Holland's Theory in a Post-Modern World: - The Career Center ...

Holland’s Theory 8of types is a circumplex. Similar to the circular order hypothesis, the circumplex hypothesisholds the same predictions for the relationships between types but adds that the correlationsbetween each of the adjacent types will be equal, the correlations between each of the alternatetypes will be equal, and the correlations between each of the opposite types will be equal.There have been mixed results regarding support for the circular structure of the RIASECmodel across cultures. Some have proposed alternative models to explain interests that are notaligned with Holland’s theory (Prediger, 1982; Tracey & Rounds, 1995). Rounds and Tracey(1996) used a meta-analysis to examine the cross cultural applicability of Holland’s hexagonalstructure.Another method for representing the circumplex model is Prediger’s (1982) twodimensionalschema of vocational interests, which is an additional way to view Holland’sRIASEC hexagon. Prediger asserted that the hexagon is a multidimensional model which can bebetter represented using two bipolar dimensions. The two dimensions are labeled people-thingsand ideas-data.Finally, as an extension of this model, Tracey and Rounds (1995) proposed a thirddimension of vocational interests which they labeled prestige. They suggested that vocationalinterests are better represented by a sphere rather than a circle and unlike the hexagonal model,types on the spherical model are not of equal distance from their neighboring types.For example, Liu and Rounds (2003) found in mainland China that the distances betweenthe Realistic and Conventional types and Investigative and Artistic types were greater than otherdistances and proposed an octant model. This implies that RIASEC types are located on a circleat points in an octant model but with two empty spaces on the model, between R and C and alsobetween I and A, for unspecified types.