Personality and achievement motivation as determinants of career choice

Glaser, Robyn (2012) Personality and achievement motivation as determinants of career choice. Honours thesis, Murdoch University.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personality, achievement motivation, and career choice. One hundred and thirty six participants recruited through the psychology subject pool at Murdoch University and through snowball sampling using Facebook completed the 50-Item Set International Personality Item Pool Big-Five Factor Markers, the Cassidy and Lynn Achievement Motivation Scale, and the Personality-Related Position Requirements Form. The association between personality and career choice was generally supportive of those hypothesised by Raymark, Schmit, and Guion (1997). Achievement motivation was significantly correlated with extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness. Mediation analysis found that achievement motivation fully mediated the relationship between extraversion and general leadership and that between conscientiousness and ambition. The implication of these findings is that organisations and career advisors could have a better understanding of what type of job or career an individual prefers based on their personality. Future research might consider if individuals have had experience in their preferred career. This could allow for further comparison into whether individuals with similar personalities have similar jobs.

Keywords: personality, achievement motivation, career choice

Item Type:	Thesis (Honours)
Murdoch Affiliation(s):	School of Psychology
Supervisor(s):	Ditchburn, Graeme
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/11123

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