Personality Traits in Reading Ability of Western Australian University Freshmen

Abstract

FRESHMEN ADMITTED to the U n i v e r s i ty of Western Australia enroll for pro fessional courses in Arts, Social Sciences, Pure Science, Engineer ing, Medicine and Applied Science, As part of Or ientation Week requirements in 1958, all new en trants were tested on the Cooperative Reading Test (Higher Level Form Y) and theCattell 16 Personal ity Factor Questionnaire (Form A). This article reports on investigation into possible relationships between the sub-scale measures on the reading test and the personality factors of the 16 PF test. The group used consists of 290 males with a mean age of 18.0 years and 125 females with a mean age of 17.8 years. The mean intelligence of this group is 126, standard deviation 7, as measured by the A. C. E. R. B40 Intelligence Test (1). Table I shows the reading scores for the male and female groups and the combined group. The trend towards lower scores in Speed of Comprehen sion and in Level of Comprehension is typical of the pattern at the University of Western Australia over the last seven years (2). Table H shows a brief bipolar description of the personality factors. The general terms are used for convenience, but the fuller analysis of the source trait descriptions should be obtained from the test manual (3). Table HI shows the correlations obtained for the male, female and combined groups. The factors which show a consistent relationship with the read ing sub-scales and with Total Reading Score are B, G, I, M, Ql, Q2. All of these show positive cor relations except for G, which is negative. Thus in general terms those who score high on the reading test might be described as being more intelligent (B), less conscientious and persevering (G), more sensitive (I), more introverted (M), more radical (Ql) and more self-sufficient (Q2) than those who score low on the reading test. Apart from the basic factor description, Cattell (4) describes second order factors contained in the 16 PF Questionnaire. Factors M+, Q1+ and Q2 + are components of the Extraversion-Introv e r s i o n factor and the correlations obtained here describe the Introvert. Factor 1+ (and also Factor C-) are contained in Cyclothyme-Schizothyme factor, des cribing the cyclothyme, although the basic f actor A+ shows no correlation with reading score? Fac tors Q1+ andGdescribe the Unbroken Success Frustration factor, suggesting 1 o w frustration as sociated with reading score. Table IV shows multiple correlations, beginning with factors I and Q2 combined and adding in suc cessively factors G, Q2 and B. Factor Mis not in cluded as it was found that with I included, the ef fect of M vanishes, the intercorrelation between I and M being +. 33. It may be seen that G and Ql do not increase the multiple c o r r el at ion as much in Vocabulary and Level of Comprehension as in Speed of Comprehension. Factor B, the intelligence fac tor, is included last to show the personality factors previously excluding intelligence, in order to sug gest the true personality relationships. Other factors show relationships in specific in stances. The scatter for C showed a curved rela tionship. Among the better readers the correlation became negative, and would be significant for those scoring above the median. Factor F showed a sim ilar trend for Vocabulary. Factor O showed a neg ative correlation with poorer readers in Compre hension reducing to zero above the median. Q4 shows a relationship in Vocabulary, higher for males who are poorer readers.