A Study of Persisting and Nonpersisting Catholic Clergymen.

Transcription

1 Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1972 A Study of Persisting and Nonpersisting Catholic Clergymen. Thomas V. Gilbride Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: Recommended Citation Gilbride, Thomas V., "A Study of Persisting and Nonpersisting Catholic Clergymen." (1972). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact gradetd@lsu.edu.

2 INFORMATION TO USERS This dissertation was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the original submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacent pages to insure you complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, it is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest value, however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from "photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation. Silver prints of "photographs" may be ordered at additional charge by writing the Order Department, giving the catalog number, title, author and specific pages you wish reproduced. University M icrofilms 300 North Z eeb Road Ann Arbor, M ichigan A Xerox E ducation C om pany

3 I I GILBRIDE, Thomas V., A STUDY OF PERSISTING AND NONPERSISTING CATHOLIC CLERGYMEN. [Pages 47-51, p re v io u sly co p y rig h ted m a te ria l not m icrofilm ed a t re q u e s t o f a u th o r. A v ailab le fo r c o n s u lta tio n a t L ouisiana S ta te U n iv e rsity and A g ric u ltu ra l and M echanical C ollege L ib ra ry ]. The L ouisiana S ta te U n iv e rsity and A g ric u ltu ra l and M echanical C ollege, P h.d., 1972 Psychology, c l i n i c a l University Microfilms, A XEROX Com pany, Ann Arbor, Michigan

4 A STUDY OF PERSISTING AND NONPERSISTING CATHOLIC CLERGYMEN A D is s e rta tio n Subm itted to the G raduate F acu lty of the L ouisiana S ta te U n iv e rsity and A g ric u ltu ra l and M echanical C ollege in p a r t i a l f u lf illm e n t of the requirem ents fo r th e degree of Doctor o f Philosophy in The Department of Psychology by Thomas V. G ilb rid e B.A., M arist C o lleg e, 1953 M.A., C ath o lic U n iv e rsity of America, 1960 S.T.D., C ath o lic U n iv e rsity of America, 1968 A ugust, 1972

5 PLEASE NOTE: Some pages may have indistinct print. Filmed as received. University Microfilms, A Xerox Education Company

6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The au th o r is indebted to many persons who were kind enough to a id in the com pletion of t h i s d is s e r ta t io n. He is e s p e c ia lly g ra te f u l to h is committee chairm an, Dr. Joseph G. Dawson, whose frie n d s h ip and guidance were o f in e stim a b le v a lu e. In a d d itio n, he deeply a p p rec ia te d the p a tie n c e and support of the committee members, Dr. 0. Hubert Campbell, Dr. Nathan W. G o ttfrie d, Dr. P erry H. P re s th o ld t, and Dr. David C. Yang. G ra titu d e is expressed a ls o to Dr. Kenneth Edwards fo r h is advice on s t a t i s t i c a l q u estio n s and to Mrs. Mary Mevers fo r her c l e r i c a l a s s is ta n c e. ii

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE TITLE PAGE... ACKNOWLEDGMENTS... LIST OF TABLES... LIST OF FIGURES... ABSTRACT... i i i v v i v i i CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION... 1 P e rs p e c tiv e... 1 R esearch... 4 C areer-c hanging... 6 Statem ent of Problem I I. METHOD S u b j e c t s Assessment M easures P ro ced u re A nalysis of D a t a I I I. RESULTS Demographic C h a ra c te ris tic s o f the Samples Comparison of V ocational P referen ce In ventory Scores. 18 Comparison of the A d jectiv e Check L ist S c o re s IV. DISCUSSION iii

8 CHAPTER PAGE REFERENCES APPENDICES V IT A iv

9 LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1. Demographic V ariab les fo r A ctive and Resigned Priests Summary of A nalysis of V ocational P referen ce In v en to ry (VPI) Scores Means and Standard D ev iatio n s o f VPI Scores fo r A ctive and Resigned P r i e s t s Summary o f A nalysis of A d jectiv e Check L is t (ACL) S c o r e s Means and Standard D eviations of ACL Scores fo r A ctive and Resigned P r i e s t s v

10 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1. V o cational P referen ce In v en to ry P r o f ile s fo r A ctive and Resigned P r i e s t s A d jectiv e Check L is t P ro f ile s fo r A ctive and Resigned P r ie s ts vi

11 ABSTRACT The purpose o f t h i s study was to in v e s tig a te w hether or not p r i e s t s who have resig n ed from the m in is try can be d if f e r e n tia t e d from those who rem ain w ith in i t in term s o f p e rs o n a lity v a ria b le s and p ersonenvironm ent in te r a c tio n fa c to rs as expressed in H o lla n d 's th eo ry of v o c a tio n a l ch o ice. Among H o lla n d 's b a s ic assum ptions a re the fo llo w in g : 1) members of a v o catio n have s im ila r p e r s o n a litie s ; and 2) v o c a tio n a l s a t i s f a c tio n and s t a b i l i t y depend on the congruence between o n e 's p e rs o n a lity and the environm ent (m ainly o th e r people) in which one w orks. According to H olland, most people in our c u ltu re can be c l a s s i f i e d as one of s ix dominant types ( R e a lis tic, I n t e l l e c t u a l, S o c ia l, C onventional, E n te rp ris in g, A r t i s t i c ). People p o ssess c h a r a c te r i s t ic s of a l l s ix ty p e s, but each person o p erates in such a manner as to r e f l e c t one of two o f th e se types more s tro n g ly. In a d d itio n, Holland claim s th a t th e re are s ix b a sic model environm ents th a t correspond to the p e rs o n a lity ty p es and bear th e same la b e ls. In H o lla n d 's th eo ry each model environm ent a t t r a c t s th a t person whose dominant p e rs o n a lity type is s im ila r to the type a s s o c ia te d w ith the environm ent. Congruent person-environm ent in te r a c tio n s ( i n t e r a c tio n o f people and environm ents belonging to th e same p e rs o n a lity type or environm ental model) lead to outcomes th a t are p re d ic ta b le from the knowledge of th e p e rs o n a lity types and the environm ental model. These outcomes include v o c a tio n a l choice and v o c a tio n a l vii

