A comparison of computing and non-computing students' personalities based on the five-factor model

The research project uses words provided by first year South African university students describing their own personalities. These words are used to compare the personalities of computing and noncomputing students on the basis of the Five-Factor Model. The researchers used qualitative methods to code and group the words in terms of the Five-Factor Model, then used statistical methods to analyse and compare the data of computing and non-computing students. The findings of the study suggest that there are significant differences in personalities between students with computing and noncomputing majors, and that gender also plays an important role. Most students (both computing majors and non-computing majors) choose to describe themselves as agreeable, conscientious and extraverted. However, significant differences emerged in terms of less commonly chosen personality factors, with computing majors students highlighting their openness to new ideas and their confidence significantly more often than other students do. Computing majors also see themselves as less conscientious than non-computing majors. These seem to be new findings.