Personality and Longevity in the Profession of Athletic Training

<p>A survey was sent to 10,000 certified athletic trainers in various settings to examine personality characteristics and their relationship with satisfaction, intent to leave, and years practiced in the profession. The Employee Personality Inventory, included in the survey, separated respondents into five personality categories: communicators, directors, organizers, soothers and thinkers. Of the 1102 analyzed respondents, 216 were communicators, 51 were directors, 427 were organizers, 331 were soothers, and 77 were thinkers. The distribution of athletic training setting were as follows: academic instruction, 67; administration, 16; clinical medical, 53; clinical rehabilitation, 52; collegiate athletics, 331; high school athletics, 378; other, 65; outreach school athletics, 103; professional/Olympic athletics, 37. Common entry-level positions (high school athletics, outreach athletics, clinical rehab) scored the lowest on satisfaction/intent to leave and years practiced, while academic instruction, administration, and professional/Olympic athletics scored the highest. Thinkers, although small in number, had the most years practiced, followed by soothers. Communicators were the lowest in years practiced. There were no significant differences on intent to leave/satisfaction scores between personality types. An incomplete understanding of the athletic training profession may be what turns those recruits who have a better chance at longevity away from the profession. Additionally, athletic trainers who spend fewer years in the profession may not be leaving because of dissatisfaction.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychological Science

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Harris, Tyler

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sheila Burns

• Personality
• Longevity
• Profession
• Athletic
• Training
• Burnout
• Years
• Setting
• Industrial and Organizational Psychology
• Other Psychology
• Personality and Social Contexts

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.nmu.edu/theses/82

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.nmu.edu:theses-1081