12 s t a b i l i t y. The c o n siste n c y and homogeneity of an environm ent (people of the same p e rs o n a lity ty p e) a f f e c t s s t a b i l i t y of v o c a tio n a l ch o ice. H olland expands th e number of c a te g o rie s in h is c l a s s i f i c a t i o n system from s ix p e r s o n a lity types to t h i r t y by coding the h ig h e st type score and the second h ig h e st type score fo r the in d iv id u a l on h is V ocational P referen ce In v en to ry (V PI). P e rs o n a lity code com binations are of two c la s s e s : 1) c o n s is te n t the h ig h e st types do not re p re se n t c o n tra d ic to ry p sy ch o lo g ical a t t r i b u t e s and promote s t a b i l i t y of vocatio n a l ch o ice; and 2) in c o n s is te n t- - th e two h ig h e st types in d ic a te contr a d ic to r y p sy ch o lo g ical a t t r i b u t e s which w ill promote v o c a tio n a l changes and c a re e r i n s t a b i l i t y. S u b jects fo r t h i s study were f i f t y p r ie s t s s t i l l a c tiv e in the m in is try and f i f t y resig n ed p r i e s t s. Assessment m easures included a b io g ra p h ic a l in v e n to ry, H o lla n d 's V ocational P referen ce In v en to ry, and the A d jectiv e Check L is t. R esu lts o f t h i s study in d ic a te d th a t w ith reg ard to demographic c h a r a c te r i s t ic s o f the sam ples, th e re were no s ig n if ic a n t d iffe re n c e s in age, fa m ily 's s o c ia l p o s itio n, number of c h ild re n in the fam ily, o rd in a l p o s itio n, age a t en tra n ce to th e sem inary, or age a t o rd in a tio n to the p rie sth o o d. A marked s im i la r i ty o f p r o f il e s on the VPI o f the a c tiv e and resig n ed p r ie s t s was found. Both groups had th e i r h ig h e st p r o f il e peak on the S o cia l type sc a le and the same tw o -d ig it h ig h -p o in t, c o n s is te n t, p e rs o n a lity com bination S o c i a l - A r t i s t i c. Thus, th e s ix p e rs o n a lity -ty p e s c a le s o f the VPI did not s ig n if i c a n tl y d i s c rim in ate between a c tiv e and resig n ed p r i e s t s. On the o th e r hand, the viii

13 fin d in g s were su p p o rtiv e of H o lla n d 's g e n era l h y p o th esis th a t members o f a v o catio n have s im ila r p e r s o n a li tie s. Furtherm ore, th e b io g ra p h ic a l d ata which showed th a t 80% o f the resig n ed p r i e s t s p re s e n tly occupy so cial-m o d el type occupations may be viewed as in d ic a tin g an " in tr a c la s s change," nam ely, th e s e le c tio n o f an o ccupation in the same g e n e ra l c la s s as the o r ig in a l ch o ice. On the A d jectiv e Check L is t s c a le s, resig n ed p r ie s t s scored s ig n if i c a n tl y h ig h er on s e lf-c o n fid e n c e, achievem ent, dominance, endurance, and o rd e r. R e su lts suggest th a t f u rth e r re se a rc h tak es in to account th e ap p aren t homogeneity of i n t e r e s t p a tte rn s o f the p rie sth o o d "environm ent" and seek the i n f l u e n t i a l v a ria b le s fo r " in tr a c la s s change" in term s o f more s p e c ific s i t u a ti o n a l and p e rso n o lo g ic a l f a c to r s.

14 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In c re a sin g p opular and p ro fe s s io n a l a t te n ti o n i s c u rre n tly being given to th e s u b je c t o f "d ro p -o u ts" from th e ranks o f r e l i gious m in is te rs ( B a r t l e t t, 1971). This a t te n ti o n has grown out of both an e f f o r t to understand th e changing ro le o f th e m in is te r w ith in th e churches and a more g e n e ra l i n t e r e s t in th e fu n c tio n of the m in is te r in modern te c h n o lo g ic a l s o c ie ty. The problem o f m in is te r ia l re sig n e e s is p re s e n tly experienced in th e th re e m ajor f a it h s : Jew ish (G re e n fie ld, 1969); P ro te s ta n t (C o v ell, 1970; Jud e t a l., 1970; B a r t l e t t, 1969); and Roman C ath o lic (S c h a lle rt & K elle y, 1970; O 'B rien, 1969; G reeley, 1972). W ithin th e Roman C a th o lic Church, m i n is te r i a l re s ig n a tio n s have d ra m a tic a lly in c re ased sin c e th e end o f th e Second V atican C ouncil (S c h a lle rt & K elley, 1970), an assem bly o f the w o rld 's C ath o lic bishops gath ered to d isc u ss th e problem s of the Church (Abbott & G allag h er, 1966). I t is estim a te d th a t between the y ears 1964 and 1970, 2 to 4%, something lik e 15,000 p r i e s t s o f the Roman C ath o lic world c l e r g y have l e f t th e o f f i c i a l m in is try of th e Church. The percen tag e fo r th e number o f American p r i e s t s who have resig n ed is e stim ated to be 12% or more (NORC, 1971; G reeley, 1972). The phenomenon of p r ie s t s leav in g th e o f f i c i a l m in is try is

15 2 not something new in th e h is to r y o f th e Church. However, in a d d itio n to a s ig n if ic a n t q u a n tita tiv e d iffe re n c e o f p r i e s t s leav in g befo re and a f t e r the Second V atican C ouncil, th e re i s in d ic a tio n o f a q u a l i t a tiv e d iffe re n c e. Furtherm ore, the n eg ativ e b ia s toward leav in g the o f f i c i a l m in is try which was once a s ta b i liz in g fa c to r in a p r i e s t 's v o catio n are not as pow erful on th e contem porary scene. In the p a s t, the "d ro p -o u t" p r i e s t was looked upon as a d i s a f f i l i a t e, or even a " t r a i t o r " and many members o f the i n s t i t u t i o n looked upon him w ith n eg ativ e fe e lin g s (S c h a lle rt & K elley, 1970). Today, however, th e re i s a g r e a te r tendency to understand and accep t th e p erso n al fa c to rs and i n s t i t u t i o n a l d i f f i c u l t i e s which e n te r in to a p r i e s t 's d e c isio n to leave th e a c tiv e m in is try. From the s o c io lo g ic a l p o in t of view, the C ath o lic Church may be looked upon as an autonomous c o rp o rate i n s t i t u t i o n, h ie r a r c h ic a lly o rg an ized. In term s o f i t s own se lf-im a g e, th e Church sees i t s members as sh arin g c e r t a in fundam ental b e l i e f s, a r i t u a l e x p ressio n of th e se b e l ie f s, and an o b lig a tio n of ex p ressin g th e se b e lie f s and c u l t i c m a n ife s ta tio n s in th e community. Church members have v a rio u s e s ta b lis h e d r o le s. One o f th e se ro le s is th a t o f the " p r i e s t. " The o f f i c i a l p riesth o o d is p erceiv ed as c o n s is tin g o f those members who have receiv ed a r i t u a l l y co n ferred (" sa c e rd o ta l o rd in a tio n " ) permanent ro le of a u th o rity and r e s p o n s ib ility in r e l a t i o n to the body of b e lie v e r s, the l a i t y (Tageson, 1970). P r ie s ts a re n ece ssary to serve as th e manpower to m a in tain the e c c l e s i a s t i c a l s tr u c tu r e. Thus, the ro le o f the p r ie s t i s an o rg a n iz a tio n a l ro le and h is ta s k s are

