An Investigation of Broad and Narrow Personality Traits in Relation to General and Domain-Specific Life Satisfaction of College Students

Authors: Lounsbury, John¹; Saudargas, Richard²; Gibson, Lucy³; Leong, Frederick²

Source: Research in Higher Education, Volume 46, Number 6, September 2005 , pp. 707-729(23)

Publisher: Springer

Abstract:

Based on a sample of 532 undergraduates at a Southeastern U.S. university, Big Five and narrow personality traits were examined in relation to a measure of satisfaction with specific domains of college experience (College Satisfaction) and a measure of General Life Satisfaction. Four of the Big Five traits—Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability and Extraversion—as well as the narrow traits of Aggression, Career Decidedness, Optimism, Self-Directed Learning, Sense of Identity, and Work Drive were positively, significantly related to both satisfaction measures. Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that the Big Five traits accounted for 45% of Life Satisfaction variance with Sense of Identity contributing an additional 7%, and College Satisfaction, 6%. It was suggested that who students become in college and how satisfied they are with different aspects of collegiate experience may be primarily determined by who they are when they enter college. Similarities were noted to findings of personality traits and academic performance, job performance, and adult career and life satisfaction. Implications were discussed in terms of Chickering and Reisser’s major vectors for college development as well as for admissions decisions and enhancing student-environment fit in advising, orientation, counseling, and career planning, among others.

Keywords: Big Five personality traits; narrow personality traits; life satisfaction; college students; campus satisfaction; college student development; Chickering

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11162-004-4140-6

Affiliations: 1: Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, 37996-0900, Knoxville, TN, USA, Email: jlounsbury@aol.com 2: Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, 37996-0900, Knoxville, TN, USA, 3: Assessment Resource Associates, Inc., USA,

Publication date: 2005-09-01

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