Evidence in support of Gottfredson's common cognitive map of occupations

Adrian Beavis, Smith Family

Abstract

As part of her developmental theory of occupational preferences and choices, Gottfredson proposed that most people share an understanding of the world of work based upon the sex type, social status and type of occupations. Individuals use these three dimensions to organise their view of the world of work. There is as a consequence, she argued, a common cognitive map of occupations. She depicted this map graphically. This study examines the extent to which this map accurately depicts relations between occupations along these three dimensions in the world of work as a test of her theory. Using Australian data, it is found that her map correctly depicts relations between occupations and that therefore, if people's stereotypes are based upon the common cognitive map of occupations, they are accurate. [Author abstract, ed]