# Age and gender differences in Brazilian adolescents’ vocational interests

## TL;DR

This study explores how age and gender influence vocational interests among Brazilian adolescents, finding patterns similar to global trends but with some unique differences.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into vocational interest patterns in Brazil using a large sample and highlights differences from global meta-analyses.

## Key findings

- Boys showed higher Realistic interests, while girls showed higher Social and Artistic interests.
- Enterprising interests increased with age but plateaued after middle school.
- Conventional interests increased across adolescence, contrary to global trends.

## Abstract

This study examines age and gender differences in a large cross-sectional sample of Brazilian middle and high school students (Total N = 234.857) who were administered 18REST-2, a brief RIASEC measure used in large-scale educational monitoring. Paralleling to previous meta-analytic findings, boys scored substantively higher on Realistic, whereas girls scored higher on Social and Artistic interests. Enterprising interests were greater among older adolescents, plateauing after middle school, also in line with meta-analytic work, but also conventional interests were greater across adolescence, counter to meta-analytic patterns. Similarities and differences with meta-analytic findings are discussed considering longer versus brief measures to assess RIASEC, the different cultures in which studies are conducted (Brazil versus mainly Western countries) and the more recent nature of the present data reflecting the post-pandemic era.