PERSONALITY FACTORS AND ABILITY GROUPS

Abstract

Given the personality characteristics of individual students, there are in any particular heterogeneous group, some students to whom an instructional method may be mathemagenic (4) and some to whom the method may be marhemathanic (1). One way of looking at these personality factors is to examine already existing groups who have been established on certain academic,criteria and try to determine if there are also distinguishing personality characteristi&. The present analysis examined the personaliry structure of two distinct groups, namely, academically gifted and academically handicapped students, as a preliminary step in the linking of personality characteristics with teaching models (2). Twelve male and 11 female students in a midwestern Canadian school system whose IQs were recorded at 80 or below were the academically handicapped students, and 22 male and 13 female students whose IQs were recorded at 130 and above were the academically gifted students. The mean IQ of the high group was 147 and that of the low group was 79. Both forms of the Children's Personality Questionnaire (3). which yields a general assessment of personality by measuring 14 distinct dimensions of personality, were administered within one week. A stepwise discriminant analysis to assess which combination of variables optimally discriminate between the high and low groups was carried out. The obvious discriminability of Factor B (intelligence) led to the exclusion of this factor in the discriminant analysis. There were five factors (D, E, F. H, and N) which in combination discriminated maximally between the two groups (Eigenvalue = 0.40; Xf = 18.0, p < .01). Based on the standardized discriminant function coefficients, it could be tentatively concluded that the high ability group tended towards being excitable, assertive, enthusiastic, venturesome, and forthright, whereas the low group tended towards being phlegmatic, obedient. sober, shy, and shrewd (3). Had the discriminant function obtained been used on the same sample to predict to which group they should belong, the success rate would have been 74%. When the variable of intelligence (B) was included, the success rate increased to 95% with only three incorrect predictions out of 58. These results offer evidence of a distinct group personality structure for each of the high and low academic groups.