The Relationship between the Big Five Personality Factors and the Complexity of the Career Decision Space

• Other Authors: Leasure, Kathryn K. (Kathryn Keleen) (author)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Psychology
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/2019_Spring_Leasure_fsu_0071E_15113

This study used the NEO-FFI (Costa & McCrae, 1992) and the Decision Space Worksheet (DSW; Peterson, Lenz, & Osborn, 2016) to examine the relationship between personality and the complexity of the career decision space. The sample included 95 undergraduate students enrolled in 5 sections of a career planning course at a large southeastern university. The NEO-FFI was used to measure the Big Five domains of personality. The DSW was used to measure the frequency of endorsement to a content category and the magnitude, or area, devoted to the content category. Correlation, multiple regression, and exploratory factor analyses were used to analyze the data. A Pearson Product Moment correlation resulted in a significant positive relationship between Conscientiousness and the frequency of the content category Opportunities. Negative relationships were found between both Openness and Conscientiousness and the content category of Higher Order. When the correlation between the NEO-FFI and the magnitude of DSW content categories was tested, a significant relationship was found between Neuroticism and Higher order. There were no significant correlations found between the NEO-FFI personality factors and the total magnitude of used space for the categories on the DSW. Findings of a multiple regression analysis revealed Opportunity and Higher Order predict Extroversion, Openness, and Conscientiousness. Thus, Extroversion, Openness, and Conscientiousness appear to exercise influence on the frequency of content category endorsements of Opportunity and Higher Order. However, there was no influence found between the NEO-FFI factors and the magnitude of the content categories on the DSW. An Exploratory Factor Analysis found shared variation between Conscientiousness and the frequency of DSW content categories Higher Order and Close Personal. There was no shared variation between the NEO-FFI personality factors and the magnitude of any of the content categories on the DSW. An analysis and discussion of the findings are provided, along with implications for theory, practice, and research. === A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. === Spring Semester 2019. === March 28, 2019. === Big Five, Career Decision Making, Complexity, Problem Space, Readiness === Includes bibliographical references. === Debra Osborn, Professor Directing Dissertation; Kathy Guthrie, University Representative; Gary W. Peterson, Committee Member; James P. Sampson, Jr., Committee Member.