identifiers in the cultural interest area.

 

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII-Illllll---_______i

 

 

 

89

The combination of social service and cultural
interests differentiated high from low father identifiers
beyond the .10 level. A larger sample may have produced
the required level of significance. These data might be
interpreted to mean that the combination of cultural and
social service interest may be a significant variable
differentiating high and low father identifiers, and
that the combination of these interests may be more
effective than either social service or cultural interests
taken independently.

Hypothesis four which predicted a larger discrepancy
score between 0L and AA as an assumed measure of fantasy
was not supported at the .05 level of significance but
was found to be significant at the .10 level in the direc—
tion opposite the prediction.

The results of the analysis of hypothesis five
indicated that contrary to prediction there was no sig-
nificant difference between high and low father identi—
fiers in their manner of relating to their male voca—
tional counselors. The prediction that high father
identifiers would achieve a significantly higher mean
score on the ”Relationship Scale" than low father
identifiers was not supported by an analysis of the data.
There was no noticeable trend for high and low father
identifiers to score differentially on the "Relationship

Scale."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

90

A discussion of these results along with some
possible explanations and suggestions for further

research will be presented in the following chapter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS

AND IMPLICATIONS

Freud characterized the fully functioning person
I as one who could love and work. Tyler (1955) has pointed
to the intimate relationship between awareness and accept—
ance of ones sex role or identity and the emergence of

occupational interests appropriate to that role. The

 

present study was conceptualized and designed to investi—
gate the interrelationship of work, love, and sex role

by examining the influence of the degree of father identi—
fication on the occupational interests of a group of
college males and the inclinations of these subjects to
enter into close personal relationships with their
vocational counselors.

This study follows a current orientation to the
study of vocational development as an integral part of
the total development of personality. Thus the study
of vocational development has increasingly relied on the

utilization of personality constructs as the theoretical

 

basis for a growing number of empirical studies. In
the present study the psychoanalytic construct of identi-
fication and its theoretical import to the development

91

—_—

 

 

 

92

of a strong, integrated personality served as a basis

for the hypothesis relating degree of father identifica—
tion to the intensity, range, types, and realism of
vocational interests as well as the subjects‘ manner of
relating to their male vocational counselors. The

most general hypothesis, not explicitly stated but under-
lying the study, holds that a high degree of father
identification enhances personal adjustment in males

via the resolution of the oedipus complex. Theoretically
the resulting dimunition of castration anxiety and the

enhanced sense of self esteem accompanying a strong

 

masculine identity serves to orient the young male to

the real world of people and things. Thus it is

 

hypothesized that the high father identifiers' more
secure sense of identity will be reflected in intensified
vocational interests, less restricted in range, more
realistic in nature, and more oriented to the "masculine"
occupations than the low father identifiers. That the
high father identifiers would exhibit more capacity to
enter into closer personal relationships with their
vocational counselors than their low father identifying
counterparts was also hypothesized.

Participants in this study were twenty—eight male

 

freshmen and sophomore students who volunteered to
participate in the study from among students seeking

vocational testing and counseling at the M.S.U.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllll---________i

 

 

 

 

 

93

Counseling Center. All subjects completed a battery
of tests and agreed to have all subsequent counseling
interviews taped. The Strong Vocational Interest Blank
(SVIB) and the Leary Interpersonal Check List (ICL)
were part of the test battery that is pertinent to this
study. The ICL was used to divide the twenty—eight
subjects into two groups, the fourteen subjects more
highly identified with father formed one group, while
the fourteen subjects less identified with father made
up the second group. Father identification was measured
by the discrepancy between conscious description of self
and father on the ICL. The SVIB's of these subjects
were pattern analyzed according to the objective method
outlined by Stephenson (1961) in order to measure inten-
sity, range, and types of interest. A fantasy score was
defined as the discrepancy between the Occupational
Level (OL) scale and the Academic Achievement (AA) scale.
Finally, taped counseling sessions of twenty—four of the
twenty—eight subjects were rated for "manner of relating”
on the ”Relationship Scale" by two raters trained in the
use of this instrument.

