Investigation Of The Relationships Between Personality Types Of Eighth-grade Science Students And Cognitive Preference Orientation.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine relationships among the MBTI personality types, cognitive preference orientation, science achievement, intelligence, attitudes toward science and scientists, sex and geographic area of eighth-grade science students. Data were collected during May 1979 from 283 (153 male and 130 female) eighth-grade science students in urban (middle), suburban (junior high) and rural (middle) schools. Four instruments were used to collect the data: (1) Myers-Briggs Type Indication (MBTI); (2) Cognitive Preference Examination II (CPE-II); (3) Science and Scientists Attitude Inventory (SASAI); (4) Science Knowledge Test (SKT). The MBTI results classified students in this study into the following types: 56.5% extravert to 63.5% introvert; 64.2% sensing to 35.8% intuitive; 33.6% thinking to 66.4% feeling; 36.5% judging to 63.5% perceiving. Chi-square analyses indicated that the type distribution of the students in this study was not significantly different ((alpha) = .05) from the type distribution in D. C. May's 1971 Florida eighth-grade junior high school sample. The cognitive preference orientation results classified 278 students in this study into the following groups based on a single preference: 5.0% memory; 12.3% application; 3.6% questioning; 79.1% no detectable preference. When classified according to two preferences, 230 students were grouped as follows: 40.3% memory/application; 20.8% memory/questioning; 21.6% application/questioning; 17.3% no detectable preference. Fourteen hypotheses were tested at (alpha) = .001 to answer eight questions proposed in the study. The prediction that MBTI introvert-intuitive-thinking-perceiving types would prefer a questioning, application or application/questioning cognitive preference orientation and that MBTI extravert-sensing-feeling-judging types would prefer a memory, memory/application or memory/questioning cognitive preference orientation was not supported by statistical analysis. Statistically significant differences in intelligence were found between MBTI sensing and intuitive types (in favor of intuitives) and between MBTI judging and perceiving types (in favor of perceiving types). A statistically significant relationship was found between intelligence and attitudes toward science (but not toward scientists). Statistically significant relationships were also found between science achievement and attitudes toward both science and scientists. Statistically significant relationships were not found among the following variables: MBTI personality types and cognitive preference orientation, science achievement, attitudes toward science and scientists, sex of students, and geographic area; cognitive preference orientation and intelligence, science achievement, sex of students, and geographic area; attitudes toward science and scientists, and sex of students and geographic area. A composite picture of the students in this study revealed them to be similar on most measures examined. However, it was suggested that teachers consider personality factors and cognitive preference orientation when planning for the instruction of students, particularly for the large percentage of students who do not exhibit a definite cognitive preference orientation. It was also suggested that research efforts be focused on an examination of those factors which may influence the direction the cognitive preference orientation of these students takes.