A cross-cultural factorial study of an academic interest inventory

Abstract

An academic interest inventory was factor analyzed in three samples: an American senior high school group, an American college freshman group, and a Swazi (African) senior high school group. Five factors were identified in each of the samples independently analyzed; the five factors were interpreted as "commercial," "verbal-social studies-cultural," "nurturant," "medical," and "mechanical" interests. The items marking these factors were statistically significantly similar across the samples, indicating substantial stability in the structure of academic interests within and across cultures.