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Characteristics of female optometry students on the SCII
American Journal of Optometry and Physiological Optics
|February 1, 1981
Summary
Female optometry students showed lower than average vocational interests across all measured scales, even on the optometrist scale itself. This suggests a potential mismatch between typical interest profiles and the optometry profession for women.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Psychology
- Vocational Guidance
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Understanding vocational interests is crucial for career development and satisfaction.
- The Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII) is a widely used tool for assessing vocational interests.
- Previous research has explored interest patterns in various professions, but specific data for female optometry students using the SCII is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the vocational interests of female optometry students using the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII).
- To compare the interest profiles of these students with women in 57 different occupations.
- To identify specific interest scales where female optometry students' scores deviate from normative data.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 67 female optometry students participated in the study.
- Participants completed the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory (SCII).
- Scores were analyzed and compared against established norms for women in various occupations and basic interest scales.
Main Results:
- Female optometry students did not score above average on any vocational or basic interest scales.
- This finding was consistent even when examining the specific 'optometrist' interest scale.
- The overall interest profile of these students was below the average for the comparison groups.
Conclusions:
- The study indicates that female optometry students, as a group, do not exhibit typical high interest profiles in vocational areas, including optometry.
- This suggests a potential discrepancy between the general interest patterns of these students and the demands or perceived characteristics of the optometry profession.
- Further research is warranted to explore the reasons behind these findings and their implications for recruitment and retention in optometry programs.