Spherical model of vocational interests – verification of the concept and measurement method

Introduction: The Spherical Model of Interests and Competence Beliefs (Tracey, Rounds, 1996a, 1996b) integrates Holland’s (1985, 1997) RIASEC theory and the People/Things Data/Ideas dimensions by Prediger (1982), supplementing them with a third dimension of vocational interests: prestige. The aim of the study was to verify the spherical model of vocational interests in a sample of Polish adults and to present the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Personal Globe Inventory – Short (Tracey, 2002). The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using measures of internal consistency. The theoretical validity was examined through confirmatory factor analysis, randomization test of hypothesized order relations, and correlations with other measures of vocational interests and life aspirations. Method: The study involved 513 students and working individuals aged 18 to 58 (M = 24.5; SD = 9.1). Among the participants, 67% were women. To assess the criterion validity of the adapted tool, the Multi–Aspect Assessment of Vocational Preferences (Paszkowska-Rogacz, 2013) and the Kasser and Ryan Index of Life Aspirations (2005) in the Polish adaptation by Górnik-Durose and Janiec (2010) were used. Results: The obtained results confirm the satisfactory psychometric properties of polish version of PGI–S. Eight basic interests were found to be positively and significantly statistically related to their corresponding interest areas according to Holland's concept. High prestige was positively associated with life aspirations such as image, popularity, self-acceptance, spirituality, and hedonism. Low prestige correlated positively with self-acceptance and health, and negatively with security. The results also indicated the existence of differences in the structure of interests between women and men. Conclusions: The obtained results confirm the spherical structure of vocational interests in the examined sample. Further research on occupational prestige and cultural differences in its perception seems warranted.