16 3 re g u la te d, in a c o d ifie d and system ized way, by the Church i n s t i t u t i o n i t s e l f in th e most im portant a s p e c ts o f i t. As a r e s u l t, "the o rg a n iz a tio n does w holly absorb i t s c le rg y, even i f th e c le rg y do not w holly absorb th e o rg a n iz a tio n (Gannon, 1971, p. 7 4 )." The p rie sth o o d ro le is p erceiv ed as a fu ll- tim e o ccu p atio n. As an unpublished working paper fo r a re c e n t w orld synod of bishops s ta te d : " P r ie s tly m in is try pervades th e e n t ir e l i f e o f the p r i e s t. I t is not a tempora ry or o c c a sio n a l o ccu p a tio n." T h e re fo re, th e l i f e - s t y l e of th e p r i e s t i s g r e a tly re g u la te d, p a r t i c u l a r l y is t h i s tru e w ith reg ard to m a rriag e. There e x is ts fo r the W estern R ite o f the Roman C ath o lic Church an e c c l e s i a s t i c a l law of " o b lig a to ry c e lib a c y " which p r o h ib its a p r i e s t to m arry. In a d d itio n to the e c c l e s i a s t i c a l l e g is la t io n (Canon Law) re g u la tin g a p r i e s t 's ro le and l i f e - s t y l e, th e re a re many d iv e rs e, a t tim es s u b tle, e x p e c ta tio n s on the p a rt of h is su p e rio rs and on th e p a r t of the l a i t y concerning what th e p r ie s t should be and n ot be, should do and not do ( B a r t l e t t, 1971). The p r i e s t l y ro le i s not liv e d in s o c ia l is o la tio n. I t s perform ance ta k es p lace in th e v o rte x of the p re v a ilin g s o c ia l and c u l tu r a l phenomena. E l l i s (1971) has d escrib ed t h i s fe a tu re fo r the American scene. One im portant s o c ia l event which has had a profound im pact on th e p riesth o o d was th e Second V atican Council (O 'B rien, 1971). In p a r t due to i t s d e lib e r a tio n s o f q u estio n s form erly consid ered c lo se d, problems concerning m a tte rs of b e l ie f and e t h ic s, e c c l e s i a s t i c a l a u th o r ity, ro le c o n f lic ts in the perform ance of the m in is try, o b lig a to ry c e lib a c y, and contem porary s o c ia l problem s have

17 4 in c re ased the p re ssu re s w eighing on the occupant o f the p r i e s t l y r o le. As G reeley (1972) has p o in ted o u t: I f one is going to u n derstand the p re se n t problem s of the American p rie s th o o d, one must r e a liz e th a t i t has experienced th e v a lu e s, th e behavior p a tte r n s, th e le a d e rsh ip s ty le s, and th e g o als of th e p a s t were je ttis o n e d alm ost o v e rn ig h t. In th e absence o f both th e o ry and the le a d e rsh ip to f a c i l i t a t e th e a c q u is itio n o f new s t y l e s, chaos is not too stro n g a word fo r th e r e s u lt (p. 2 4 ). R esearch I n v e s tig a tio n s to d isc o v e r those c h a r a c te r i s t ic s which d i f f e r e n t ia te " p e r s is te r s " from " n o n p e rs is te rs " in the v o c a tio n to the C ath o lic p rie sth o o d have used sem in arian s, those stu d e n ts in tra in in g fo r th e p rie s th o o d, as s u b je c ts and th e overwhelming m a jo rity of th e se s tu d ie s were undertaken p r io r to th e Second V atican C ouncil. For a com prehensive b ib lio g ra p h y o f th e se s tu d ie s, see Menges & D itte s (1965). C onsequently, the p re se n t s itu a tio n c a l ls fo r a s h if t o f focus from th e q u e stio n o f persev eran ce in the tr a in in g sta g e of th e p rie sth o o d to the q u e stio n of p ersev eran ce once th a t o ccu p a tio n a l ro le has been ach iev ed. I t i s obvious th a t th e p r i e s t 's concerns are n ot c e n tered around the problem s o f g ain in g access to and th e s ta tu s o f the o ccu p a tio n a l r o le, but r a th e r around the problem s involved in f u l f i l l i n g th a t ro le in contem porary s o c ie ty. C o n sid eratio n o f contem porary f a c to rs involved in th e c u rre n t r a te o f re s ig n a tio n s from the o f f i c i a l p rie sth o o d are la rg e ly in the form o f sp e c u la tiv e assum ptions and e x h o rta tio n s which obviously do not c o n s titu te e m p iric a l in t e r p r e ta tio n s. Two in v e s tig a tio n s o f a

18 5 more e m p iric a l n a tu re are s o c io lo g ic a l s tu d ie s ( S c h a lle rt & K elley, 1970; NORC, 1971). S c h a lle rt and K elley (1970), employing an open-ended in te rv ie w te ch n iq u e, and re p o rtin g t h e i r fin d in g s in a c o n tex t h e a v ily i n t e r woven w ith t h e i r th e o r e tic a l in t e r p r e t a t i o n s, c h a ra c te riz e d the resig n ed p r i e s t as one who i s : s tro n g ly o rie n te d toward change, deeply aware o f th e su b je c tiv e dim ension o f s e l f ; m a n ife sts a s i g n i f i cant degree o f a lie n a t io n, e s p e c ia lly in the dim ension o f p o w erlessn ess. The o th e r study (NORC, 1971) i s the r e s u l t o f th e N ational Conference of C ath o lic Bishops a u th o riz in g a s p e c ia l in v e s tig a tio n of th e American p r i e s t l y m in is try. A summary o f t h i s, as y e t, unpublished NORC (N ational O pinion Research C enter) re p o rt was p resen te d fo r d i s cu ssio n to th e American C ath o lic bishops a t t h e i r g e n e ra l m eeting in A p ril, R ecen tly, G reeley (1972) has p u b lish e d some e x c e rp ts o f the fin d in g s, as re p o rte d in th e above m entioned summary, to g e th e r w itji.some o f h is r e f le c ti o n s. The study employed q u e stio n n a ire and in te rv ie w tech n iq u es and the r e s u l t s co n tain ed in th e a b b rev iated re p o rt in d ic a te d th a t: 1) the two reaso n s most fre q u e n tly given fo r re s ig n a tio n by re sig n e e s are i n a b i l i t y to liv e w ith in th e e c c le s ia s t i c a l government s tr u c tu re o f the Church and th e d e s ire to m arry; 2) re sig n e e s do not re g re t t h e i r d e c isio n to le a v e ; 3) many re sig n e e s s t i l l see them selves belonging to the Church in some way; 4) many fin d more s a t i s f a c t i o n in th e i r p re se n t c a re e rs th an they did in th e i r p riesth o o d work; 5) resig n ed p r i e s t s d i f f e r from th e s t i l l a c tiv e o f f i c i a l p r i e s t s in a t t i t u d e s concerning some e t h i c a l, s o c ia l, and

