Psychosocial correlates of vocational aspirations of adolescent boys and girls

The study investigated the relationship between vocational aspirations and selected psychosocial variables, namely, gender, social class, sex roles, self-concept and achievement motivation. The sample comprised 600 adolescents, 300 boys and 300 girls, 15 to18 years, from the high, middle and low socioeconomic strata studying in English medium schools in Baroda city in Gujarat. Standardized tools were used to assess the study variables. Statistical analyses including t-tests, analysis of variance, and chi-squares were computed. Results revealed that gender, social class and achievement motivation were significantly related to vocational aspirations. No significant relationship, however, was found between sex roles, self-concept and vocational aspirations. Implications for adolescents counseling and parental guidance towards enabling appropriate vocational aspirations have been outlined.