A Study On The Relationship Between Personality, Study Satisfaction And Academic Achievement of Medical Students

Kim, Sun

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between personality type and study satisfaction and academic achievement of medical students. The personality of the students was examined based on MBTI personality theory. According to MBTI theory, personality type consists of 4 dimensions, and each dimension has two contrasting preferences. These preferences are as follows: extraversion(E)-intraversion(I), sensing(S)-intuition(N), thinking(T)-feeling(F), and judging(J)-perceiving(P). For this study, 269 students were sampled from the first to forth year of medical school. MBTI test was administered to the students and information about their study satisfaction was collected. The results of this study were as followss: First, the result of MBTI test showed that most medical students are personality type ISTJ(22.4 %), followed by ESTJ (11.6%), ISTP (10.4%). Second, the relationship between study satisfaction and personalty indicator "E-I" and "J-P" was statistically significant. Also, the relationship between adaptation as a subscale of satisfaction and personality indicator "E-I" and "J-P" was statistically significant. The relationship between attitude and personality was except for the indicator "S-N", statistically significant. Finally the relationship between satisfaction and personality indicator "E-I", "S-N", J-P" was statistically significant. Third, the result of t-test showed that academic achievement was significantly associated with student's personality in the dimensions Thinking(T) and Feeling(F). Students with personal type Thinking(T) had higher academic achievement than students with personal type Feeling(F). These results imply that a diagnosis of personality can be used to develop programs for medical students which can help them to be satisfied with academic environment and therefore to enhance their academic achievement. As well, these results can be used to analyse the appropriate aptitude for medicine which is very important in the selection of medical students.