19 6 b e l ie f q u e s tio n s. A more com plete a n a ly s is of t h i s NORC study must aw ait i t s p u b lic a tio n. In a d d itio n, G reeley (1972) m entioned th a t sim ultaneous w ith the NORC re s e a rc h, a p sy ch o lo g ical study of p r ie s t s s t i l l a c tiv e in the m in is try was conducted. One in stru m en t employed was Shostrom 's (1966) P erso n al O rie n ta tio n In v en to ry (P O I). This instru m en t i s supposed to r e f l e c t an in d iv id u a l's p o s itiv e m ental h e a lth a t t r i b u t e s in term s of h u m an istic, e x i s t e n t i a l, and growth co n cep ts. A prim ary in flu e n c e on i t s c o n s tru c tio n is M aslow 's (1954) c o n c e p tu a liz a tio n of " s e l f - a c t u a l i z a t i o n." One fin d in g was th a t th e re is a s lig h t r e l a tio n sh ip between an " in n e r-d ire c te d " p e rs o n a lity score (one "guided by in te r n a l m o tiv atio n s r a th e r than e x te rn a l in flu e n c e s " ) and an i n c l i n a tio n to re s ig n from the p rie s th o o d. Thus,... i t appears th a t th e re i s a tendency fo r re sig n e e s to be h y p e ra c tu a liz e d, and fo r those who rem ain to be h y p o a c tu a liz e d. In o th e r w ords, some of those who leave the p rie sth o o d show ex ce ssiv e needs fo r independence, and some o f those who sta y show ex ce ssiv e needs fo r dependence, which su g g ests th a t some men leave because th ey are o v e ra c tu a liz e d and some men sta y because they are u n d e ra c tu a liz e d (G reeley, 1972, p. 4 3 ). This p sy ch o lo g ical study of a c tiv e p r i e s t s has not been publis h e d. I t is th e re fo re im possible to give th e data w ith reg ard to the sco res or the in te r r e la tio n s h ip s found. Career-C hanging C areer-changing is not a unique phenomenon in s o c ie ty. People fre q u e n tly change ro le s or p o s itio n s, sometimes v o lu n ta r ily, sometim es in v o lu n ta r ily. But, as H inrichs (1970) n o te s, the im portant problem o f tu rn o v er in the "world of work" needs more re s e a rc h. He

20 7 s t a t e s : R esearch to t i e down s y s te m a tic a lly more o f the in d iv id u a l d iffe re n c e f a c to rs and environm ental m oderators ex p lain in g tu rn o v er v a ria n ce could be q u ite u s e fu l both to o rg a n iz a tio n s to reduce t h e i r manpower c o s ts and to in d iv id u a ls to reduce the d is ru p tio n o fte n a s so c ia te d w ith job changes (p. 544). Research to in v e s tig a te the in d iv id u a l d iffe re n c e fa c to rs and environm ental v a ria b le s d i f f e r e n t i a t i n g resig n ed p r i e s t s from those s t i l l a c tiv e in the o f f i c i a l m in is try would appear to be q u ite u s e fu l. From a pragm atic p o in t o f view, i t would prove h e lp fu l to th e i n s t i t u tio n fo r q u estio n s a s s o c ia te d w ith re c ru itm e n t, s e le c tio n, tr a in in g, and i n s t i t u t i o n a l refo rm s. From a c l i n i c a l p e rs p e c tiv e, i t would d e liv e r in fo rm atio n u s e fu l in the cou n selin g of those who s ta y in and those who leave the a c tiv e m in is try. Concerning the broader i n t e r e s t s of psychology, such re se a rc h could provide d ata fo r use in the f ie l d s of s o c ia l and in d u s tr i a l psychology, fo r example in th e area of " o rg a n iz a tio n a l c lim a te " (T ag iu ri & L itw in, 1968). Again, in the area of Community Psychology i t is recognized th a t the c le rg y can perform an im portant fu n c tio n in e f f e c tin g change and in p roviding th e ra p e u tic e f f e c tiv e n e s s. The c le rg y, by v ir tu e of th e i r ro le in the s o c ia l environm ent, have an em otional s ig n ific a n c e fo r many people who c o n s titu te the ta r g e t p o p u la tio n s of proposed human p o te n tia l change program s. Smith and Hobbs (1966) p o in t out th a t by p roviding c o n s u lta tio n to the governing ag en cies of the com m unity--for example, sch o o ls, in d u s try, and c h u rc h e s--th e ra p e u tic p ro fe s s io n a ls can e n l i s t the members o f th ese s ig n if ic a n t groups as change-agents to help improve the q u a lity o f community and fam ily l i f e fo r a l l c i tiz e n s. C e rta in ly,

21 8 knowledge from re se a rc h on the v a rio u s problem s involved in th e s tr u c tu r a l and p erso n n el fu n c tio n s w ith in th e se groups would prove b e n e fic i a l to such th e ra p e u tic program s. H inrichs (1970) has s ta te d th a t re se a rc h on the su b je c t of "tu rn o v er" should attem p t to d e a l w ith both in d iv id u a l d iffe re n c e fa c to rs and environm ental f e a tu r e s. This is in lin e w ith M ill e r 's (1963) th in k in g on s o c ia l in te r a c tio n and a ls o the view of Hunt (1965). P ervin (1967; P ervin & Rubin, 1967) used t h i s approach in h is stu d ie s of s tu d e n t-c o lle g e in te r a c tio n. R e su lts of a c o n sid era b le number of s tu d ie s suggest th a t p e r s o n a lity c h a r a c te r i s t ic s play an im portant ro le in c a re e r p referen c e and s t a b i l i t y (Osipow, 1968). S ig n ific a n t among the attem p ts to r e la te p e rs o n a lity to o ccu p a tio n a l p re fe re n c e is the th e o ry p o stu la te d by Holland (1966). In g e n e ra l, H olland holds th a t v o c a tio n a l choice is an e x p re s sio n of p e rs o n a lity and, th e re f o r e, i n t e r e s t in v e n to rie s can be viewed as p e rs o n a lity in v e n to rie s. Among H o lla n d 's b asic assum ptions are the follo w in g : 1) members o f a v o catio n have s im ila r p e r s o n a litie s ; and 2) v o c a tio n a l s a ti s f a c tio n and s t a b i l i t y depend on th e congruency between o n e 's p e rs o n a lity and the environm ent (composed la rg e ly of o th e r people) in which one works. According to H olland, in our c u ltu re most people can be c l a s s i f i e d as one of s ix types ( R e a lis tic, I n t e l l e c t u a l, S o c ia l, C onventional, E n te rp ris in g, and A r t i s t i c ). People p o ssess c h a ra c te r i s t i c s o f a l l six ty p e s, but each person o p e ra te s in such a manner as

