Personality Traits: Predicting Interior Design Students' Academic Successand Persistence

With the steady growth of interest in the field ofinterior design (ID), programs are looking for waysof admitting students into their curriculum that havea higher likelihood of succeeding and persisting inthe program. A method beyond the existing highschool GPA, class rank, and SAT/ACT scores is neededto help predict entering ID students' academic success. The assessment of personality traits as predictors ofacademic performance coupled with demographicvariables and standard admission criteria are provingto be valuable in recognizing non-cognitive factors,which influence success or failure in academicendeavors. Present studies do suggest thatpersonality traits can be reliably assessed and thatcertain traits do affect students' academic performance. The purpose of this research was to determine ifpersonality type, as indicated by the Myers-BriggsType Indicator, used in addition to SAT/ACT and highschool rank could be useful in predicting academicsuccess in ID students. Personality types aredescribed and compared between freshmen and seniorsand a profile of successful senior ID students isoutlined. One dimension of the MBTI was found topredict success.