NCJ Number
48034
Journal
Journal of Counseling Psychology Volume: 23 Issue: 2 Dated: (1976) Pages: 130-135
Date Published
1976
Length
6 pages
Annotation
DIFFERENCES IN THE RESPONSES OF 67 MALE AND 35 FEMALE LAW STUDENTS TO MALE AND FEMALE LAWYER SCALE ITEMS ON THE STRONG-CAMPBELL INTEREST INVENTORY (SCII) ARE ANALYZED.
Abstract
FOR 43 OF THE 91 LAWYER SCALE ITEMS, THERE WAS A 15 PERCENT OR GREATER DIFFERENCE IN THE RESPONSES OF MALE AND FEMALE LAW STUDENTS, A DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE PATTERN NEARLY THE SAME AS THAT REPORTED FOR GENERAL GROUPS. DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE ON 6 OF THE 24 COMMON (DIRECTED TO BOTH MALES AND FEMALES) ITEMS ACCOUNTED FOR 7 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE. THE REMAINING 40 PERCENT WAS ACCOUNTED FOR BY DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSES TO 37 OF THE INVENTORY'S MALE-UNIQUE AND FEMALE-UNIQUE ITEMS. HOWEVER, FOR 30 PERCENT OF THIS 40 PERCENT, THE DIFFERENCE WAS IN THE WEIGHTED DIRECTION; I.E., MORE FEMALE LAW STUDENTS THAN MALE LAW STUDENTS SCORED LIKE THE MEN'S CRITERION GROUP ON 13 ITEMS, AND MORE MALES THAN FEMALES SCORED LIKE THE WOMEN'S CRITERION GROUP ON 15 ITEMS. THE ANALYSIS REVEALS THAT, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A SYSTEMATIC DIFFERENCE IN RESPONSES BETWEEN THE SEXES, THE PATTERN OF DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSES ON ITEMS UNIQUE TO ONE OR THE OTHER OF THE SCALES (FEMALE LAWYER OR MALE LAWYER) IS SUCH THAT SCORES WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED IF THE TWO SCALES WERE COMBINED. IN ADDITION, THE NATURE OF THE RELATION BETWEEN THE OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS AND BETWEEN THE OCCUPATIONAL AND GENERAL GROUPS SUGGESTS THAT COMBINED SCALES FOR MALES AND FEMALES ARE FEASIBLE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT, SINCE THERE IS AN IMPLICIT BIAS IN MAINTAINING SEPARATE SEX SCALES, THE SCII SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN INTERMEDIATE STEP TO A COMBINED INSTRUMENT. DETAILS OF THE ANALYSIS, SUPPORTING DATA, AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)