PERSONALITY TRAITS OF STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT UNIVERSITY FACULTIES

Authors

  • Tatiani Gkatsa Department of Primary Education, University of Ioannina, Greece
  • Marina Papageorgiou Department of Computer Engineering, University of Ioannina, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i1.5785

Keywords:

BFF traits personality, undergraduate students, social behavior, socio-emotional intervention

Abstract

The article presents a comparative study of the personality traits of students from two different university faculties. A sample of 301 Greek undergraduate students in Education (Department of Primary Education (DPE)) and the Polytechnic Faculty (Department of Computer Engineering (CE)). Students completed the International Personality Items Pool and answered socio-demographic questions. Results showed the DPE students have statistically significant scores on the Agreeableness (t (299) = 4.106, p-value <0.001, sample mean = 4.32) and on the Conscientiousness (t (299) = 3.336, p-value <0.001, sample mean = 3.67) in contrast with the CE students (Sample means 4.03 and 3.36, respectively). Overall, Computer Science students showed a tendency toward difficult social relationships and lower Conscientiousness. These findings suggest that personality traits may influence social behavior and psychological well-being. The study advocates for educational interventions within university curricula to address and improve students' personality traits, enhancing their interpersonal and academic competencies.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter

Author Biography

  • Tatiani Gkatsa, Department of Primary Education, University of Ioannina, Greece

    Dr. Tatiani I. Gkatsa is a member of the teaching and laboratory staff at the Department of Primary Education, University of Ioannina, Greece, specializing in School Psychology. Her work focuses on mental health, psychosocial resilience, school bullying, and educational interventions for children and adolescents. She has contributed extensively to the field through books, academic chapters, and numerous peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Gkatsa has received prestigious awards, including a scholarship for her postgraduate studies. She has led key initiatives, such as coordinating the Observatory for the Prevention of School Violence and Bullying, and holds editorial roles in recognized scientific journals. She is also involved in research as a visiting researcher abroad. Her work contributes to advancing the fields of mental health and educational psychology, promoting resilience and positive school environments.

References

Backmann J., Weiss M., Schippers M. C., Hoegl, M. (2019). Personality factors, student resiliency, and the moderating role of achievement values in study progress. Learning and Individual Differences, Vol 39-48, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2019.04.004

Barrick, M. R., & Mount, M. K. (1991). The Big Five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 44(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1991.tb00688.x

Boysan M., Kiral E. (2017). Associations between procrastination, personality, perfectionism, self-esteem and locus of control. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling. Vol. 45 no. 3, pp. 284-296. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03069885.2016.1213374

Cárdenas Moren, C., Crawford Augant, K., Crawford Labrin, B., Soto de Giorgis, R., de la Fuente- Mella, H., Peña Fritz, Á., ... & Álvarez Castelli, L. (2020). A quantitative analysis of the identification of personality traits in engineering students and their relation to academic performance. Studies in Higher Education, 45(7), 1323-1334. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1572089

Cuadrado D., Salgado J. F., Moscoso S. (2021). Personality, intelligence, and counterproductive academic behaviors: A meta-analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 120, no. (2), pp. 504-537. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000285

de la Fuente-Mella, H., Guzmán Gutiérrez, C., Crawford, K., Foschino, G., Crawford, B., Soto, R.,... & Elórtegui-Gómez, C. (2020). Analysis and prediction of engineering student behavior and their relation to academic performance using data analytics techniques. Applied Sciences, 10(20), 7114. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10207114

Di Fabio A., Saklofske D. H.. (2021). The relationship of compassion and self-compassion with personality and emotional intelligence. Personality and individual differences, Vol. 169, no. 1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110109

English T., Lee I. A., John O. P., Gross J. J. (2017). Emotion regulation strategy selection in daily life: The role of social context and goals. Motivation and Emotion, Vol 41, no. 2, pp. 230-242. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11031-016-9597-z.pdf, (accessed 09/06/2022)

Entwistle N., Waterston S. (1988). Approaches to studying and levels of processing in university students. British Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 58, no. 3, pp. 258-265. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8279.1988.tb00901.x

Fantozzi, I. C., Di Luozzo, S., & Schiraldi, M. M. (2024). The Impact of University Challenges on Students’ Attitudes and Career Paths in Industrial Engineering: A Comparative Study. Sustainability, 16(4), 1600. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041600

Gkatsa, T. (2024). School bullying and personality traits from elementary school to university. International Journal of Bullying Prevention, 6(3), 308-320. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42380-023-00174-w

Gkatsa T. (2023). Undergraduate Students’ Personality Traits: Relationship with Students’ Gender and Parental Socioeconomic Factors. European Journal of Behavioral Sciences, ISSN 2538-807X. https://doi.org/10.33422/ejbs.v6i2.1018

Gkatsa T. (2021). Personality study of undergraduate students of different academic specialties by adapting the International Personality items Pool tool, Journal Education Science Issues, 1(1), 39–53. https://doi.org/10.12681/thea.26614

