Meta‐analysis of the Relationship Between the Five‐factor Model of Personality and Holland's Occupational Types

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the nature and magnitude of the relationship between 2 widely accepted models for classifying individual differences–the 5‐factor model of personality and Holland's RI‐ASEC occupational types. Based on extensive meta‐analyses, our results illustrate that there are meaningful relations between some FFM personality dimensions and some RIASEC types. The strongest relationships were obtained between the RIASEC types of enterprising and artistic with the FFM personality dimensions of Extraversion and Openness to Experience, p= .41 and .39, respectively. Three other RIASEC types had moderate correlations with at least 1 FFM personality trait. In contrast, the realistic type was not related to any FFM personality traits. Multiple regression analyses in which each RIASEC type is regressed on the FFM scores (based on meta‐analytic estimates), revealed a multiple R of .11 for realistic, .26 for investigative, .42 for artistic, .31 for social, .47 for enterprising, and .27 for conventional types. The overall conclusion from the study is that although FFM personality traits and RIASEC types are related, they are not merely substitutes for each other.

Validity and Reliability Evidence for Assessing Holland's Career Types

“…Another study reports convergence validity between ATPH and the Photos of Professions Test (BBT-Br), equivalent to BBT -Berufsbilder test, masculine and feminine versions (Mansão, Noronha, & Ottati, 2011). Noronha, Mansão and Nunes (2012), in turn, showed that the Holland types are related to the personality traits of the Big Five model, corroborating results from other international studies (Barrick, Mount, & Gupta, 2003;Holland et al, 1994;Larson, Rottinghaus, & Borgen, 2002;Staggs, Larson, & Borgen, 2007).…”

Vocations as a source of identity: Reciprocal relations between Big Five personality traits and RIASEC characteristics over 15 years.

“…In the work domain in particular, there is now evidence showing that people are interested in and tend to gravitate toward occupational environments that-at least to a certain extent-fit their personality traits (Barrick, Mount, & Gupta, 2003;Betz, Borgen, & Harmon, 2006;De Fruyt & Mervielde, 1999;Gottfredson, Jones, & Holland, 1993;Woods & Hampson, 2010). But what happens with individuals once they are in such environments?…”

Worklife Across the Lifespan

“…These I-P linkages from the metaanalyses included artistic interests and openness, investigative interests and openness, social interests and extraversion, enterprising interests and extraversion, and conventional interests with conscientiousness (excluding women who completed the SII) (Barrick et a!., 2003;Larson et al, 2002). Like Ackerman and Heggestad, these two groups of scholars also did not find realistic interests to be linked to the Big Five.…”

“…Scholars have ascertained that some personality traits overlap with some of Holland's six interests (Barrick, Mount, & Gupta, 2003;Larson, Rottinghaus, & Borgen, 2002) and that specific facets of personality predict specific interests (Staggs, Larson, & Borgen, 2003;Sullivan & Hansen, 2004). Self-efficacy across Holland's hexagon and across specific academic domains has been moderately predictive of parallel interests (Rottinghaus, Larson, et a!., 2003).…”

“…He anchored the theory in a seminal work produced in partnership with Heggestad (Ackerman & Heggestad, 1997), in which they articulated an integrated framework that reconsiders the uniqueness of abilities, interests, and personality. Finally, several quantitative reviews have moved the field ahead (Barrick, Mount & Gupta, 2003;Larson, Rottinghaus, & Borgen, 2002;Staggs, Larson, & Borgen, 2007).…”