22 9 to r e f l e c t one or two o f th e se o r ie n ta tio n s more stro n g ly than th e o th e rs. C onsequently, the c lo s e r an in d iv id u a l resem bles a p a r tic u la r type the more lik e ly i t is he w ill e x h ib it p e rs o n a lity c h a r a c te r i s t ic s c o n s is te n t w ith th a t type (Folsom, 1969). Holland (1970) developed an in v e n to ry, V ocational P referen ce In v en to ry (VPI) to a sse ss th ese ty p e s. He expands th e number o f c a te g o rie s in h is c l a s s i f i c a t i o n system from 6 to 30 by coding the h ig h e st type score and the second h ig h e st type score fo r each in d iv id u a l. In addition, Holland (1966) claims that there are six basic model environments that correspond to the personality types (Realistic, Intellectual, Social, Conventional, Enterprising, and Artistic). For each personality type there is a related occupational environment. A further assumption of Holland's theory is that congruent person-environment interactions (interaction of people and environments belonging to the same personality type or environmental model) lead to outcomes that are predictable from the knowledge of the personality types and the environmental models. These outcomes include vocational choice and vocational stability. P e rs o n a lity code com binations are of two c la s s e s : 1) c o n s is te n t- - th e h ig h e st types do not re p re s e n t c o n tra d ic to ry psycholo g ic a l a t t r i b u t e s and promote s t a b i l i t y of v o c a tio n a l ch o ice; and 2) in c o n s is te n t the two h ig h e st types in d ic a te c o n tra d ic to ry psycholo g ic a l a t t r i b u t e s which w ill promote v o c a tio n a l changes and c a re e r i n s t a b i l i t y. Holland p re d ic ts th a t in d iv id u a ls w ith in c o n s is te n t

23 10 p a tte rn s w ill be le ss capable of r e s i s t i n g e x te rn a l environm ental p re ssu re s than are persons w ith c o n s is te n t p a tte r n s. Each model environm ent a t t r a c t s th a t person whose dominant type is s im ila r to the type a s s o c ia te d w ith the environm ent. The cons is te n c y and homogeneity of an environm ent a f f e c t s s t a b i l i t y of vocatio n a l ch o ice. A " c o n s is te n t" environm ent is one which has a p a tte r n th a t is p sy c h o lo g ic a lly and s o c io lo g ic a lly c o n s is te n t. The "e n v iro n m ental p a tte rn " can be assumed to be the p r o f ile of types obtained from the census of a l l types in an environm ent. Thus, th e tw o -d ig it codes considered c o n s is te n t p e rs o n a lity p a tte r n s a ls o in d ic a te cons i s t e n t environm ental p a tte r n s. H o lla n d 's (1966) re se a rc h p e rta in in g to h is th e o ry, as w e ll as th a t of o th e r in v e s tig a to rs (Osipow, 1968; Folsom, 1969; Osipow, 1969; Southworth & M orningstar, 1970; Posthuma & Novran, 1970) in d ic a te support fo r the th eo ry and i t s c o n s tru c ts. I t would appear th a t H o lla n d 's th e o ry provides a u s e fu l fram e work fo r the in v e s tig a tio n of p r i e s t l y v o c a tio n a l s t a b i l i t y. According to H o lla n d 's (1966) th eo ry the churches can be conc e p tu a liz e d as "environm ents" (see a ls o, S e lls, 1968). For him, the church would be conceived as a " s o c ia l environm ent" model type. T h e o re tic a lly d e fin e d, the " s o c ia l environm ent" type is c h a ra c te riz e d by problem s th a t re q u ire the a b i l i t y to in t e r p r e t and modify human behavior and an in t e r e s t fo r and communicating w ith o th e rs. E m piric a lly d e sc rib e d, the ty p ic a l problems and s itu a tio n s a re ; the a b i l i t y to in te r p r e t human behavior and to te ach o th e rs ; fre q u e n t,

24 11 prolonged p e rso n al r e la tio n s h ip s w ith o th e rs ; persons re c e iv in g help or tr a in in g convey s ta tu s and a f f e c tio n to the person working in t h i s environm ent; v e rb a l f a c i l i t y is demanded fo r le c tu r in g, te a c h in g, and h elp in g o th e rs ; p h y sic a l requirem ents are l i g h t ta lk in g, rea d in g, li s te n in g ; a b i l i t y t o cope w ith a g re a t range o f ty p e s. The instru m en t developed by Holland (1970), V ocational P referen ce In v en to ry (VPI) might be u s e fu l to d i f f e r e n t i a t e between those p r i e s t s who rem ain in the a c tiv e m in is try and th o se who re s ig n. In a d d itio n, sin ce H o lla n d 's (1966) c o n c e p tu a liz a tio n o f the d i f f e r en t p e rs o n a lity types a ls o in c lu d es a s s o c ia te d p e r s o n a lity c h a ra c te r i s t i c s, i t would be p r o f ita b le to a ls o employ an o th er instru m en t th a t would fu rn is h in fo rm atio n on p e r s o n a lity v a r ia b le s. A w idely used in v e n to ry in p e r s o n a lity assessm ent re s e a rc h i s the A d jectiv e Check L is t (Gough & H eilb ru n, 1965). Statem ent o f th e Problem Taken c o l le c t iv e l y, the foregoing in tro d u c to ry remarks p o in t to the im portance o f und erstan d in g the problem of re s ig n a tio n s from the p rie sth o o d. They a ls o show th a t re se a rc h d ata on t h i s problem is sp a rse. M oreover, re se a rc h a lre a d y undertaken is e i t h e r ov erly mixed w ith th e o r e tic a l in t e r p r e ta tio n s, or sim ply u n a v a ila b le because unpublished. Q uite c e r ta in ly re se a rc h on th i s to p ic i s d i f f i c u l t and comp le x because of the m u ltitu d e of v a ria b le s in volved. N e v e rth e le ss, in s p ite of th i s com plexity, i t appears w orthw hile to undertake o b je c tiv e re se a rc h in th i s a re a, even i f i t is o f lim ite d scope. ~

