Personality characteristics of physiotherapy students

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• Understanding personality differences between healthcare professionals and educators is crucial for optimizing training and practice.
• Previous research indicates potential variations in personality traits across different professional groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare personality dimensions between first-year physiotherapy students and trainee teachers.
• To identify specific personality factors that differentiate these two student groups.

Main Methods:

• Matched sampling based on age and sex was employed for two groups: physiotherapy students (n=79) and trainee teachers (n=52).
• Cattell's Sixteen Personality Factor Inventory (16PF) was utilized to assess personality dimensions.
• Statistical analysis was performed to identify significant differences between the groups.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were observed in five personality factors: Factors I, M, N, O, and Q1.
• Physiotherapy undergraduates were found to be less tender-minded, more practical, more forthright, more self-assured, and more conservative than teaching students.
• These results align with existing literature on personality traits in professional groups.

Conclusions:

• Distinct personality profiles exist between physiotherapy students and trainee teachers.
• The identified personality differences have implications for the professional behavior and future training curricula of physiotherapists.
• Further research can explore the impact of these traits on clinical practice and patient interaction.