Construction and psychometric evaluation of the revised leisure preference inventory: toward an understanding of leisure versus vocationally derived interests

Date

1992-08

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

Many investigators have proposed various assessment tools to facilitate career development. In particular, Holland (1985a) proposed a typology to allow one to better understand the interaction among work, leisure, and personality. The present study attempted to improve a leisure inventory based upon Holland's typology. A further aim of the study was to explore the psychometric characteristics of this measure and a vocationally-based inventory that also uses Holland's typology. A final aim of this investigation was to determine which measure of interests, leisure or vocational, was more congruent with a person's self-estimated personality.

Based upon the psychometric evaluation of the Leisure Preference Inventory (LPI), as well as the addition of pertinent items, the Expanded Leisure Preference Inventory (EXP-LPI) was developed. Three hundred undergraduate students in general psychology classes from two universities in West Texas were administered the EXP-LPI. The psychometric analysis of the resulting data resulted in the Revised Leisure Preference Inventory (LPI-R). Junior high (n=70) and senior high (n=78) students from a private church-related school, as well as 55 students from a private church-related university, completed the LPI-R and the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI). They also completed an information form which revealed their self-expressed endorsement into one of six type categories as developed by Holland. Parents of the junior high and senior high students also categorized their children along these dimensions. Results indicated that there were no differences between the LPI-R and VPI in terms of test-retest reliability, or internal consistency, although these coefficients for both measures varied according to age group. The LPI-R exhibited higher levels of congruence with the child's self-expressed code than the VPI among the group of late adolescents and university students. Congruence levels for the VPI were consistently lower with increased age while congruence levels for the LPI-R were consistent across varying age groups. The LPI-R was significantly higher than the VPI in congruence between parents* assigned code for their children and the measure for senior high, but not junior high, students. Implications for using leisure, rather than vocationally, based items in the measurement of interests is discussed as well as implications for counseling.

Description

Citation