Mapping associations between interests and personality: Toward a conceptual understanding of individual differences in vocational behavior

This study tested the hypothesis that previously reported associations between personality traits and vocational interests can be accounted for by associations between lower order personality traits and interests. Personality traits were explored using the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992b), which measures the personality types of the five-factor model (e.g., P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992a) as well as 30 lower order personality facets. Interests were defined using J. L. Holland's (1997) RIASEC types as well as basic interest factors (J. Rounds, 1995). Results suggested several interest-personality associations at the facet level that lend support to emerging theories of the role of individual differences in vocational development.