Personality Type and Birth Order of Women Engineering Students

Abstract

The present study attempted to assess the psychological types of women engineering students using MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) and to examine the effects of birth order on personality type. The participants (N=338) on the average scored high on extraversion, sensing, thinking and judging (ESTJ). The most identified personality types were Extraversion-Sensing-Thinking-Judging (ESTJ) and Extraversion-Sensing-Thinking-Perceiving (ESTP). The least common personality types were Introversion-Intuitive-Feeling-Perceiving (INFP), and Introversion-Intuitive-Thinking-Judging (INTJ). Cross tabulation examined relationships between personality type and birth order. Results of the study indicated that birth order has bare minimal statistically insignificant effect on the personality type. The present study is anticipated to afford the higher education sector with pertinent information for framing the university admission policies with regards to the career path. Longitudinal studies, to determine an individual’s birth order effects on personality and other variables such as self-worth and contentment with life are recommended. Validation of the results of the study is possible with future research on a larger population of women pursuing varied disciplines.