Trait Identification as a Means of Predicting Academic Goal Attainment

Abstract

IT IS THE PURPOSE of this study to consider the feasibility of using personality features as a basis for judgment in predicting academic goal at tainment. Interest in the problem has led to inten sive investigation (1, 2, 3) of behavior traits which aid in adaptive responses toward academic goals. The attempt hypothesizes the presence of distinc tive forces in addition to intellect which are a priori to achievement. Conceptualized, the behavior of emotional energy described as traits is the force which presses toward response. Sthenic,or posi tive,emotion appears as personal warmth, out goingness, and the individual is said to possess the trait of sociability. Asth?nie, or negative, emotion appears as aggression, belligerence, and the per son is said to possess the trait of pugnacity. The assumption concerning the role of behavior features or traits poses inquiry. A specific question may be stated as follows: Can the relevance or weight of traits in determin ing academic response be considered in isolation of the complex of mental life and its consequents? It is assumed that the mind organizes its con tent, gives meaning to situations and determines which traits shall operate in adaptive response or in carrying out a course of action under conditions of the specified environment. Further, emotional energy, some of which is deeply embedded, has force potential which takes shape under the press of particular environmental stimulations different from the form which it would have taken in the ab sence of these stimulations. Finally, goal-reaching is the function of variables, dependent upon opera tion of selected traits which are anticipatory means to ends and which are in turn affected by psychic tendencies and experience. To the end of examining the question raised and testing hypothesis, the following appro ach was used. Two measures were obtained on the graduating class and on some members of the freshman class of a liberal arts college. The college selected isa state institution, predominantly Negro, where ad mittance of graduates of high schools of the state is mandatory though some screening is achieved through use of aptitude and subject-matter tests. Freshmen reported in this study were assumed competent of meeting scholastic requirements of the college. Drop-outs due to finance are relative ly few, due to work opportunities and financial aid arrangements. All of the subjects in the study are Negro. The instruments used were the California Personality Inventory and Harrower's Group Ror schach. The senior group consisted of 103 men and 86 women. The original freshman enrollment of this class approximated 600 students. Tradi tionally at this college, despite original intentions, two-thirds of the freshman group drop out prior to graduation with the smallest percentage of cases attributed to finance. Measures were obtained on the California Personality Inventory for 100 ran domly selected freshman men and 100 freshman women. It is assumed that the sample will include potential drop-outs and that trait differentials which relate to motivation may be revealed in compara tive examination of freshman and senior responses. Rorschach data were available on a smaller fresh man population including 56 men and 25 women.