CHAPTER 5
HOLLAND’S THEORY OF TYPES
Career choice and career adjustment represents an extension of a person’s personality.
Stereotypes – people’s impressions and generalizations about work. Holland uses this to assess
personality.
Holland assigns both people and work environments to specific categories.
THE SIX TYPES
Realistic:
The Realistic Environment
• Physically demanding
• Work settings: have tools, machines, or animals that can be manipulated
• Hazardous and may be cause for physical injury
The Realistic Personality Type
• Enjoy using tools and machines in hobbies
• Like courses that are very practical and teach the use of physical or mechanical
Behavior of Realistic Clients
• Like to expect specific suggestions and advice to solve career problems – a practical
solution
Investigative:
The Investigative Environment
• Search for solutions through math and scientific interests
• Use complex and abstract thinking to solve problems creatively
The Investigative Personality Type
• Enjoy puzzles and challenges that require intellect
Behavior of Investigative Clients
• Tend to enjoy the challenge of an unanswered question
Artistic:
The Artistic Environment
• Free and open, encouraging creativity and personal expression
• Freedom in developing products and answers
The Artistic Personality Type
• Likes the opportunity to express themselves in free and unsystematic way, creating
music, art, or writing
• Want to improve ability in language, art, music, or writing
• Original and creative
• Dislike technical writing and would prefer fiction or poetry
Behavior of Artistic Clients
• Usually makes known how much art, music, writing is important to them
Social:
The Social Environment
• Encourages people to be flexible and understanding of each other
• People can work with others through helping with personal or career issues,
The Social Personality Type
• Interested in helping people through teaching, helping with personal or vocational
problems, or providing personal service
Behavior of Social Clients
• Express their idealism
• Often altruistic, more concerned about others than their own financial gain
Enterprising:
The Enterprising Environment
• Manage and persuade people in order to achieve organizational or personal goals
The Enterprising Personality Type
• Acquisition of wealth is a priority
• Enjoy being with others and like verbal skills to sell, persuade, lead
• Assertive and popular, holds leadership positions
Behavior of Enterprising Clients
Conventional:
The Conventional Environment
• Organization and planning
• Office environment: keeping records, files, reports, etc.
The Conventional Personality Type
• Values money, being dependable, and the stability to follow rules and orders
Behavior of Conventional Clients
• Like to present themselves as organized, yet dependent, on others for direction
initiative
COMBINATION OF TYPES
3-letter codes
People do not fit just one Holland code type
Instruments have been developed:
Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI)
Self-Directed Search (SDS)
EXPLANATORY CONSTRUCTS
Congruence:
Relationship of the personality to the environment, the more similar the personality is to the
environment, the more congruent the relationship.
Differentiation:
People and environments may differ in terms of how clearly they belong to one type. Highly
differentiated means that you are more dominant in one type.
RESEARCH ON HOLLAND’S CONSTRUCTS
Over 500 studies have been done on Holland’s theory. Congruence is the most frequent topic
studied. Also important, relating Holland types to personality characteristics.
ROLE OF OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION
THE ROLE OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS
Vocational Preference Inventory – prior to the SDS (Self-Directed Search). An easy version of the
APPLYING THE THEORY TO WOMEN
Women tend to score higher on Social, Artistic, and Conventional scales than men.
APPLYING THE THEORY TO CULTURALLY DIVERSE POPULATIONS
COUNSELOR ISSUES