OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE AND EXPECTANCY-VALUE THEORY - TESTING SOME MODIFICATIONS

Several variations of Vroom's expectancy‐value theory were applied to data obtained from two groups of engineering students. It was found that intentions to choose certain types of work were better predicted when individual regression weights were applied to belief‐value products, and when account was taken of students' beliefs about the attainability of work. Some evidence was found that subjective norms affected choice, but there was no support for a comparative model based on discriminability in preference to the traditional independent additive model. Since different models best predicted the intentions to choose different alternatives, it was concluded that a hierarchy of models rather than a single one should be employed in research on occupational choice. 1979 The British Psychological Society