The present study presents an interpretive framework for linking leisure interests, measured by the Leisure Interest Questionnaire (LIQ), to J. L. Holland's (1997) circumplex model of the world of work. Published data representing correlations between the LIQ and Holland's RIASEC interest types were obtained from Hansen and Scullard (2002). Leisure interest measures were integrated into the RIASEC circumplex using the technique of property vector fitting. By explicitly testing the structural hypothesis in Holland's model, a clearer picture of the relations between work and leisure interests emerge. Visual presentation of leisure interests in the context of the RIASEC circumplex may facilitate the use of the LIQ in applied settings. In particular, an exploration of leisure interests as part of a larger discussion of interests and aspirations may enhance the career-counseling process with clients who are struggling with clarifying their career development plans.

This article describes and demonstrates a novel approach to assessing goals and motives among individuals engaged in the career decision-making and planning process. Participants generated five career development strivings, rated each striving along several dimensions (self-efficacy, outcome expectations, sense of calling, spiritual significance, and materialism), and completed measures of conceptually related and unrelated variables. Results indicated adequate to strong internal consistency reliability for the strivings appraisal scale scores, and the pattern of correlations support the convergent and discriminant validity for scores obtained using this approach. We conclude that the career development strivings strategy has great potential as a flexible and efficient tool for use in career development research and practice.

Large scale survey datasets have been underutilized but offer numerous advantages for career development scholars, as they contain numerous career development constructs with large and diverse samples that are followed longitudinally. Constructs such as work salience, vocational expectations, educational expectations, work satisfaction, and occupational attainment are readily available. With a few notable exceptions, studies of these datasets are infrequent in the career development literature. This article reviews the strengths and weaknesses of these datasets for career development research, the technical aspects of complex sample design, and software options for analyses. Career development scholars must understand complex sample design and analysis strategies to avoid drawing inappropriate conclusions from analyses of large scale survey data. Through illuminating the potential of large scale survey datasets, providing a more user-friendly introduction to the features of complex sample design, and reviewing data analysis options, this article aims to increase the utilization of large scale survey datasets by career development scholars.

The current study demonstrates the use of item response theory (IRT) to conduct measurement invariance analyses in careers research. A self-report survey was used to assess the importance 1,363 fourth-year medical students placed on opportunities to provide comprehensive patient care when choosing a career specialty. IRT analyses supported measurement invariance across gender. Additional analyses indicated that compared with men, women placed significantly greater importance on opportunities to provide comprehensive patient care. This in turn predicted career choice, with women being more likely than men to pursue primary care specialties. This study extends the careers literature both methodologically and substantively. Methodologically, this study exemplifies how and why to use IRT to assess measurement invariance prior to comparing groups on career-related attitudes. Substantively, this study is the first to demonstrate that the importance placed on comprehensive patient care mediates the effect of gender on intentions to pursue primary care specialties.