25 12 The m ajor purpose o f t h i s study was to in v e s tig a te w hether or not th o se p r i e s t s who have resig n ed from the a c tiv e m in is try can be d if f e r e n tia t e d from th o se who rem ain w ith in i t in term s of p e rso n a l i t y v a ria b le s and person-environm ent in te r a c tio n f a c to rs as expressed in th e th e o r e tic a l framework o f Holland (1966). Since in v e s tig a tio n of t h i s are a is s t i l l in i t s e x p lo ra to ry sta g e, i t was d i f f i c u l t to form ulate s p e c if ic h y potheses. From the su g g estio n s emerging from H o lla n d s th e o ry of v o c a tio n a l choice and v o c a tio n a l s t a b i l i t y and from th e a v a ila b le re s e a rc h d ata on re s ig n a tio n s from th e p rie s th o o d, the fo llo w in g, somewhat g lo b a l, q u estio n s were in v e s tig a te d : 1) Is th e re a s ig n if ic a n t d iffe re n c e between a c tiv e and resig n ed p r ie s t s in term s o f t h e i r sco res on the " s o c ia l" p e rs o n a lity type dimension? 2) Is th e re a s ig n if ic a n t d iffe re n c e between a c tiv e and resig n ed p r ie s t s in term s o f t h e i r code com binations o f p e rs o n a lity types? 3) Do a c tiv e p r i e s t s d i f f e r from resig n ed p r ie s t s in term s of g re a te r c o n siste n c y of t h e i r code com binations? 4) Do a c tiv e p r i e s t s d i f f e r from resig n ed p r i e s t s in term s of p e rso n o lo g ic a l c h a r a c te r i s t ic s and needs?

26 CHAPTER II METHOD Subjects S u b jects fo r th i s study were f i f t y p r i e s t s s t i l l a c tiv e in the m in is try and f i f t y resig n ed p r ie s t s randomly s e le c te d from d ir e c to r ie s a v a ila b le to the re s e a rc h e r. In c lu s io n in the study was lim ite d to those who served or are serv in g in th e Southern p a rt of th e U nited S ta te s and who were not over the age of 45 y e a rs. In a d d itio n, fo r the resig n ed sam ple, only those who had v o lu n ta r ily withdraw n from th e m in is try sin ce the tim e of the Second V atican Council were used. Assessment Measures 1. B iog rap h ical In v e n to ry. An in v en to ry of b io g ra p h ic a l item s, developed fo r t h i s study was used (Appendix A). 2. V ocational P referen ce In ventory (V PI). H o lla n d 's (1970) in v e n to ry i s composed e n t i r e l y o f o ccu p atio n al t i t l e s (Appendix B ). The subject takes the inventory by indicating the occupations which he likes or dislikes, or indifferent to. The profile obtained from the inventory's scores indicates the individual's peaks on the six personality types (Realistic, Intellectual, Social, Conventional, Enterprising, Artistic), and also measures the individual on five additional scales (Self-control, Masculinity, Status, Infrequency, and

27 14 A cquiescence). L ite r a tu r e p e rta in in g to the in v e n to ry 's r e l i a b i l i t y, v a l id it y and use in re s e a rc h i s provided in the manual (H olland, 1970) and in Buros (1970). 3. A d jectiv e Check L is t (ACL). This in strum ent was o r i g i n a lly c o n stru c te d fo r use in th e re se a rc h program of the I n s t i t u t e fo r P e rs o n a lity Assessment and R esearch (IPAR). I t c o n s is ts o f a s ta n dard ized l i s t o f 300 a d je c tiv e s. The respondent marks a l l th e a d je c tiv e s he c o n sid e rs to be d e s c rip tiv e of h im self (Appendix C). I t p rovides 24 s c a le s in d ic a tin g v a rio u s p e rs o n a lity c h a r a c te r i s t ic s and needs: 1) t o t a l number o f a d je c tiv e s checked; 2) d e fe n siv e n e ss; 3) number of fav o rab le a d je c tiv e s checked; 4) number of unfavorable a d je c tiv e s checked; 5) s e lf-c o n fid e n c e ; 6) s e lf - c o n tr o l; 7) l a b i l i t y ; 8) p e rso n a l ad ju stm en t; 9) achievem ent; 10) dominance; 11) endurance; 12) o rd e r; 13) in tr a c e p tio n ; 14) n u rtu ra n c e ; 15) a f f i l i a t i o n ; 16) h e te ro s e x u a lity ; 17) e x h ib itio n ; 18) autonomy; 19) a g g re ssio n ; 20) change; 21) succorance; 22) abasem ent; 23) d eferen c e; 24) cou n selin g re a d in e s s. L ite r a tu r e p e rta in in g to the in s tru m e n t's r e l i a b i l i t y, v a l id it y and use in re se a rc h is provided in the manual (Gough & H eilb ru n, 1965) and in Buros (1970). The c r i t e r i a fo r s e le c tin g th e VPI and the ACL w ere: 1) th e ir c o n s tru c tio n and the r e s u ltin g d ata appeared more adequate to t e s t the im p lic a tio n s o f H o lla n d 's th e o ry ; and 2) t h e ir app aren t n e u tra l conte n t avoids th e n eg ativ e re a c tio n s fre q u e n tly provoked by "obvious" and lengthy p e rs o n a lity in v e n to rie s.

28 15 Procedure S ubjects were co n tacted and given th e t e s t s on an in d iv id u a l b a s is. The e x p la n a tio n given fo r the purpose of th e study was th a t i t was an in v e s tig a tio n r e la tin g i n t e r e s t s to s e lf - d e s c r ip tio n s. No names were req u ire d to be given on the answer s h e e ts. The sta n d a rd ized in s tr u c tio n s of th e VPI and the ACL were employed. A n aly sis of Data O v erall p r o f il e s im ila r ity was examined by se p a ra te m u ltiv a r ia te a n a ly s is o f v a ria n c e procedures fo r the V ocational P referen ce In v en to ry (VPI) and fo r the A d jectiv e Check L is t (ACL). Where i t was a p p ro p ria te, t e s t s fo r the s ig n ific a n c e between means were used fo r the b io g ra p h ic a l item s.

