The Impact of Personality Characteristics on the Retention of Associate Degree Accounting Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the personality characteristics of Accounting students in a Vocational Technical College and relate these characteristics to retention in the Accounting program. Students enrolled in Accounting 1, 2, and 3 were asked to take a personality assessment, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Comparisons were made between the Accounting 1 and Accounting 2/3 students on the results of the MBTI. Slight differences were found between the two groups in personality traits. Compared to established base populations using the same measure, the Accounting students were in some ways similar to people employed in the accounting field and dissimilar to a population of other college students.