A Comparison of Osteopathic, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant and Occupational Therapy Students' Personality Styles: Implications For Education and Practice

This study compared personality traits of students in five health professions. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was completed by 1,508 osteopathic students, 654 pharmacy students, 165 physical therapy students, 211 physician assistant students, and 70 occupational therapy students. Comparing the extrovert/introvert dimension revealed that pharmacy students were more likely to score as introverted whereas students enrolled in the four other health fields were more likely to score as extroverts. Pharmacy students were more inclined to use the sensing function, while a greater proportion of osteopathic students preferred the intuitive function. For the five health professions, there were no significant differences across the thinking/feeling dimension. On the judgment/perception construct, pharmacy students were likely to favor the perceiving function. The dominant profile for osteopathic and physician assistant students was ESTJ, meaning that they are practical, realistic, with a natural head for business or mechanics. The dominant profile for physical and occupational therapy students was ESFJ, meaning they are warm-hearted, talkative, and interested in things that affect peoples's lives. The dominant profile for pharmacy students was ISTJ, meaning they are serious, thorough, logical, and realistic. The results support the notion that people choose professions partially based on personality traits. (Contains 24 references). (SW) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** A Comparison of Osteopathic, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant and Occupational Therapy Students' Personality Styles: Implications For Education and Practice Corresponding Author: Patrick C. Hardigan Ph.D. Social and Behavioral Pharmacy School of Pharmacy PO Box 3375 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Stanley R. Cohen, Ed.D. Chairman Department of Behavioral Medicine Nova Southeastern University 3200 South University Drive Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33324 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Off ice of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) fThis document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. BEST COPY AVAILABLE PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Patrick C. Hardigan r TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) INTRODUCTION Educational research and development efforts are most often directed at the improvement of teaching while neglecting students' learning styles (Dansereau, 1988). Besides being marginally effective, an exclusive focus on improving teaching methods may lead to reinforcement of inappropriate and nontransferable learning strategies. This has important considerations in pharmacy education given the importance of transferring classroom knowledge and skills to job situations. Learning style is best understood as the composite characteristic cognitive, affective and physiological factors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how a learner perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning environment. Learning style is a structure of neural organization and personality which both molds and is molded by human development and the learning experiences of home, school and society (Keefe & Monk, 1990). Studies have demonstrated a relationship between academic performance and students who were taught in their preferred learning style (Wratcher, 1991). For example, Nelson et. al., (1993) found that college students who were assessed on their learning styles, received an interpretation of their strengths and weaknesses, and were provided instructional sessions on applying these strengths and weaknesses achieved significantly higher gradepoint averages and higher retention rates than those students: (a) who were assessed on their learning styles and only received an interpretation of their strengths and weaknesses, and (b) those who received no learning style intervention. Research has also demonstrated that students with specific personality styles, a basic structure of learning style, tend to choose particular professions (Mathews, 1992; Stewart & Felicetti, 1992). Mathews found that mathematics and humanities students were more independent and applied while education majors preferred social and conceptual situations (Mathews, 1992). Even within a discipline differences in personality traits are evident. Stewart discovered a significant difference in personality between undergraduate marketing students pursuing degrees in sales or advertising and undergraduate marketing students pursuing degrees in marketing management (Stewart & Felicetti, 1992). The health professions are no different. Research indicates a dominant personality style among students enrolled in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy and dentistry programs (Schwartz & Shenoy, 1994; Combs, Fawzy & Daniels, 1993; Bradham, Dalme & Thompson, 1990; Garvey, Bootman, & McGhan, 1984; Rovezzi-Carroll & Leavitt, 1984;). In addition, research demonstrates that personality styles among health profession students tends to remain constant over time (Silberman, Freeman & Lester, 1992). With differences in personality styles reported in other professions the question arises, "are there differences in personality styles between the health professions?" For example, is there a dominant personality style among nursing students which differs from that of pharmacy students? A review of the literature would indicate that differences in personality styles exist; however, different instruments with varying psychometric qualities were used making strong comparisons difficult. As such, this study is being undertaken to determine if differences in personality style exist between pharmacy and other health profession students. Such information would be valuable to educators who guide prospective students and to instructors who should adapt teaching methods to fit students'