Congruence Between Aspirations and Capabilities of Youth in a Low-Income Rural Area

A report of the results of an Ark study concerned with the occup'al aspirations & capabilities of senior HSch boys. The results of the study reveal that the aspirations of the boys in a low-income area compare favorably with those of boys in higher-income areas. However, there was considerable discrepancy between the occup'al aspirations of the sample members & their occup'al capacities as measured by various standardized aptitude tests. Boys with low levels of aptitude tended to have aspirations above their capability level, but boys with high aptitude levels had aspirations below their capability level. Using occup'al aspirations as a dependent variable, 5 independent variables (mechanical interest, sci'fic interest, SC value orientation, an ascendance scale, & educ expected) were found to account for 53% of the variance in occup'al aspirations. 4 situational & ability variables (reading speed & comprehension, age, & race) accounted for 70% of the variance capability scores. HA.