Results of the analysis of the data indicated that
the high and low father identifiers in this study did not
differ in the intensity or range of their vocational
interests. A difference, while not statistically sig-

nificant was noted for high and low father identifiers

 

 

 

 

 

 

94

on types of interest. Subjects with primary and
secondary patterns of interest in the technical and
skilled trades category were somewhat more likely to be
highly identified with their fathers, while subjects
with interests in the social service were more likely
to be less identified with father. Contrary to predic—
tion, the cultural interest area did not significantly
differentiate high and low father identifiers as pre-
dicted. The tendency of both high and low father
identifiers in this sample to reject cultural interests
obscured differences between the two groups. A slight
trend for a greater proportion of low father identifiers
to show interest in the cultural area was noted.
Contrary to prediction high father identifiers
scored higher on a fantasy measure than low identifiers
significant at the .10 level. Although not statistically
significant, this trend appears to be of sufficient mag—
nitude to warrant further study. The results at this
time remain indeterminate until the hypothesis can be
revised or a new interpretation given to the discrepancy
between 0L and AA. Finally, the results did not support
the prediction that high and low father identifiers would
differ in their manner of relating to their male voca—

tional counselors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

95

Conclusions

One very general conclusion emerging from this
investigation is that the relationship of father identi-
fication to occupational interests and inclination
towards close personal relationships is not as simple
and direct as hypothesized. Research designs, varying
types of identification, sex of parent, and developmental
status of subjects would possibly help to clarify the
relationships among these variables.

Another more tentative conclusion drawn from this

 

study is that subjects drawn from a college population
may be more similar than dissimilar. Subjects drawn
from different populations, for example the military or
the work force,might assure diversity of populations and
be more revealing of population specific phenomena
versus the more generally valid vocational development
phenomena. In the present study true differences
between high and low father identifiers may have been
obscured by the homogeneity of the population sampled.
Some tentative conclusions reached in this study
indicate that a college population of male freshmen and
sophomores differing in the degree of father identifica—
tion by conscious report might not vary in the intensity
or range of their interests. A larger proportion of
subjects revealing interests in the more masculine

occupations might be more highly identified with their

 

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlll---_______,

 

 

 

 

 

96

fathers, while a larger proportion of subjects revealing
interests in the more ”feminine" occupations might be
less highly identified with their fathers.

It can also be concluded, as Strong has already
said, that the interpretation of the OL scale must be
very tentative. It might appear from the results of
this study that the OL, far from being a measure of a
tendency toward fantasy as a flight from the painful
reality of personal and social maladjustment, may be a
measure of the fantasy of the strong, autonomous,
integrated personality of the highly father—identified
subjects, but for now this can only remain speculation.

Finally the results seem to warrant the conclusion
that high and low father identifiers in a college popula-
tion do not differ in their manner of relating to their
male vocational counselors. Subjects from either the
high or low father identified group were just as likely
to enter into a close personal relationship with the
counselor, although of those from both groups not
accepting a close relationship, the low father identi—l
fier may be slightly more definitive in his rejection
of the relationship. Probably the personality of the
counselor is a significant variable which ought to be
accounted for in future designs investigating the client‘s

manner of relating. This, however, suggests limitations

 

 

 

 

 

 

97

in the designs of this study which will be discussed

in more detail presently.

Limitations
Perhaps the major limitations of the present study.
rest in the size of the sample and the sampling pro—
cedures employed. An increase in the number of subjects
might be expected to increase to a level of significance
the trends observed in the present study. Sampling
limitations in the present study arise from the limited

population sampled. The findings in this study can be

 

legitimately applied only to a population of college

 

underclassmen expressing vocational indecision. Repli-
cation of the study with a non—client group might help
to determine similarities of this group to college
males generally, and designs including subjects of

college age but not attending college would increase

 

the generalization of the findings even further. Women
too are becoming an increasingly significant part of the
work force of the United States, and the inclusion of
female subjects might be expected to disclose a different
and equally significant set of findings.

