Personality characteristics of South African navy divers

The first study aimed to determine the extent to which the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) can be used to describe successful divers in the South African Navy. The 16PF profiles of 100 divers were analyzed to describe the personality characteristics of naval divers. Results indicate that four personality factors were most descriptive of the sample. They were Group-orientation, Enthusiasm, Adventurousness, and Confidence. These factors seemed appropriate when discussed from an environmental demand perspective. The second study aimed to determine the extent to which the 16 PF can be used to differentiate between divers and submariners in the South African Navy. The two groups differed significantly on two factors--divers scored higher on Enthusiasm and submariners scored higher on Conservatism.