"Occupational Level" Scale of Children's Interests1
Abstract
"Occupational Level" Scale of Children's Interests1 SAGE Publications, Inc.1959DOI: 10.1177/001316445901900312 Lawrence H. Stewart University of California, Berkeley EDUCATIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASUREMENT VOL. XIX, No. 3, 1959 WHAT are the characteristics of boys with high socioeconomic status backgrounds whose interests are similar to those found in lower status groups; of lower status boys whose interests are like those of boys from upper status families? Studies of children's interests (e.g., 4, 6, 8) have indicated that children pass through various stages with characteristic patterns of likes and dislikes at each stage. Although there is some evidence that interests are related to socioeconomic background, the data provide no means by which variations from typical patterns can be investigated. A major deterrent in studies designed to investigate these variations has been the lack of adequate measures of children's interests. The purpose of this study was to develop an interest scale which would differentiate among children from various socioeconomic backgrounds. Tyler's (12) success in developing reliable scales of children's interests along several continua suggests that such an "oc- cupational level" scale might be devised. This report will describe the process used in developing the instrument and some of its characteristics. Method Sample Two