1. Self-Directed Search (SDS)
Psychology 533
Instrument Appraisal
Billy Eldridge

2. Information
 Help make career decisions at
any point in life
 Used by more than 30 million
people worldwide
 Translated into more than 25
different languages
 Results have been supported by
more than 500 research studies

3. Purpose
A vocational inventory designed
to identify a person’s particular
activities, competencies, and
self-estimates compared with
various occupational groups.

4. Objectives and Results
 developed by Dr. John Holland, whose
theory of vocation is the basis for most
career inventories
 categorized into six types—
Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Ent
erprising, and Conventional
 occupations and work environments also
can be classified by these categories.

5. Cost
 1998
 $125 per kit
 25 assessment booklets; various combinations of components
available in varied-priced kits
 $121 per kit
 25 booklets and occupational finders, 25 ―You and Your
Career‖ booklets, 10 leisure activity finders, and 10
educational opportunities finders
 $99 per kit
 25 assessment booklets 25 job finders, and 25 ―You and Your
Career‖ booklets

6. Administration & Scoring
Administration
Group or Individual
Approximately 40 – 50
minutes
Self Scored

7. Reliability Data
 Test-retest reliability
had reliability coefficients of .76 to
.89 over 4 to 12 weeks.
 Internal consistency
coefficients ranged from .72 to .92
for the summary scale.


8. Validity
 Validity is examined  54.7 % of the norm
in the review by group had a match
between their measured
evaluating summary high-point code and one
scale inter- letter aspiration code
correlations and  Brown (MMY
ensuring that they fit 2001), showed that the
the theoretical occupational codes for
model half of the individuals
were exactly the same
for both forms, while
almost two thirds had
the first two letter codes
the same in any order.

9. Norms
 The norm group included
persons from a number of
different racial backgrounds
 Age range of tested individuals
was from 17 to 65
 Mean age was 23.5 years of
age

10. Special Considerations
 Question One
 Discussion
 Discussion
 Question Two
 Discussion
 Questions Three
 Discussion

11. Extra Information
My Score: SEA
Social (S) people like social careers such as teacher, speech therapist, religious
worker, counselor, clinical psychologist, and nurse. The S type usually likes to be around other
people, is interested in how people get along, and likes to help other people with their problems.
The S type generally likes to help, teach, and counsel people more than engage in mechanical or
technical activity. The S type is described as
convincing, cooperative, friendly, generous, helpful, idealistic, kind, patient, responsible, social, s
ympathetic, tactful, understanding, and warm.
Web Address: http://www.self-directed-search.com/

12. Citation of sources of
information
 Plake B.S. and Impara J.C(2001). The
fifteenth mental measurements yearbook.
The Buros Institute of Mental
Measurements. University of Nebraska
Press p. 1105 – 1107.