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THEACT INTEREST
INVENTORY AND THE
WORLD-OF-WORK
MAP
Contents
The ACT Interest Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The World-of-Work Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
For more information, visit the ACT website at www.act.org.
© 2009 by ACT, Inc. All rights reserved. 12769
The ACT Interest Inventory
Everyone has likes and dislikes. But without a broad and the common, everyday things they like to do.
set of occupational experiences, which few of us Extensive information about the inventory, including
have, how can we use our preferences to make development, norms, and supporting research, is
informed career decisions? How do our preferences available in the ACT Interest Inventory Technical
relate to the world of work? For more than 70 years, Manual (ACT, 2009).
vocational interest inventories have been recognized The ACT Interest Inventory provides scores for
as valuable tools for addressing these questions. six scales. These scales parallel the well-known
Although reasons for completing an interest interest/career types described in John Holland’s
inventory vary, most people want to identify theory of careers (Holland, 1997). While working
occupational fields or occupations that are in line at ACT in the 1960s, Holland proposed that the
with their preferences. relationships among the six types could be
This document describes the ACT Interest Inventory represented by a hexagon (Holland et al., 1969).
and an accompanying interpretive aid, the World-of- According to Holland’s theory, the hexagonal
Work Map. Both are elements of several ACT arrangement reflects the degree of resemblance
programs and are currently used by about 4 million between the types. For example, types that are
people—ranging in age from grade 6 to adult—per adjacent on the hexagon resemble each other most,
year. The ACT Interest Inventory is intended for and types that are on opposite sides of the hexagon
individuals in the early stages of career planning or resemble each other least. The relationships among
replanning. Its purpose is to identify personally the six types are shown in Figure 1, which lists ACT
relevant career (educational and occupational) Interest Inventory scales (Business Operations,
options. The combined use of the ACT Interest Technical, etc.) followed by the corresponding
Inventory and the World-of-Work Map can help Holland type.
people see the connections between the work world
ADMINISTRATION & SALES BUSINESS OPERATIONS
(Enterprising) (Conventional)
Data
SOCIAL SERVICE People Things TECHNICAL
(Social) (Realistic)
Ideas
ARTS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(Artistic) (Investigative)
Figure 1. Relationship between ACT Interest Inventory scales (Holland types in parentheses) and the
Data/Ideas and People/Things Work Task Dimensions.
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Work Task Dimensions Social Service: Helping, enlightening, or serving
Holland’s hexagon is a two-dimensional figure, others through activities such as teaching,
suggesting that there are two underlying dimensions. counseling, and working in service-oriented
Over the years, research involving approximately organizations. Activities primarily involve working
12,000 occupations, 1,000 career groups, and with people.
100,000 persons has empirically supported two Administration & Sales: Persuading, influencing,
dimensions, called the Data/Ideas and People/Things directing, or motivating others through activities
Work Task Dimensions (see Figure 1). This research such as sales, supervision, and aspects of business
has been based on U.S. Department of Labor job management. Activities primarily involve working
analysis data, expert ratings on Holland’s six with data, and secondarily, people.
environments, and on interest inventory profiles of Business Operations: Developing and/or
individuals pursuing a wide range of occupations maintaining accurate and orderly files, records, etc.;
(ACT, 2009). designing and/or following systematic procedures for
All occupations can be organized according to their performing business activities. Activities primarily
involvement with these four basic work tasks: involve working with data, and secondarily, things.
working with data (facts, records, numbers, etc.), Technical: Working with tools, instruments, and
ideas (abstractions, theories, insights, etc.), people, mechanical or electrical equipment. Activities include
and things (machines, materials, crops/animals, etc.). designing, building, repairing machinery, and raising
Usually one or two of the basic work tasks get at the crops/animals. Activities primarily involve working
primary nature of an occupation. For example, with things.
scientists use data but are primarily involved with ACT Interest Inventory item content does not include
concepts, theories, and knowledge. Because the occupational titles or job duties. As noted by Kuder
work task dimensions underlie both measured (1977), the more help people need with career
interests and occupations, both can be expressed as planning, the less likely they are to have knowledge
locations on these dimensions. This makes it possible about various occupations, or their “knowledge” may
to use the dimensions to link scores to occupations, be inaccurate. Hence, interest inventories that rely on
as will be discussed later. occupational titles or job duties may not help the
Description of the ACT Interest Inventory people who need it most. Items in the current edition
The ACT Interest Inventory contains 12 items for of the inventory, the Unisex Edition of the ACT
each of six scales—72 items total—and uses a three- Interest Inventory (UNIACT), were carefully chosen to
choice response format (dislike, indifferent, like). minimize gender-related differences in responses.
The inventory is untimed and usually takes about (For example, item content avoids activities that are
10–14 minutes to complete. Items emphasize work- subject to gender-role stereotypes.) The resulting
relevant activities (e.g., build a picture frame, conduct gender-balanced scales minimize differences in the
a meeting, help settle an argument between friends) career options typically suggested to males and
that are likely to be familiar to individuals, either females and permit the use of combined-sex norms.
through participation or observation. Scale titles and This feature has the added benefit of enhancing the
related work tasks are: validity of the instrument. The rationale and research
Science & Technology: Investigating and support for using gender-balanced scales is described
attempting to understand phenomena in the natural in the Technical Manual (ACT, 2009).
sciences through reading, research, and discussion. Development and Norms
Activities primarily involve working with ideas, and UNIACT was introduced in 1977 and has been
secondarily, things. revised twice. Redevelopment in 1987–88, based
Arts: Expressing oneself through activities such as on data for more than 5,000 persons, led to the
painting, designing, singing, dancing, and writing; introduction of two levels of the instrument: a high
artistic appreciation of such activities (e.g., listening school version (grades 8–12) and a college/adult
to music). Activities primarily involve working with version. Redevelopment in 2002–06, based on
ideas, and secondarily, people. data from more than 70,000 persons, led to the
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