Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

March 1979

Abstract

The primary purpose of the study was to determine significant differences and likenesses in personality characteristics of dramatics majors. A secondary purpose was to ascertain whether personality studies of this type might be effectively used by supervisors, departmental heads, and/or instructors in guiding students interested in dramatics in their choices of majors, colleges, and ultimately careers. Eighty-seven female dramatics majors and seventy-two male dramatics majors enrolled in nine colleges and universities in Tennessee volunteered to participate by taking the Omnibus Personality Inventory, the measuring instrument used for data gathering. The one-way analysis of variance was used to ascertain any significant personality difference at the .05 level between state and denominational dramatics groups, state and other private groups, and denominational and other private groups. The following findings were ascertained: 1. State and denominational dramatics groups differed significantly at the .05 level on three of the fourteen scales— Autonomy, Religious Orientation, and Impulse Expression. The state group was significantly different on the Autonomy and Impulse-Expression scales. The denominational group was significantly different on the Religious Orientation scale. 2. State and other private dramatics groups failed to differ significantly at the .05 level on any of the fourteen scales. 3. Denominational and other private dramatics groups differed significantly at the .05 level on two scales— Religious Orientation and Masculinity-Femininity. The denominational group was significantly different on the Religlous-Orientatlon and Masculinity-Femininity scales from the other private group. 4. Although the three groups were different on five of the scales at the .05 level of significance when comparisons were made, homogeneity was reflected on the other nine scales. The state and other private dramatics groups had almost identical personality profiles. The following conclusions were made: 1. The state group was characterized as more Independent, liberal, tolerant, antl-authoritarlan, expressive, sensual, Imaginative, and sometimes impractical than the denominational group. The denominational group was characterized as more traditional and judgmental with stronger Judaic-Christian commitments than the state group. 2. Dramatics majors, preferring to be with other dramatics majors who valued autonomy and impulsiveness, might be better advised to attend state institutions of higher education. If, however, religious emphasis was a prime consideration, then dramatics majors might be better advised to attend denominational institutions of higher education. 3. Since no significance differences existed between state and other private institutions of higher education, dramatics majors with similar personality characteristics, might well be advised to attend either state or other private institutions. 4. Since the denominational dramatics group reflected greater significance on the Rellgious-Orientation and Masculinity-Femininity scales, it was characterized as more traditional and judgmental with stronger Judaic-Christian commitments and more feminine with more sociable, esthetic, sensitive, and emotional inclinations. If dramatics majors prized these personality characteristics highly, they might well be advised to attend denominational institutions of higher education. 5. Collectively, the dramatics group majors were moderately esthetic, complex, and anxious, reflecting varied interests in all the arts by appreciating poetry, paintings, dramatics, sculpture, and architecture; being tolerant of ambiguities, being appreciative of the unusual, new ideas, and uncertainties, and being nervous, worried, tense, and excitable. 6. Collectively, the dramatics group majors were reflected as highly feminine and impulsive, characterized as sociable, esthetic, sensitive, emotional, imaginative, aggressive, expressive, and sometimes impractical.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

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