Individual Differences Research

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Individual Differences Research > Volume 9, Issue 2 (2011) > 107-114

Personality, Career Indecision, and College Adjustment in the First Semester

Ronald C. Feldt, Ashley Ferry, Melinda Bullock, Ana Camarotti-Carvalho, Melinda Collingwood, Scott Eilers, Luke Meyer, Emily Nurre

Abstract

We examined career indecision and college adjustment in a sample of first-year students (N = 180). Indecision scores and five-factor measures were combined to identify three clusters of students who varied in degree of indecision. One indecision cluster was characterized by high neuroticism, low extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness, in addition to poor college adjustment and self-efficacy for learning The second indecision cluster was average in personality profile, college adjustment, and self-efficacy: however it experienced greater positive choice conflict as a source of career indecision. The third cluster was career-decided, well-adjusted, with high conscientiousness and low openness to experience.