Chapter 5: Holland's Theory of Types

Question 1

Who developed the Holland Theory of Types?

Answer 1

• John Holland
• Career choice and career adjustment represent an extension of the personality.
• People express themselves, their interests, and their values through their work choices and experience.

Question 2

Which two assessments contributed to the development of Holland’s theory?

Answer 2

• The Vocational Preference Inventory
• Self-Directed Search
• Personality assessments

Question 3

What are Holland’s six types?

Answer 3

• RIASEC: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional
• Each work environment has a code - mix of three types, three letter code. (Code comes from SDS)
• People’s personalities can change as they have different experiences - but tend to eventually settle.

Question 4

Define the realistic type

Answer 4

• The Realistic Environment: Physical demands, must have technical abilities.
• The Realistic Personality Type: Enjoy using tools or machines, little tolerance of abstract, practical/problem-solving
• Behavior of Realistic Clients: Likes specific suggestions and advice, something practical. Want quick answer.

Question 5

Define the investigative type

Answer 5

• The Investigative Environment: Search for solutions through math & science, complex/abstract thinking to solve problems.
• The Investigative Personality Type
  Likes puzzles & being challenged intellectually. Enjoys learning, not dealing with personal issues or being a manager.
• Behavior of Investigative Clients
  Would rather figure out problem of career on their own - see it from intellectual level rather than emotional.

Question 6

Define the artistic type

Answer 6

• The Artistic Environment: Encourages creativity and personal expression. Freedom to develop products and answers. Flexible - choose own schedule.
• The Artistic Personality Type: Likes to express self freely and creatively. Originality valued
• Behavior of Artistic Clients: May prefer non structured approach. Likely to rely on emotions in discussion of career issues.

Question 7

Define the social type

Answer 7

• The Social Environment: Encourages people to be flexible and understanding with each other. Help others through personal or career problems.
• The Social Personality Type: Interested in helping, enjoys solving problems through to talking, avoid working with machines.
• Behavior of Social Clients: Express their idealism - wanting to help others. Altruistic - more concerned with contributing to world than money.

Question 8

Define the enterprising type

Answer 8

• The Enterprising Environment: People manage and persuade others to attain organizational and personal goals. Finance and economic issues are important. Risk to achieve rewards.
• The Enterprising Personality Type: Wealth is very important. Enjoy being with others and like using verbal skills to sell, persuade, or lead.
• Behavior of Enterprising Clients: Present themselves as self-confident. May overestimate their abilities. Impatient with entry-level positions that do not lead to power, money, or both.

Question 9

Define the conventional type

Answer 9

• The Conventional Environment: Encourage organization and planning. Typically office environments (clerical)- keep records, filing, bookkeeping, and accounting.
• The Conventional Personality Type: Values money, being dependable, and ability to follow rules and orders. Prefer being in control - don’t like ambiguity.
• Behavior of Conventional Clients: Organized, yet dependent on others for direction. Like the opportunity to organize and regulate.

Question 10

What are the explanatory constructs (Holland)?

Answer 10

• Congruence: How similar is personality and environment, match of personality code.
• Differentiation: Are types equal across or very different scores? Mix of all six or very clearly one or two?
• Consistency: The closer the types on the chart - the more similarities they have. Will just be harder to find an environment that meets two inconsistent personality types.
• Identity: Clarity and stability of a person’s current and future goals, and work environment. Measured by My Vocational Situation.
  Knows about a job, decides if it would interest them, and how to enter that career - clear sense of identity.
  Client must be congruent before than can achieve sense of identity - goal of counseling.

Question 11

How do you help a client to become more differentiated?

Answer 11

• Undifferentiated - more difficulty with career decisions.
• Help clients to become more differentiated by familiarizing client with differing values, skills, etc. in each area. Gaining more experience can help someone to further differentiate.

Question 12

How does Holland define a clear sense of identity?

Answer 12

• Knows about a job, decides if it would interest them, and how to enter that career - clear sense of identity.
• Client must be congruent before than can achieve sense of identity - goal of counseling.