Components of Occupational Prestige Evaluations

Abstract

This article addresses perceptual aspects of occupational prestige evaluations. The data presented are based on the evaluation of a set of occupational categories on six dimensions: power and influence, value to society, standard of living, initiative and autonomy, skills and knowledge, and social standing. Based on individual-level data, we present correlations among these dimensions. These correlations are appreciably lower than those previously published, based on aggregate data. Regression equations were estimated for each individual in the sample, predicting social standing from the other five dimensions. The mean R² in these equations is .760. The highest weight in these equations is assigned to the dimension of skills and knowledge. Value to society is assigned a zero weight. The mean regression coefficients display invariance across various subsamples.

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