DEGREE SEARCH PROFILE TEST MANUAL 

To order the Degree Search Profile Test Manual, you will need to send $20.00 (check or money order) to:

Gary Alderson, M.A.
Founder and President 
BestDegreeChoice.com
5643 Hillcamp Court
Saint Louis, MO 63128.


BRIEF PSYCHOMETRIC SUMMARY


Participants:

Internet users across the USA. 

Sample Size: 

n=330

Sample Characteristics:

Gender:
Male      143 or 43.3%
Female  187 or 56.7%

Ages: 18 or less=13%, 19 to 22=22.1%, 23 to 30=30.3%, 31 to 40=13.3%, 41 to 50=2.4%, and greater than 50=4.5%

Educational Levels: less than high school=10%, high school graduate=15.5%, less than college degree=19.4%, college graduate=19.4%, and graduate degree=7.0% 

Ethnicity:  White Non-Hispanic=72.1%, African American=7.0%, Hispanic/Latino=7.6%, Asian/Pacific Islander=5.8%, American Indian/Alaskan Native=2.1%, and other=5.5% 

Employment Status:  unemployed=22.7%, part-time=25.8%, full-time=38.8%, military=5.5%, and not seeking employment=7.3%

Student Status:  not a student=38.2%, high school student=11.5%, community college student=22.1%, college student=20.0%, graduate student=3.9%, and other=4.2%


Reliability:

Alpha ranged from .87 to .92 for the six RIASEC scales.  The test retest (at least two weeks) correlations for each of the six scales ranged from .95 to .99.  These results suggest that the Degree Search Profile yields solid reliable scores.

Validity:

Three types of validity evidence were investigated:  content validity, criterion-related validity, and construct validity.

Content validity was based on the ratings of four subject matter experts.  The computed content validity index was .99.  Therefore, the Degree Search Profile has very high content validity.

The criterion-related validity was evaluated by comparing the participants Degree Search Profile primary profile codes, with their self-reported "ideal" degree primary profile code.  An above average  relationship was expected between these two methods of assessment.  More than two thirds, 76%, either agreed perfectly, or were one code type away from perfect agreement.  Thus, suggesting that the Degree Search Profile has criterion-related validity.

The construct validity was evaluated by assessing convergent validity.  The Degree Search Profile primary codes were compared with the RIASEC Self-Description Questionnaire.  A moderate relationship was expected between these two methods of assessing the RIASEC types.  The overall "hit rate" was 57%, which reflects a high moderate relationship, therefore, suggesting that the Degree Search Profile has construct validity. 

I would like to thank the following individuals for assisting me with the development of the Degree Search Profile.

Patrick Rottinghaus, Ph.D.,
Dale Pietrzak, Ed.D.,
Adam Meade, Ph.D., and
Bryan Dik, Ph.D.

WISHING ALL STUDENTS THE "BEST DEGREE CHOICE!"