The sampling procedures employed in the present
study may have limited the significance of the findings
further by selecting a middle range of subjects on
father identification. Since the subjects were chosen

on the variable of vocational indecision and then divided

—

 

 

 

 

 

98

into high and low father identifier groups, there can be
no assurance that the extremes of high and low father
identifiers have been sampled. The very nature of the
null hypothesis states that the extremes will not be
included, The selection of a middle range of father
identifiers may explain the non—significance of some of
the findings and may have tended to obscure the relation—
ships among the variables under investigation, Until
more clearly defined populations of high and low father
identifiers can be identified and studied, the exact

nature of the relationships studied remain indeterminate

 

 

and the conclusions tentative. The vocational decisions
and interests of middle range father identifiers may be
at variance with truly high and truly low identifiers.
The imprecision of the constructs under investiga—
tion and the imprecise method of measuring these con—

structs also contribute to the limitations of the present

 

study. The term "identification" and the process for
which it stands may be too complex to be meaningfully
investigated in a scientific manner, Sanford's (1955)
advice, if observed, to avoid this term altogether may
contribute to precision in future research and help

in the refinement of hypotheses° One problem not accounted
for in the present research is the form which the identi—
fication takes. Identification with a hostile—rebellious—

anti—social father as opposed to identification with a

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIll-IIIIIIl---______l ill,

 

 

 

99

warm—responsible—socially integrated father may have
profoundly differing effects on the self conceptions of
the subjects and the ensuing vocational development.
The present study by not including the pathological con-
sequences of some forms of identification has limited
the precision and generality of its findingso

The method of measuring the constructs of identifi—
cation in the present study was confined to the conscious
level within the subjects, while identification according
to orthodox analytic theory is essentially an unconscious
process. More appropriate methods of measuring identi—
fication may have to tap unconscious sources in the
subject, Unconscious identification might be measured
with the Thematic Aperception Testo Measures of the

unconscious would also help to obviate limitations

 

arising from unwanted response sets such as social
desirability which may have entered into the present
studyo

Other limitations in this study could have possibly
arisen from the non-validated conceptions of intensity,
range, types, and degree of realism in occupational
interests and the non-validated methods of measuring
these constructs»

Another limitation in the present study arises from
the unknown effects of father surrogates on the per—

sonalities of the subjects, Fragments of masculine

—

 

 

 

 

lOO

identification not accounted for in the present design
could arise from sources other than the father. Finally
identification with and through the mother may be sig-
nificant in vocational development and might be included
in future research,

Lack of validity is also a limiting factor. The
concept of fantasy as defined and its operational measure
in the present study have not been validated.

The limitations in the last part of this study
dealing with the subjects‘ manner of relating might have
resulted from methodological inadequacies of sampling
already discussed. Also the restricted range of ratings
assigned to the subjects could have been a limiting

factor.

Implications

The limitations of the present study outlined above
suggest possible avenues of future research. Larger
samples and varied sampling procedures might contribute
a higher level of significance to trends suggested in this
study, while replication with a non—client group would
enhance the generalizability of the conclusions offerede
Research with non—student, college—age subjects would
enhance generalizability of the study even more“ The use
of different populations would also contribute to a

determination of phenomena which are population specific

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

101

as opposed to vocational development phenomena generally
valid across populations.

Future research might benefit in the precision of
defining relationships among significant variables
influencing vocational interests and choice by avoiding
the use of complex constructs such as identification.
The use of such complex terms does not aid in the
discovery and clarification of simple and direct rela—
tionships among variables unless these terms can be
adequately operationalized.

Methodological considerations of future research
could ensure sampling the extremes of the population of
father identifiers, thus enhancing the likelihood of
discovering significant differences by increasing the
variability of the sample. Other methodological con—
siderations might include the use of measuring instru—
ments designed to tap unconscious aspects of the person—
ality in measuring constructs such as identification.

Future studies might also profitably be devoted
to the validation of concepts and measures used in the
present study. Validated conceptions and measures of
the fantasy component of vocational interests, as well
as validated conceptions and measures of the process of
vocational counseling would enhance the precision of

research in these areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

102

Any research into the area of personality generally
and the area of vocational development specifically has
to take account of the multiple determinants of the
personality. This suggests that the interaction of
variables bearing on vocational development may be more
significant than any single bivariate relationship, and
that this field of study might profit from the increased
use of multivariate procedures.

Finally the meaning of sexual identity in relation
to vocational development may be undergoing revolutionary
changes in a social structure where non—sex-linked
occupational roles such as computer programmer are
emerging. The study of subjects with interests in this
area might lead to some startling alteration of presently

held conceptions.

 

 

 

 

 

REFERENCES

 

103

 

 

 

REFERENCES

Armstrong, R. The Interpersonal Check List: A Reli—

ability Study, Journal of Clinical Psychology,
1958. 1”, 393—39u.

