Congruence,locus of control,and readings of English college students — An application of John Holland's theory of vocational choice

One hundred and five English undergraduate college students at two colleges in the United Kingdom completed the Holland VPI, the Barron Ego Strength Scale, the Adult Nowicki-Strickland Internal Control Scale, and the Occupational Values Q Sort. Congruent students were identified by matching their reading (major) with their scores on the six Holland type indicators. A Multi-variate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed that congruent subjects exhibited a higher level of internality, greater ego strength, and less affiliation than incongruent subjects. Results are discussed with respect to Holland's theory. The practicability of applying American measurement techniques to an undergraduate English college population is also explored.