ABSTRACT
The interest pattern of an individual may be considered one of the main dimensions in his educational and vocational planning. However, from the nature and size of the intercorrelations, it is suggested that the scales are measuring different types of interests and that these are in the main independent. It was found that the Newspaper Heading Test (NHT), as a new approach to interest measurement as well as the first interest test in Turkish culture, was a sensitive, valid and reliable measure suitable for use in educational and vocational counselling work. NHT is using a single reference situation, a hypothetical newspaper reading situation, instead of checking the names of occupations or judging different activity situations. It is assumed that 'an unchanging reference situation' will establish a relatively stable 'set' in the subject answering the test. The NHT has been standardized on 3,640 students from four universities and seven higher professional schools in Ankara and Istanbul, providing a sound national sample.