Barnett, G., Handelsma, I., Stewart, L. and Super, D.
The Occupational Level Scale as a Measure of

Drive. Psychological Monographs, I952, 66, No.
10 (Whole No. 3D2)

Bentler, P. The Interpersonal Check List, in Euros, 0.
(ed.) Sixth Mental Measurement Yearbook, Gryphon
Press, N.J., 1965, 127-129.

Bieri, J. and Lobeck, R. Self—Concept Differences in
Relation to Identification, Religion, and Social

Class, Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology,
1961, 62, 93-98.

Block, J. An Unprofitable Application of the Semantic
Differential, Journal of Consulting Psychology,
1958, 22, 235—240.

Bordin, E. The Implications of Client Expectations for
the Counseling Process, Journal of Counseling
Psychology, 1955, 2, 17—21.

Brunkan, R. Perceived Parental Attitudes and Parental
Identification in Relation to Problems in Vocational

Choice, Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1966, 13
39H—401.

Campbell, D. Vocational Interests of American Psycho-

logical Association Presidents, American Psycho—
logist, 1965, 20, 636—6AA.

Campbell, D. The 1966 Revision of the Strong Vocational

Interest Blank, Personnel and Guidance Journal,
1966, an, 7uu—7u9.

Campbell, D. Stability of Interests Within an Occupa—

tion over 30 Years, Journal of Applied Psychology,
1966a, 50, 51—56.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

105

Campbell, D. Stability of Vocational Interests Within
Occupations Over Long Time Spans, Personnel and
Guidance Journal, 1966b, AA, 1012—1019.

Carkhuff, R. and Drasgow, J. The Confusing Literature
on the Occupational Scale of the SVIB, Journal
of Counseling Psychology, 1963, 10, 283—288.

Crites, J. Ego Strength in Relation to Vocational
Interest Development, Journal of Counseling
Psychology, 1960, 7, 137-lfl3.

Crites, J. Parental Identification in Relation to
Vocational Interest Development, Journal of Educa-
tional Psychology, 1962, 53, 262—270.

Crites, J. Vocational Psychology: The Study of Voca—
tional Behavior and Development. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1963.

Darley, J. Clinical Aspects and Interpretation of the
Strong Vocational Interest Blank. New York: The
Psychological Corporation, l9Al.

Darley, J. and Hagenah, Theda. Vocational Interest
Measurement. Minneapolis: University of Minne—
sota Press, 1955.

Dipboye, W. Analysis of Counselor Style by Discussion
Units, Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1954, I,
21—26.

Freud, Anna. The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense.
London: The Hogarth Press, 1937.

Gendlin, E. and Zimring, F. The Qualities or Dimensions
of Experiencing and Their Change. Counseling
Center Discussion Papers, I, 3. Mimeographed.
Chicago: University of Chicago Library, 1955.

Gendlin, E. and Tomlinson, T. The Process Conception
and its Measurement in Rogers, C. (ed.) The
Therapeutic Relationship and its Impact. Madison:
The University of Wisconsin Press, 196 , pp. 109—
13A.

Ginzberg, E., Ginzberg S., Arelrad, S. and Herma, J.
Occupational Choice. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1951.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grater, H. Client Preferences for Affective or Cognitive
Counselor Characteristics and First Interview.
Behavior, Journal of Counseling Psychology, 196A,
ll, 248—250.

Gynther, M., Miller, F., and Davis, H. Relations
Between Needs and Behavior as Measured by the
Edwards Personal Preference Schedule and the
Interpersonal Check List, Journal of Social
Psycholog , 1962, 57, AA5—H5l.

 

Hart, J. Some Inter-Rater and Intra—Rater Reliability
Properties of the Process Scale. Unpublished M.A.
thesis, University of Wisconsin, 1961.

 

Hill, F. The Attraction of Upper—Class and Under—Class
Vocationally Undecided Male Students Towards a
Counseling Relationship. Unpublished Doctoral
dissertation, Michigan State University, 1967.

Holland, J. A Theory of Vocational Choice, Journal
of Counseling Psychology, 1959, 6, 35—HH.

Hollingshead, A. and Redlick, R. Social Class and
Mental Illness. New York: Wiley, I958.

Kreidt, P. Vocational Interests of Psychologists,
Journal of Applied Psychology, 1949, 33, 482—488.

Kreidt, P., Stone, 0., and Paterson, D. Vocational
Interests of Industrial Relations Personnel,
Journal of Applied Psychology, 1952, 36, 174-179.

