| This study investigated the relationship among personality types measured by self-reports, handwriting, and content analysis along four factors of personality. The two self-report measures included the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). The MBTI provided four dichotomous preferences of personality: Extraversion-Introversion (E-I), Sensing-Intuition (S-N), Thinking-Feeling (T-F), and Judging-Perceiving (J-P). The NEO-FFI rated each individual's level of Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. A graphologist from the Handwriting Research Corporation(TM) (HRC) provided NEO-FFI ratings for handwriting samples. Finally, CopyRaterRTM, an electronic content analysis program, generated MBTI profiles for essay samples. Specifically, a multitrait-multimethod matrix (Campbell & Fiske, 1959) was used to determine the convergent validity among the MBTI, NEO-FFI, HRC(TM), and CopyRaterRTM.; Participants included two groups of first-year medical students: 125 matriculating in the fall of 2000 and 136 matriculating in the fall of 1997. All participants completed the MBTI and submitted two essays; Essay 1 was submitted with students' admissions applications and Essay 2 upon matriculation. The 2000 class also completed the NEO-FFI. Finally, HRC(TM) rated 20 handwritten essays from the 1997 class.; Results of convergent validity between the MBTI and NEO-FFI showed significant correlations on all four factors. Correlations between the MBTI and HRC(TM) showed a relationship between handwriting style and self-report preferences for I/Extraversion (r3 = .39) and T-F/Agreeableness (r3 = .5). Essay 1 scores did not relate with MBTI, NEO-FFI or HRC(TM) profiles on any factor. However, evidence of convergent validity for Essay 2 with the MBTI, NEO-FFI, and HRC(TM) was more promising. Essay 2 profiles correlated on all four factors with the MBTI (ranging from r2000,3 = .18 to r2000,4 = -23) and on two factors with the NEO-FFI: E-I/Extraversion (r 1 = .19) and T-F/Agreeableness (r3 = .25). Correlations with Essay 2 were low but indicated some relationship between content analysis and self-report measures. Students' levels of Agreeableness and T-F preferences correlated across more paired-comparisons than any other factor. Further development of the J-P factor of CopyRaterRTM is recommended due to negative correlations with MBTI and HRC(TM). Additionally, a thorough investigation of the effects of writing prompt on word choice is recommended. |
