Interesseinventar

Interesseinventar is a term used to describe a family of psychometric instruments designed to measure an individual's preferences and interests across a range of activities, occupations, and subject areas. These inventories are primarily used in vocational guidance, education planning, and career counseling to help people identify fields that align with their interests and to inform decisions about study or career paths.

Most interesseinventar are self-report questionnaires. Respondents rate or select the level of interest they have in various items, such as tasks, jobs, or activities. Items are typically organized into scales or domains, often aligned with the Holland RIASEC model, which classifies interests into Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional areas. The results usually yield a profile of dominant interest areas and may include suggested occupations, education tracks, or development recommendations. Some inventories provide numerical scores, percentile ranks, or a coherence index comparing the respondent’s interests with those of reference groups.

History and development: The concept emerged with the rise of vocational guidance in the early 20th century and has since evolved through standardization, norming, and cross-cultural adaptation. Moderne interesseinventar emphasize reliability and validity while accommodating diverse linguistic and cultural contexts. They are intended to complement aptitude tests and personality measures rather than serve as sole determinants of career choice.

Limitations and use: As self-report tools, interesseinventar are subject to response biases and social desirability, and interests can change over time. They provide guidance and insight rather than definitive predictions of success in a given field.

Related concepts include Holland’s theory (RIASEC) and instruments such as the Strong Interest Inventory or the Self-Directed Search.