La Forge, R. Research Use of the ICL. ORI Report: 3,
No. 4. Oregon Research Institute, 1963.

La Forge, R. and Suczek, R. The Interpersonal Dimension
of Personality. III: An Interpersonal Check List.
Journal of Personality, 1955, 24, 9U—ll2.

Leary, T. Interpersonal Diagnosis of Personality.
New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1957.

Maes, J. Identification of Male College Students With
their Fathers and Some Related Indices of Affect
Expression and Psychosexual Adjustment.
Unpublished Doctoral dissertation, Michigan State
University, 1962.

McCormack, R. Vocational Interests of Male and Female
Social Workers, Journal of Applied Psychology,
1956, A0, ll—l3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

107

Rogers, C. A Process Conception of Psychotherapy,
American Psychologist, 1958, 13, 142—149.

Rogers, C. and Rablen, R. A Scale of Process in
Psychotherapy. Mimeographed Manual, University of
Wisconsin, 1958.

 

Sanford, N. The Dynamics of Identification, Psychologi—
cal Review, 1955, 62, 106—118.

Shutz, R. and Blocker, D. Self—Satisfaction and Level
of Occupational Choice, Personnel and Guidance
Journal, 1961, 39, 595-598-

 

Small, L. Personality Determinants of Vocational Choice,
Psychology Monographs, 1953, 67, No. l.

Sommers, V. Vocational Choice as an Expression of
Conflict in Identification, American Journal of
Psychotherapy, 1956, 10, 520—535.

 

Steimel, R. and Suziedelis, A. Perceived Parental
Influence and Inventoried Interests, Journal of
Counseling Psychology, 1963, 10, 289—295.

 

Stephenson, R. A New Pattern Analysis Technique for
the SVIB, Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1961,
8. 355-362.

 

Stewart, L. Mother Son Identification and Vocational
Interest, Genetic Psychology Monographs, 1959, 60,
31—63 0

Stoke, S. An Inquiry into the Concept of Identification,
Journal of Genetic Psychology, 1950, 76, 163—189.

 

Strong, E. Vocational Interests 18 Years After College.
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1955.

Strong, E. SVIB Manual. Revised by David P. Campbell.
Stanford: Stanford University Press, 19 .

Strong, E. and Tucker, A. Use of Vocational Interest
Scales in Planning a Medical Career, Psychology
Monographs, Whole No. 341.

Super, D. Strong’s Vocational Interests of Men and
Women, Psychological Bulletin, 19A5, 42, 259—370.

 

Tolman, E. Identification and the Post—War World,
Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1943,
38, 141-1A8.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllll---______1

 

 

 

 

108

Tomlinson, T. A Validation Study of a Scale for the
Measurement of the Process of Personality Change
in Psychotherapy. Unpublished M.A. Thesis,
University of Wisconsin, 1959.

 

Tyler, Leona. The Development of Vocational Interests:
I. The Organization of Likes and Dislikes in
Ten—Year—Old Children, Journal of Genetic
Psycholog , 1955, 86, 33—AU.

 

Walker, A., Rablen, R., and Rogers, C. Development of
a Scale to Measure Process Change in Psychotherapy,
Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1960, 16, 79-85.

 

General References

 

Erikson, E. Identity Youth and Crisis. New York: W. W.
Norton and Company, 1968.

 

Strahl, Gladys. The Relationship of Centrality of
Occupational Choice To Sex, Parental Identification,
and Socioeconomic Level in University Under—
graduate Students. Unpublished Doctoral disserta—
tion, Michigan State University, 1967.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDICES

109

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX A

RELATIONSHIP SCALE

 

 

110

 

 

 

 

RELATIONSHIP (REL) SCALE*l

Stage 1

There are definite indications that the individual
refuses the relationship, and does not perceive the
likelihood or desirability of a close personal relation—
ship.

He may overtly argue against the desirability or
usefulness of the therapy relationship, or may indicate
that he wishes to leave, or not to return to the therapy
relationship, or to be left alone by the therapist.

He does not share any of his real feelings concern-
ing himself, his troubles, or the relationship, and
avoids engaging the therapist directly.

He has no perspective on his refusal of the
relationship. He does not work it through or shart it,

but acts it out or states it summarily.