29 CHAPTER I I I RESULTS Demographic C h a r a c te r is tic s of the Samples The demographic c h a r a c te r i s t ic s of the samples are p resen ted in Table 1. No s ig n if ic a n t d iffe re n c e s between a c tiv e and resig n ed p r i e s t s were found in age, fa m ily 's s o c ia l p o s itio n, number of c h ild re n in the fam ily, o rd in a l p o s itio n, age a t en tran ce to the sem inary, or age a t o rd in a tio n to the p rie sth o o d. The e d u c a tio n a l requirem ent fo r en tran ce in to the p riesth o o d i s th e fu lf illm e n t of a p o s t-c o lle g e, fo u r-y e a r th e o lo g ic a l program. S tudents may e le c t to o b ta in, in most th e o lo g ic a l sch o o ls, a m a s te r's le v e l degree during th e fo u rth y e a r. In sp e c tio n o f th e b io g ra p h ic a l d ata o f the su b je c ts fo r th i s study showed th a t 17 (34%) of the a c tiv e p r i e s t s possessed MA's, nine of which were o btained a t the comp le tio n of t h e i r th e o lo g ic a l co u rse s. In a d d itio n, 8 (16%) of the a c tiv e p r i e s t s had pursued graduate c o u rse s. For resig n ed p r i e s t s, one held a Ph.D, 28 (56%) held MA's (most obtained a f t e r leaving the p rie s th o o d ), and 5 (10%) had taken some graduate co u rse s. The mean number of y ears o f m in is try fo r the resig n ed p r ie s t s was 4.33 (SD=2.30). F o rty -th re e (86%) o f the resig n ed p r ie s t s were m a rrie d.

30 17 TABLE 1 DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES FOR ACTIVE AND RESIGNED PRIESTS V ariable A ctive Resigned Age M SD F am ily 's S o cia l P o s itio n 3 M SD Number of C hild ren in Family M SD O rdinal P o s itio n (1) only c h ild 5 2 (2) f i r s t born (3) m iddle (4) youngest 13 8 Age a t E ntrance to Seminary M SD Age a t O rd in atio n M SD ah o llin g sh e a d 's Two F acto r Index o f S o cial P o s itio n.

31 18 Comparison of V ocational P referen ce In v en to ry Scores Table 2 c o n ta in s the r e s u lt s o f a m u ltiv a r ia te a n a ly s is of v aria n ce and u n iv a ria te t e s t s of th e V ocational P referen ce In v en to ry (VPI) sco res u sing th e Wilks Lambda C rite rio n fo r t e s t s o f s ig n ific a n c e. The re sig n ed p r i e s t s ' mean p r o f il e on the VPI follow ed the p r o f il e fo r a c tiv e p r i e s t s r a th e r c lo s e ly in g e n era l c o n fig u ra tio n (Figure 1 ). The s ix s c a le s of th e VPI which d e sig n a te H o lla n d 's (1966) p e rs o n a lity ty p es ( R e a lis tic, I n t e l l e c t u a l, S o c ia l, C onventional, E n te rp ris in g, A r t i s t i c ) did not s ig n if i c a n tl y d is c rim in a te between the two groups s tu d ie d. Both groups, a c tiv e and resig n ed p r i e s t s, are c h a ra c te riz e d by a high s o c ia l score (S o c ia l Type). Employing H o lla n d 's (1966) tw o -d ig it h ig h -p o in t codes, both groups are c l a s s i f i e d as 3-6 code ty p es ( S o c ia l - A r t is tic ). Thus, th e common tw o -d ig it h igh- p o in t code fo r the t o t a l sam ple, a c tiv e plu s resig n ed p r i e s t s, is s o c i a l - a r t i s t i c. On the rem aining fiv e sc a le s of th e VPI (S e lf- c o n tro l, M a sc u lin ity, S ta tu s, Infreq u en cy, A cquiescence), only one, the S e lf - c o n tr o l, sc a le s ig n if i c a n tl y d if f e r e n tia t e d between th e a c tiv e and resig n ed sam ples. In s p e c tio n o f th e means o f t h i s sca le (Table 3) in d ic a te s th a t resig n ed p r i e s t s scored s ig n if i c a n tl y h igher (p.01) on s e lf - c o n t r o l. A d d itio n a l exam ination o f th e means o f th e VPI (Table 3) i n d i c a te s th a t on th e s ix p e rs o n a lity -ty p e s c a le s, th e low est mean score o btained by a c tiv e p r ie s t s was on the f i r s t s c a le, nam ely, the R e a lis tic p e rs o n a lity -ty p e s c a le. W hereas, the low est mean score o btained by the resig n ed p r i e s t s was on th e fo u rth s c a le, C onventional

32 19 TABLE 2 SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS OF VOCATIONAL PREFERENCE INVENTORY (VPI) SCORES M u ltiv a ria te A n aly sis o f V ariance W ilks Lambda C rite rio n Using Ma j or P a tte rn F d f(n u m erato r) d f ( e r r o r ) U n iv a ria te F T ests V ariable F (1/98) MS R e a lis tic I n t e l l e c t u a l S o cial C onventional E n te rp ris in g A r t i s t i c S e lf-c o n tro l * M asc u lin ity S ta tu s In frequency A cquiesence

33 A ctive Resigned Real Int Soc Conv Ent Art Co Mf St Inf Ac Figure 1. Mean VPI P ro file Scores fo r A ctive and Resigned P r ie s ts. \

34 21 TABLE 3 MEANS AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS OF VPI SCORES FOR ACTIVE AND RESIGNED PRIESTS V ariab le A ctive Resigned R e a lis tic M SD I n t e l l e c t u a l M SD S o cial M SD C onventional M SD E n te rp ris in g M SD A r t i s t i c M SD S e lf-c o n tro l M SD

35 22 TABLE 3 (Continued) V ariable A ctive Resigned M ascu lin ity M SD S tatu s M SD Infrequency M SD A cquiesence M SD

