Shifts in Adolescents' Vocational Values

Inferred value hierarchies were judged from the protocols of interviews conducted with 111 boys and girls in 8th, 10th, and 12th grade. The changes observed in these value hierarchies were analyzed over the 5 years of development. Enough early maturity and constancy in the typal hierarchies of vocational values over 5 years of adolescence has been shown to warrant further investigation of Ginzberg's theoretical position that values do not play an important role in early vocational development. The authors contend that the constancy indicates a maturity of self‐concepts early in the 8th grade sufficient enough to justify close attention for counselors at that time, while shifts in values of some students testify to a healthy maturation during adolescence. Although some sex differentiation occurred in the typical hierarchies, it is contended that similarities in the data outweigh differences, and the boys and girls appear to be rather alike in their employment of vocational value categories.