_____._.___,__,,_,____

*Half stage ratings are not used in this scale.
lRevision, January 16, 1963, by Eugene T. Gendlin

amd Marilyn Geist, of the scale written by Eugene T.

Gendlin and based on a strand of the Process Scale by

A. W. Walker, R. A. Rablen, and C. R. Rogers.

111

 

 

 

Stage 2

The individual does not overtly reject, fight, or
devalue the relationship, but he also gives no indication
that he accepts the desirability or possibility of a
close personal relationship.

He does not inject any personal quality of his
own into the interaction. Nor does he corroborate
attempts by the therapist to respond in a personal or
personally understanding way, or statements or assump—
tions by the therapist that a personal relationship

*
exists or is desirable. He does not overtly reject or

 

fight these attempts or assumptions, but rather he
ignores, avoids, or responds casually to them.

He may relate to the therapist as he would to an

 

authority figure——one who knows the answers, asks
questions, introduces topics for discussion, and sets

standards which he should meet.

 

 

*

In any interaction the behavior of each person
considered alone implies what kind of relationship (its
intimacy or lack of it) he now considers to exist or to
be desirable. This might be called relationship quality.
Relationship quality may be explicitly stated in words,
or assumed in that the behaviors would not be appro—
priate except in that kind of relationship. (Also see
footnote, Stage A).

 

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII--_______l ,,,

 

 

 

113

Stage 3

 

There are definite indications that the individual
accepts the existence or desirability of a close personal
relationship. However, his acceptance is qualified or
occurs intermittantly with nonacceptance.

He may inject himself personally into the inter—
action, but in a ”held back" and hesitant manner, not
of his own accord expressing his real meanings.

He may show intermittant acceptance and non—
acceptance of a close personal relationship. He may

express or corroborate this personal quality in one

 

statement, and indicate the opposite, deny, or clearly
avoid it in the next.

Unresolved misunderstandings may occur (inter—
mittantly or consistently) between the two persons.
These are not unclarities that are shared and worked
on, but are misunderstandings and confusions which per—
sist or are left hanging.

Stage 3 is also rated when the individual injects
himself personally into the relationship, but the

therapist ignores, avoids, treats casually, or misunder—

 

stands this personal quality.

At Stage 3 there are definite indications BREE
that the individual accepts or desires a close personal
relationship, gag that this quality has not been

established.

— — ll

 

 

 

$325231

 

There are definite indications both that the indi—
vidual accepts or desires a close personal relationship,
and that this quality has to some extent been established.

The individual himself now sometimes acts, uses,
and moves the relationship.

The two individuals now share some of the same
relationship quality (see footnote, Stage 2).' There may
be silences rather than corroborations, but there are
few of the intermittent or constant "non—parallel"

events.*

 

Both persons are often together in what they are
doing, what they assume should happen, the importance of
the meetings and interchanges, and the implicit purpose
of the interaction.

There may be strong misunderstandings or unclarities,
but these are shared and worked on.

The interaction of course concerns some communica—
tions of some meaning, intimacy, personal quality, or
shared self. As long as some degree of meaning exists,

the content depth is not to be evaluated by rater.

 

In Stage A the individual often uses the relation—
ship as an opportunity to live meaningfully and expressively

in a way which involves or concerns the therapist.

 

*Relationship quality is "non—parallel” between two
people when their respective relationship qualities are
widely different. Relationship quality is ”parallel”
between two people when the relationship quality of one
corroborates that of the other. (Also see footnote, Stage 2).

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlll--_______,

 

 

115

Stage 5

 

There are definite indications that the relationship
(or the presence of the therapist) is now important
enough to perform a central role in what the individual
is working on. This means that the relationship is not
only the place where the individual can express himself
and explore himself, but a unique place where he can
feel his feelings much more vividly and in new ways.
Often events occur which are specific to this relation-
ship but which centrally embody what he is working on.

Feelings concerning himself or the immediate situa—

 

tion which are unexpected or surprising to the individual
may often occur. The following are examples:

a) Strong feelings being newly felt during the
hour.

b) Specific indications that the therapist‘s
presence or participation affects the global
manner of the individual's experiencing. Such
statements as "only here . . ." or ”only with
you . . .” followed by descriptions of REES

inward state or process are examples.