36 23 p e rs o n a lity -ty p e s c a le. On the rem aining fiv e sc a le s of H o lla n d 's in v en to ry ( S e lf - c o n tr o l, M a sc u lin ity, S ta tu s, In freq u en cy, A cquiescence) the low est mean score fo r both a c tiv e and resig n ed p r ie s t s was on th e e ig h th sc a le (M a sc u lin ity ). Comparison of the Adjective Check List Scores Table 4 c o n ta in s th e r e s u lt s of a m u ltiv a r ia te a n a ly s is of v a ria n ce and u n iv a ria te t e s t s o f the A d jectiv e Check L is t (ACL) sco res u sin g th e W ilks Lambda C rite rio n fo r t e s t s of s ig n ific a n c e. The resig n ed p r i e s t s ' mean p r o f il e on the ACL follow ed the p r o f il e fo r a c tiv e p r i e s t s r a th e r c lo s e ly in g en era l c o n fig u ra tio n (Figure 2 ). Scores fo r both groups, a c tiv e and re s ig n e d, can be consid ered to f a l l w ith in th e average ran g e. Of the tw en ty -fo u r s c a le s which make up the A d jectiv e Check L i s t, fiv e sc a le s s ig n if i c a n tl y d isc rim in a te d between the a c tiv e and resig n ed p r i e s t s : S e lf-c o n fid e n c e (p.0 4 ); Achievement (p.001); Dominance (p.002); Endurance (p.001); Order (p ). In sp e c tio n of the means o f the A d jectiv e Check L is t (Table 5) fo r th e se fiv e sc a le s in d ic a te s th a t resig n ed p r i e s t s score s ig n if i c a n tl y hig h er on the S e lf-c o n fid e n c e, Achievement, Dominance, Endurance, and Order s c a l e s. S p e c ific a lly, w ith reg ard to the q u e stio n s asked in th i s study: 1. Is th e re a s ig n if ic a n t d iffe re n c e between a c tiv e and resig n ed p r ie s t s in term s o f t h e i r sco res on the " s o c ia l" p e r s o n a lity - type dimension? The r e s u lt s o f the a n a ly s is of th e VPI (Table 2; Table 3)

37 24 TABLE 4 SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS OF ADJECTIVE CHECK LIST (ACL) SCORES Multivariate Analysis of Variance Using Wilks Lambda Criterion Major F df (numerator) df (error) Pattern U n iv a ria te F T ests V ariable F (l/9 8 ) MS T o tal checked D efensiveness Favorable U nfavorable S e lf-co n fid en ce * S e lf-c o n tro l L a b ility P ersonal adjustm ent Achievement * Dominance * Endurance * Order * I n tra c e p tio n N urturance A f f i l i a t i o n

38 25 TABLE 4 (Continued) Major P a tte rn F df(n u m erato r) d f (e rro r) U n iv a ria te F T ests (Continued) V ariable F (l/9 8 ) MS H e te ro se x u a lity E x h ib itio n Autonomy A ggression Change Succorance Abasement D eference Counseling re a d in e ss

39 A ctive Resigned

40 27 TABLE 5 MEANS AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS OF ACL SCORES FOR ACTIVE AND RESIGNED PRIESTS V ariab le A ctive Resigned No. Ckd M SD Df M SD Fav M SD Unfav M SD S-Cfd M SD S-Cn M SD Lab M SD

41 28 TABLE 5 (Continued) Variable Active Resigned Per Adj M SD Ach M SD Dom M SD End M SD Ord M SD Int M SD Nur M SD

42 29 TABLE 5 (Continued) V ariable A ctive Resigned A ff M SD Het M SD Exh M SD Aut M SD Agg M SD Cha M SD Sue M SD

43 30 TABLE 5 (Continued) V ariable A ctive Resigned Aba M SD Def M SD Crs M SD

44 31 undertaken in th i s study c le a r ly show th a t the h ig h e st peak (Figure 1) on H o lla n d 's (1970) in v e n to ry fo r both groups, a c tiv e and resig n ed p r i e s t s, is the S o cia l p e rs o n a lity -ty p e. C onsequently, a c tiv e and resig n ed p r i e s t s do not s ig n if i c a n tl y d i f f e r on t h i s s c a le. Indeed, the results give support to Holland's (1966) general hypothesis that members of a vocation have similar personalities as measured by his inventory (Holland, 1970). For him, the "social" personality, conceptually defined, copes with his environment by selecting goals, values, and tasks in which he can use his skills with an interest in other persons in order to train or change their behavior. The "social" type is concerned with the welfare of dependent persons: the poor, uneducated, sick, unstable, young, and aged. This personality-type seeks occupational environments classified in Holland's (1966) system as the social-model environment; one of which is church-work. Biographical data on the resigned priests revealed that 40 (80%) are presently occupying positions which can be classified as social-model types (counseling, social work, etc.). For this group, Holland (1966) would label their change of occupation an "intraclass change," namely, when a person moves to an occupation in the same general class as his original choice. 2. I s th e re a s ig n if ic a n t d iffe re n c e between a c tiv e and r e signed p r i e s t s in term s of t h e i r code com binations o f p e rs o n a lity types? The r e s u lt s of th e an aly se s o f the VPI sco res (Table 2;

45 32 Table 3) undertaken in th e p re se n t in v e s tig a tio n show th a t both a c tiv e and resig n ed p r ie s t s are to be c l a s s i f i e d w ith th e tw o -d ig it high p o in t code o f 3-6 ( S o c ia l - A r t is tic ). Thus, no s ig n if ic a n t d iffe re n c e e x i s t s between a c tiv e and resig n ed p r i e s t s on th e tw o -d ig it high p o in t code com bination. This fin d in g is congruent w ith H o lla n d 's (1966) ex p erim ental c l a s s i f i c a t i o n fo r v o c a tio n a l o ccu p a tio n s. Church-work (c le rg y ) is l i s t e d as an i l l u s t r a t i o n o f a 3-6 code o ccu p atio n. Exam ination of th e a n a ly se s of th e VPI (Table 2) sco res i n d i c a te s, however, what m ight be co n sid ered a tre n d toward a s ig n if ic a n t d iffe re n c e between a c tiv e and resig n ed p r i e s t s on the A r t i s t i c sca le (p.0 7 ). A ctive p r ie s t s have a h ig h e r mean score on th e A r t i s t i c sca le than resig n ed p r ie s t s (Table 3). 3. Do a c tiv e p r i e s t s d i f f e r from resig n ed p r i e s t s in term s of g re a te r co n siste n c y of t h e i r code com binations? R esu lts show th a t both a c tiv e and re sig n ed p r i e s t s are to be c l a s s i f i e d according to th e tw o -d ig it high p o in t code system as 3-6 ( S o c ia l - A r t is tic ). For H olland (1966) c o n siste n c y o f a code is a fu n c tio n o f th e s i m i l a r i t i e s between the prim ary and secondary ty p e s. In o th e r w ords, the h ig h e st types do not re p re s e n t c o n tra d ic to ry p sy ch o lo g ical a t t r i b u t e s and promote s t a b i l i t y o f v o c a tio n a l ch o ice. The 3-6 code com bination is l i s t e d by Holland (1966) as a c o n s is te n t co d e. 4. Do a c tiv e p r i e s t s d i f f e r from resig n ed p r i e s t s in term s of p e rso n o lo g ic a l c h a r a c te r i s t ic s and needs?