Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Tez Türü: Doktora
Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Georgia Institute of Technology, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri
Tez Danışmanı: Phillip Ackerman
Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2010
Tezin Dili: İngilizce
Özet:
The trait complex approach (Ackerman & Heggestad, 1997) makes it possible to
study the individual holistically by taking account of various individual differences at the
same time, such as abilities, personality, motivation, and vocational preferences.
Recently, Kanfer, Wolf, Kantrowitz, and Ackerman (2010) provided support for taking a
whole-person approach in predicting academic performance. They also showed the
incremental role of non-ability predictors over the role of ability predictors. Objectives of
the present study were to further explore the non-ability variables of the science/math
trait complex.
Identifying the personality correlates of the science/math trait complex was the
first objective. Investigation results yielded four personality factors as correlates of the
complex, which play important roles for engineers and scientists at different stages of the
vocational track: toughmindedness was the personality marker of the science/math trait
complex and was associated with intending to pursue a STEM career; achievement and
control were associated with academic success in STEM majors; and cognitively-oriented
behavior was associated with more cognitively challenging pursuits, such as attending
STEM competitions and planning to go on to graduate school.
The second purpose was to revisit the vocational interests associated with the
science/math trait complex and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) groups. A new measure was introduced, referred to as the STEM Interest
Complexity Measure, which measures interests towards engaging in increasingly
complex tasks in the Numerical, Symbolic, Spatial, and STEM-related Ideas domains.
This assessment was developed to assess the level of vocational interests, in addition to
the traditionally assessed direction of vocational interests (Holland, 1985). Thus, the new
measure was hypothesized to add incremental variance over traditional interest
assessments in predicting vocational criteria.
Validation of the new STEM Interest Complexity Measure showed adequate
construct and concurrent criterion-related validities. Construct validity was established by
demonstrating associations between the new measure and measures of the direction of
interests, cognitive abilities, intelligence as personality, and learning goal orientations.
Support for the new measure’s criterion-related validity was found by demonstrating that
the measure discriminates between majors, and predicts vocational criteria (i.e., college
achievement in STEM, attachment to STEM fields, major satisfaction, and one’s
intentions to chose a complex STEM career). With dominance analyses, it was shown
that STEM Interest Complexity was the most important vocational assessment in the
prediction of criteria. Results support the assertion that vocational interest inventories can
be improved by incorporating the level of complexity dimension.
Finally, a science/math trait complex composite score, including
toughmindedness, achievement, control, and the STEM Interest Complexity composite in
addition to the previously determined ability, interest, and self-concept associates,
showed moderate associations with STEM-related vocational criteria. The non-ability
individual differences, which were the focus of the present study, added to the
conceptualization and predictive utility of the science/math trait complex.