Applicability of John Holland's Theory of Vocational Choice to the Study of Criminal Behavior

• NCJ Number: 86446
• Author(s): P S Rudolph
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 238 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. University of California, Santa Barbara - doctoral dissertation

Annotation

This study examines the relationship of John Holland's vocational typology, as measured by the Occupational Themes of the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII) and the Career Assessment Inventory (CAI), to actual offense behavior of a group of incarcerated young adult males.

Abstract

A related purpose is to study the career interests of these offenders, as measured by the Basic Interest Scales of the SCII and the CAI, to determine whether certain interests were more characteristic of specific offense types than others. Scores of inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, Calif., on the Occupational Themes and the Basic Interest Scales were examined in relation to one of three offense types (i.e., drug, property, or property with violence offenses), to age, and to race. The study's results tentatively support the notion that some criminal activities may be viewed as similar to those involved in noncriminal work. For example, those who committed property offenses with violence demonstrated a pronounced interest in athletics. Race interacted significantly with career interests, but age was not a significant variable. Studies exploring the effectiveness of placing inmates in institutional job training and in postrelease jobs matching their interests are suggested. Implications of specific career interests for prison rehabilitation programs are discussed. Data tables and over 100 references are included. (Author abstract modified)