INFLUENCES WHICH HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS PERCEIVE AS AFFECTING THEIR OCCUPATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS WERE INVESTIGATED. GROUP-ADMINISTERED INTERVIEW SCHEDULES WERE COMPLETED BY 1,068 SENIORS IN 12 HIGH SCHOOLS BASICALLY ATTENDED BY WHITE STUDENTS AND 11 HIGH SCHOOLS PREDOMINANTLY ATTENDED BY NEGRO STUDENTS. DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTIONS WERE CATEGORIZED BY RACE, SEX, INTELLIGENCE, AND RESIDENCE. VARIABLES INCLUDED SOURCES OF INFLUENCE UPON OCCUPATIONAL OR EDUCATIONAL DECISIONS, PARTICULARLY THE ATTITUDE OF THE MOTHER, ATTITUDE OF THE FATHER, AND INFLUENCE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION. THOUGH MOST STUDENTS PERCEIVED OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE AS THEIR OWN, PARENTS WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT EXTERNAL SOURCE OF INFLUENCE, ESPECIALLY AMONG THOSE OF LOWER INTELLIGENCE. THE MOST FREQUENTLY MENTIONED EXTRA-FAMILIAL SOURCE OF INFLUENCE UPON OCCUPATIONAL DECISIONS WAS THE TEACHER. NEGROES WERE INFLUENCED MORE BY THE MOTHER, AS WERE FEMALES OF BOTH RACES. RESIDENTIAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN ENVIRONMENTS WERE SLIGHT. HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION WAS PERCEIVED AS HAVING AN IMPORTANT EFFECT IN OCCUPATIONAL DECISIONS WITH THE DEGREE OF INFLUENCE VARYING AMONG THE CATEGORIES. STUDENTS ALSO PERCEIVED EDUCATIONAL DECISIONS TO BE THEIR OWN WITH THE MOST FREQUENTLY MENTIONED EXTERNAL INFLUENCE BEING THE MOTHER. DIFFERENCES IN SOURCES OF INFLUENCE OF EDUCATIONAL DECISIONS WERE FOUND IN SEX, RACE, INTELLIGENCE, AND RESIDENCE CATEGORIES. (JM)