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Occupational choice and expectancy‐value theory: Testing some modifications
Author(s) -
HERRIOT PETER,
ECOB RUSSELL
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of occupational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 2044-8325
pISSN - 0305-8107
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8325.1979.tb00465.x
Subject(s) - expectancy theory , psychology , preference , value (mathematics) , social psychology , hierarchy , regression analysis , econometrics , statistics , mathematics , economics , market economy
Several variations of Vroom's expectancy‐value theory were applied to data obtained from two groups of engineering students. It was found that intentions to choose certain types of work were better predicted when individual regression weights were applied to belief‐value products, and when account was taken of students' beliefs about the attainability of work. Some evidence was found that subjective norms affected choice, but there was no support for a comparative model based on discriminability in preference to the traditional independent additive model. Since different models best predicted the intentions to choose different alternatives, it was concluded that a hierarchy of models rather than a single one should be employed in research on occupational choice.