Gu J., Cavanagh K., Baer R., Strauss C. (2017). An empirical examination of the factor structure of compassion. PloS one, Vol 12, no 2. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172471

Haas B. W., Omura K., Constable R. T., Canli, T. (2007). Is automatic emotion regulation associated with Agreeableness? A perspective using a social neuroscience approach. Psychological Science, Vol 18, no 2, pp. 130-132. https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1467-9280.2007.01861.x

Hartmann, F. G., & Ertl, B. (2023). Big Five personality trait differences between students from different majors aspiring to the teaching profession. Current Psychology, 42(14), 12070-12086. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-021-02528-3

Holland, J. L. (1997). Making vocational choices. A theory of vocational personalities and work environments (3rd ed.). Psychological Assessment Resources. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1997-08980-000

Kell, H. J. (2019). Do teachers' personality traits predict their performance? A comprehensive review of the empirical literature from 1990 to 2018. ETS Research Report Series, 2019(1), 1-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ets2.12241

Ljubin-Golub T., Petričević E., Rovan, D. (2019). The role of personality in motivational regulation and academic procrastination. Educational Psychology, Vol 39, no. 4, pp. 550-568. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2018.1537479

MacCann C., Duckworth A. L., Roberts R. D. (2009). Empirical identification of the major facets of conscientiousness. Learning and Individual Differences, Vol 19, no. 4, pp. 451-458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2009.03.007

McCrae R. R., Costa, P. T.. (1991). Adding Liebe und Arbeit: The Full Five-Factor Model and Well-being. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol 17, no. 2, pp. 227–232. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F014616729101700217

Moore S. G., Fitzsimons G. M., Fitzsimons G. J. (2020). She’ll Take Two: Relationship Interdependence and Negative Emotion in Everyday Choices for Others. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, Vol 5, no. 3, pp. 335-344. Retrieved from https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/709173 (accessed 09/6/2022)

Mount, M. K., Barrick, M. R., & Stewart, G. L. (1998). Five-factor model of personality and performance in jobs involving interpersonal interactions. Human Performance, 11(2–3), 145–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959285.1998.9668029

Muhid A., Ridho, A., Yusuf A., Wahyudi N., Ulya Z., Asyhar, A. (2021). Big Five Personality Test for State Islamic Senior High School Students in Indonesia. International Journal of Instruction, Vol 14, no. 2, pp. 483-500. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2021.14227a

Panayiotou G., Leonidou C., Constantinou E, Michaelides M. P. (2020). Self-awareness in alexithymia and associations with social anxiety. Current Psychology, Vol 39, no. 5, pp. 1600-1609. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-018-9855-1, (accessed 09/06/2022)

Pertegal-Felices, M. L., Marcos-Jorquera, D., Gilar-Corbí, R., & Jimeno-Morenilla, A. (2017). Development of emotional skills through interdisciplinary practices integrated into a university curriculum. Education Research International, 2017(1), https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/6089859

Pertegal-Felices, M. L., Castejón-Costa, J. L., & Jimeno-Morenilla, A. (2014). Differences between the personal, social and emotional profiles of teaching and computer engineering professionals and students. Studies in Higher Education, 39(7), 1185-1201. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2013.777410

Poropat A. E. (2009). A meta-analysis of the five-factor model of personality and academic performance. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 135, no. 2, pp. 322. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2009-02580-011, (accessed 09/06/2022)

Rogers, C., Farson, R.. (2021). Active listening. Mockingbird Press LLC, p. 123. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Active_Listening.html?id=MngrjgEACAAJ&redir_esc=y

Roloff Henoch, J., Klusmann, U., Ludtke, O., & Trautwein, U. (2015). Who becomes a teacher? Challenging the “negative selection” hypothesis. Learning and Instruction, 36, 46–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.11.005

Song Y., Shi, M. (2017). Associations between empathy and Big Five personality traits among Chinese undergraduate medical students. PloS one, Vol 12, no 2: e0171665. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171665

Vedel, A. (2016). Big Five personality group differences across academic majors: A systematic review. Personality and individual differences, 92, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.12.011Get rights and content

Vedel, A. (2015). Big Five personality group differences across academic majors: A. Personality and Individual Differences. 92: 1-10, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.12.011

Ypofanti, M., Zisi, V., Zourbanos, N., Mouchtouri, B., Tzanne, P., Theodorakis, Y., & Lyrakos, G. (2015). Psychometric properties of the International Personality Item Pool Big-Five personality questionnaire for the Greek population. Health Psychology Research, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/hpr.2015.2206

Ζhang Z., Yao X., Yuan S., Deng Y., Guo, C. (2021). Big five personality influences trajectories of information-seeking behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, Vol 173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110631

Ziegler, M., Danay, E., Schölmerich, F., & Bühner, M. (2010). Predicting academic success with the Big 5 rated from different points of view: Self‐rated, other rated and faked. European Journal of Personality, 24(4), 341-355. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.753.

Downloads

Published

2025-01-28

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).