Holland Matching Theories

John Holland (1919-2008)

Holland was a psychologist, scholar, and counselor. His career focused on the development of his: Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments.  This theory is best described in his book by the same name first published in 1959 with updated editions including the 3rd and final edition published in 1997.

Holland's theory suggests that people can be characterized by their relationship with six personality types. These six personality types are known as the RIASEC model which is an acronym for the following types:
1. Realistic
2. Investigative
3. Artistic
4. Social
5. Enterprising
6. Conventional

Both individuals and their personalities and work environments can be identified on the RIASEC hexagon.  An individual can identify which types they most closely identify with by taking a number of different assessments, one of which is the Self Directed Search (SDS).

After taking one of the assessments, the application of the theory come into play.  Counselors must know the distinguishing features of each type and also the relationship of one type to another.

Table 1 Source: Revitalizing Educational Counseling: How Career Theory Can Inform a Forgotten Practice by Robert C. Reardon and Sara C. Bertoch (http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org/revitalizing-educational-counseling-how-career-theory-can-inform-a-forgotten-practice/)

There are several terms (below) that are important to understand about the relationship between an individual and their resonance with the various types on the RIASEC hexagon.

Calculus-when placing an individual's types on the hexagon in the RIASEC order as depicted above, the closer a letter is to another, the more these types resemble one another.

Consistency refers to individuals who identify with types that are close to one another.

Congruence is the term Holland uses to describe the relationship between one's personality type and one's environment. Counselors are unlikely to be able to strictly match one environment and one personality because we all relate to all types at some level.  There are no pure types of people or environments.

Differentiation refers to how strongly one relates to some types and not others.  Those who relate closely or strongly with some types, or clusters of types and not others are termed differentiated. Those who bear no or some resemblance to all types are undifferentiated.

Identity refers to how clear a picture one has of career goals.  Holland developed an assessment tool known as My Vocational Situation to measure the state of one's identity.