Revision of the Career Maturity Inventory

Abstract

Initially administered in 1961, the Career Maturity Inventory (CMI) was the first paper-and-pencil measure of vocational development. The present research revised the CMI to reestablish its usefulness as a succinct, reliable, and valid measure of career choice readiness, with a few theoretically relevant and practically useful content scales for diagnostic work with school populations up to and including Grade 12. The new Form C was produced by combining rational organization of item content with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In the end, CMI Form C provides a total score for career choice readiness, three scale scores reflecting career adaptability dimensions of concern, curiosity, and confidence, and a score reflecting relational style in forming occupational choices. Initial evidence supports the face, construct, and concurrent validity of the CMI scores as indicators of career choice readiness.

Keywords

Career Maturity Inventory Career Adaptability Vocational Development

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Brisbin

L. A.

Savickas

M. L.

(1994). Career indecision scales do not measure foreclosure. Journal of Career Assessment, 2, 352–363.

Campbell

D. P.

Holland

J. L.

(1972). A merger in vocational interest research: Applying Holland’s theory to Strong’s data. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2, 353–376.

Crites

J. O.

(1965). Measurement of vocational maturity in adolescence. Psychological Monographs, 79. (Whole No. 595).

Crites

J. O.

Savickas

M. L.

(1995). Revision of the Career Maturity Inventory. Journal of Career Assessment, 4, 131–138.

Fitzsimons

G. M.

Finkel

E. J.

(2010). Interpersonal influences on self-regulation. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19, 101–105.

Gelfand

M. J.

Nishii

L. H.

Raver

J. L.

(2006). On the nature and importance of cultural tightness–looseness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 1225–1244.

Hardin

E. E.

Leong

F. T. L.

Osipow

S. H.

(2001). Cultural relativity in the conception of career maturity. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 58, 36–52.

Holland

J. L.

Daiger

D. C.

Power

P. G.

(1980). My vocational situation. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

Holland

J. L.

Gottfredson

G. D.

Nafziger

D. H.

(1973). A diagnostic scheme for specifying vocational assistance. (Report No. 164). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University.

10.

Holland

J. L.

Gottfredson

G. D.

Power

P. G.

(1980). Some diagnostic scales for research in decision making and personality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39, 1191–2000.

11.

Holland

J. L.

Holland

J. E.

(1977). Vocational indecision: More evidence and speculation. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 24, 404–414.

12.

Leong

F. T. L.

(2010). A cultural formulation approach to career assessment and career counseling. Journal of Career Development, 37, 375–390.

13.

Loadman

W. E.

Broohart

S. M.

Wongwanich

(1991). Contrasting three measurement techniques for scale development. Mid-Western Educational Researcher, 4, 10–14.

14.

Porfeli

E. J.

Skorikov

(2010). Specific and diversive career exploration during late adolescence. Journal of Career Assessment, 18, 46–58.

15.

Savickas

M. L.

(1990a). The career decision-making course: Description and field test. Career Development Quarterly, 38, 275–284.

16.

Savickas

M. L.

(1990b, March). Developing career choice readiness. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Counseling and Development. Cincinnati, OH.

17.

Savickas

M. L.

(2005). The theory and practice of career construction. In Brown

S. D.

Lent

R. W.

(Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (pp. 42–70). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

18.

Savickas

M. L.

Hartung

P. J.

(1996). The Career Development Inventory in review: Psychometric and research findings. Journal of Career Assessment, 4, 171–188.

19.

Schwartz

S. J.

Unger

J. B.

Zamboanga

B. L.

Szapocznik

(2010). Rethinking the concept of acculturation. American Psychologist, 65, 237–251.

20.

Super

D. E.

(1955). The dimensions and measurement of vocational maturity. Teachers College Record, 57, 151–163.