PsychologicalReporrs, 1992, 71, 253-254.
O Psychological Reports 1992
ORIGINS O F CHILDREN'S CAREER ASPIRATIONS: 11. DIRECT SUGGESTIONS AS A METHOD O F TRANSMITTING OCCUPATIONAL PREFERENCES ' ASHTON D. TRICE, NANCY McCLELLAN, AND M. AMANDA HUGHES Mary Baldwin College Summary.-Analysis of responses of 576 children in kindergarten and Grades 2, 4, and 6 in both public and private schools shows direct suggestions particularly from significant others are recalled increasingly frequently as children grow older. Children, however, are less likely to select suggested occupations with age. These data do not account for high aspirations of children to parental occupations.
The origins of children's career aspirations are elusive. Children aspire to the occupations of parents at a high rate (Werts, 1968), and their choices are related to their family's socioeconomic status (Clark, 1967). One possible method by which family values are transmitted is direct suggestions made to them by significant persons in their environment. The present analysis is based on interviews with 576 kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade students in five public and two private schools. Children's first and second career choices were first obtained and then compared to their responses to the question "Has anyone ever told you that you would be good at a particular job or that you should have a particular job when you grow up?" If the child answered "yes" to this question the child was asked who had told him this and what occupation had been suggested. The percentage of students indicating such suggestions increased with age, with 9 % (121133) of kindergarten children, 13% (171127) of 2nd graders, 12% (141120) of 4th graders, and 24% (23196) of 6th grade students answering yes to this question. The percentage of children giving a suggested occupation as one of their career choices, however, decreased with age, with 83% (10/12), 76% (13/17), 71% (10/14), and 57% (13123) giving a suggested occupation for kindergarten through 6th grade, respectively. Suggestions were more likely given as a second choice (27) than a first choice (16). Girls were less U e l y to give a suggested career choice (53%; 17/32) than boys (76%; 26/34; = 5.02, p
O Psychological Reports 1992
ORIGINS O F CHILDREN'S CAREER ASPIRATIONS: 11. DIRECT SUGGESTIONS AS A METHOD O F TRANSMITTING OCCUPATIONAL PREFERENCES ' ASHTON D. TRICE, NANCY McCLELLAN, AND M. AMANDA HUGHES Mary Baldwin College Summary.-Analysis of responses of 576 children in kindergarten and Grades 2, 4, and 6 in both public and private schools shows direct suggestions particularly from significant others are recalled increasingly frequently as children grow older. Children, however, are less likely to select suggested occupations with age. These data do not account for high aspirations of children to parental occupations.
The origins of children's career aspirations are elusive. Children aspire to the occupations of parents at a high rate (Werts, 1968), and their choices are related to their family's socioeconomic status (Clark, 1967). One possible method by which family values are transmitted is direct suggestions made to them by significant persons in their environment. The present analysis is based on interviews with 576 kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade students in five public and two private schools. Children's first and second career choices were first obtained and then compared to their responses to the question "Has anyone ever told you that you would be good at a particular job or that you should have a particular job when you grow up?" If the child answered "yes" to this question the child was asked who had told him this and what occupation had been suggested. The percentage of students indicating such suggestions increased with age, with 9 % (121133) of kindergarten children, 13% (171127) of 2nd graders, 12% (141120) of 4th graders, and 24% (23196) of 6th grade students answering yes to this question. The percentage of children giving a suggested occupation as one of their career choices, however, decreased with age, with 83% (10/12), 76% (13/17), 71% (10/14), and 57% (13123) giving a suggested occupation for kindergarten through 6th grade, respectively. Suggestions were more likely given as a second choice (27) than a first choice (16). Girls were less U e l y to give a suggested career choice (53%; 17/32) than boys (76%; 26/34; = 5.02, p
