self-monitoring) are all premised on self-disclosure, in principle.
Although it may be possible, as mentioned earlier, to describe self
from data other than self-disclosure, the final validation of “self” con-
structs cannot avoid having to use the channel of self-disclosure.
Other Person Variables
There are two important classes of person variables that are used in
other theories but not in PEC theory: (1) interestsand (2) personality
traits. Interestsare usually defined as preferences (liking or disliking)
for activities (for example, occupational, leisure). Other definitions
add preferences for people, social situations, points of view (social val-
ues), and so on. These differences in preference objects notwith-
standing, the defining dimension of interests is “liking or disliking,”
which is used in its operational definition.
In recent times, interest measurement has settled on Holland’s
model as definitive of interest content (at least, vocational interest
content). Holland (1997) posits six types of interest: Realistic,
Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional.
Personality traits—variables measured by personality invento-
ries and personality tests—typically refer to stable or enduring
behavioral dispositions that are characteristic of particular persons.
The traits are typically described via several items, and the respon-
dent, in effect, describes self through these items (for example, by
the number of items endorsed). Many of these so-called traits have
to do with at least five basic dimensions (Digman, 1990): (1) extra-
version, (2) agreeableness, (3) conscientiousness, (4) emotional sta-
bility, and (5) openness.
PEC theory does not deal with interests and personality traits.
Interests may look similar to needs, but they are two different kinds
of constructs. Some personality traits appear similar to skills or to
style dimensions, but they are, again, different kinds of constructs.
One untested hypothesis is that interests and personality traits
are higher-order constructs, with their roots in the basic constructs
of requirement and capability. Interests may be seen as a form of
442 CAREER CHOICE AND DEVELOPMENT