Personality traits and occupational interest : basis for career guidance program

Abstract

This descriptive-correlation method study design was undertaken to measure the correlations between personality traits and occupational interests among 236 purposively sampled freshmen college students enrolled in the nine programs of UM Digos College for the School Year 2012-2013. Utilizing two standardized measures of determining the psychological constructs of the participants, 16 PF’s Global Factor Scales (GFS) manifested an average result in all five scales measuring students’ tough-mindedness, extraversion, anxiety, independence, and self-control, while a similar result was gleaned on the dimensions of Occupational Aptitude Survey and Interest Schedule (OASIS-2 IS). Further data analysis reveals the relationships between the mean scores of GFS and OASIS-2 IS wherein anxiety has bearing on accommodating interest of the students and that mechanical interest significantly relates with their level of tough-mindedness, while their level of independency highly correlates with leading-influencing interest. Regression analysis found some demographics which are predictors of students’ GFS and OASIS-2 IS: age, sex and course predict students’ self-control, tough-mindedness and independence respectively, while sex and course predict some interest dimensions such as nature, protective, mechanical, industrial, business detail, accommodating, humanitarian, artistic, and selling. Interestingly, the scores of GFS except extraversion predict (Overall R2 mean = .023) those various dimensions of OASIS-2 IS at 23% determination level such as accommodating, humanitarian, mechanical, leading-influencing, and physical-performing. Implications are discussed in the light of the findings of the study.

Key Words: personality traits, occupational interest, career guidance program