 

c) Experiences of warmth, anger, being cared for,
disagreeing, touching, etc., which are clearly
a significant movement in the individual‘s efforts
to change, and which make up the central focus

of the individual's concern at the moment.

—;

 

 

 

 

 

6)

 

f)

116

Silence followed by explicit statements that
during the silence some inward process has
occurred which is personally vital to the
individual and which could not happen except
with the therapist‘s presence.

Specific behaviors in which the individual
seeks the therapist out personally and engages
him in the workings of his therapeutic process——
these being events of the interaction--and
their significance for the therapeutic process
is recognized by the individual, or their
importance to him is explicit.

Newly felt strong feelings such as: The
individual reexamines his relationship to his

father and cries.

In Stage 5 the relationship is now important enough

that specific interactional events often occur which the

individual indicates as significant to him in his

personal processes of therapy.

 

 

 

 

 

117
Stage 6

Whereas in Stage 5 the aspects of the relationship
which made it real are often a central focus of the
individual's working and struggle, in Stage 6 the rela—
tionship is ready to become a permanent reality. Its
basis is not struggled for.

Strong positive feelings for the therapist now are
not explosively needful or conflict raising. Difficulties
and troubled feelings occur, but both persons talk as
though they will be quickly resolved. Neither person
expresses a need to better understand, eliminate, alter,
explore, or suspect their basic strong positive feelings.
These basic positive feelings definitely exist, and yet
whatever these feelings are, the individual holds them in
a way that requires no inappropriate or impossible
behavior, and termination would have no disruptive or
damaging consequences in him.

Feelings toward the therapist are of the kind which
the individual can well take with him into life without
therapy.

The relationship is person to person. Although

the professional role of the therapist may be implicit,
______,_,_____________

*Stage 6 is a stage of therapy and could continue
for a long time. The rater should 323 be concerned With
when therapy will be successfully over. There need not
be discussion of termination, and discussions of termina—
tion could occur without Stage 6 having been reached.

The scale concerns the nature of the relationship, not

the therapeutic content.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

118

it does not inhibit the personal feeling between the
two individuals.

This person to person quality is not worked for.
It is simply there, without the strain or self—examining
surprise that might attend person to person feelings at
Stage 5.

The individual may express himself in ways which
indicate that Stages A and 5 have been gone through.
He may do this through explicit statements concerning
earlier therapy events, through private vocabulary between
himself and the therapist which they both know and which
definitely concern Stage 5 events, through statements
concerning the relationship which indicate how the

therapist was essential at one time to the new self

but is not now.

 

 

 

APPENDIX B

LETTER REQUESTING PARTICIPATION

OF THE SUBJECTS FOR THE STUDY

119

 

 

 

 

Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan A8823
Counseling Center

Student Services Building

Dear Student:

We are conducting a research project on a limited
number of students who come to us for vocational counsel—
ing. We feel that this kind of research helps us to know
our students better and contributes significantly to the
quality of our professional services.

Would you like to participate in this study? If so,
you will be expected to take approximately four hours of
psychological tests prior to your regular counseling
sessions. In addition, all counseling sessions will be
taped. Of course, all information is completely confi—
dential and used in accord with the professional standards
of the Counseling Center. Individual identifying informa—

tion will be completely removed from all materials and
your anonymity is guaranteed.

We feel that the individual students who participate
in this study stand to profit from the experience, although
we want to emphasize that the student‘s willingness or
nonwillingness to participate in this project in no way
influences his access to the regular counseling and
testing services at the Center. At least two of the tests
(the Strong Vocational Interest Blank, and the Edwards
Personality Preference Schedule) which you take will be
interpreted to you as a part of the regular counseling
service. Any other questions you may have at any time
about the research or the tests will be welcomed by the
researchers whose names appear below.

Finally, we are asking all students who participate
in this study to consent to allow the researchers to
contact them at later times during their MSU careers in
order that relationships between early vocational planning
and subsequent school experiences can be studied. Present
plans call for such a contact once each year.

Thank you for your interest and attention.
Sincerely yours,

Cecil L. Williams
Associate Professor

Joshua S. Hull
Counseling Intern

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX C

INTERPERSONAL CHECK LIST

CIRCULAR CONTINUUM

 

 

121

 

 

 

 

 

122

INTERPERSONAL CHECK LIST
ILLUSTRATING THE CLASSIFICATION OF INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIORS
INTO I6 VARIABLE CATEGORIES

MANAGERIAL

MANAGES OTHERS
DOMINAYING

LIKES RESPONSIBI-
LITY

GOOD LEADER
FORCEFUL

115

‘39“ \VAC’

oYHEflS

AND D!RECT
IRRHABLE

CRITICAL OF

y.
.1
D
Z
m
H
u.
2
D
2
U
>—
k.
0

STRAIGNTFORWARD

FREQUENTLY ANGRY
OUTSPOKEN

/

T SOCIABLE AND

5“,

PASSIVE AND UN“
AGGRESSWE
OBEVS TOO WILLINGLY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPENDIX D

TABLES 8 TO 10

 

123

 

12A

TABLE 8.——Composite D scores for twenty—eight subjects
from their fathers on two dimensions, Dom & Love.

 

 

 

 

 

High Father Identifiers Low Father Identifiers
Subject No. D = /D2 Subject No. D = ./D2
1 5.09 15 18.38

2 9.A8 16 l8.A3

3 10.29 17 ' 19.10

A 11.00 18 19.10

5 11.00 19 20.12

6 11.18 20 20.51

7 12.53 21 22.20

8 13.15 22 26.83

9 13.114 23 29.00

10 15.81 2A 30.AO

11 16.03 25 32.80

12 17.00 26 33.70

13 17.80 27 33.90

1A 18.02 28 AO.10

 

 

 

 

 

125

TABLE 9.——Number of primary, secondary, reject and
unclassified patterns and OL-AA scores for twenty—
eight subjects.

 

Sugiect Primary Secondary Reject Eggiiz— OL—AA
_—_—_—T_—"”’—*—-*———-~——_i__,‘fi___________‘___‘_~
1* 3 1 5 2 15
2 2 1 6 2 23
3 o A 6 l u
u 0 O 3 8 21
5 0 u A 3 13
6 0 l 5 5 1
7 2 2 3 u 20
8 O 2 5 A -2
9 l 2 A A 33
10 0 1 A 6 l
11 2 3 3 3 30
12 l l 2 7 32
13 l 1 5 A _7
1A 2 2 5 2 39
IT_T"’”""rr——-*——-————fl—_____________fi_fl____________
X 1” 25 6O 55
i l 1'78 “38 3.92

////

*Subjects are in rank order with respect to father
identification. Subject number one is most highly
identified with father at a conscious level on the
measure of father identification.

 

 

 

 

 

 

126

TABLE 9.-—(Cont.)

 

Suggect Primary Secondary Reject Unclassified OL—AA
_____fl_________fl__._____________~_,________._l___________
15 2 2 6 1 —3
16 2 3 5 l -2
17 0 2 5 A 3
18 0 2 U 5 21
19 O l 5 5 19
20 O l 5 5 7
21 2 O u 5 22
22 2 O 6 3 0
23 1 l 5 u 8
2n 0 1 6 u ‘6
25 O 1 11 6 5
26 1 l 5 H l”
27 O l 7 3 18
28 2 2 5 2 6

 

X l2 18 67 50
i .85 1°28 u°78 3°56
* .
Subjects are in rank order on father identifica—
tion. Subject #28 scored lowest on father identification:

 

 

of two
Ratings
1.5
CO
05
c0
00
10
00

father identifica—
Mean

Single
Rating
Rater #2

Single
Rater #l

raters on the Relationship Scale
Rating

nk ordered on

tion.

s by two
bjects ra
Rater
#2
l—l—H
3—5—1
H—3—2.
2—3—3
u_3-u
5—u—3
2—M—M
2—2—3
3—u_3
3—5-3
3—5—H
1—2—3
5—H—H
5—4—5
3—3—3
B—H—3
l—2—2
3—u—3
2—3—3
3_u_2
3-2—2
H—2—H

Rater
#1
2—2—3
3—3—H
4—3—2
3—H—H
2—3-3
2—3-3
3_u_u
3—2—2
3—M—2
2_u-3
3-u—5
H—3—H
u-5_u
3—3—u
H—3—3
3—3—2
3_u—1
3_u_u
3-2—2
2—3—2
2-3—4
u—2—3
3—H—M

10
ll
12
13
1H
15
l6
l7
l8
19
2O

 

TABLE lO.——Rating
of twenty—four su

Subject

9.

5
.5

3a
20
2a
3

Ma

21
22
23
2H