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The Effects of Personality on Future Success
Every person has unique qualities and characteristics that, for the most part,
describe who they are and how they behave. These qualities combined are also known as
a personality. Many people may be curious to discover if their personality will affect their
future. Furthermore, if their personality will have an affect on their future, they may also
want to discover the way in which it has an effect. Although a number of different
personality types exist and have been studied as it relates to career success and
satisfaction, this particular study only focuses on two personality types. Those two types
are the outgoing, outspoken personality and the quiet, reserved personality, which can
also be more simply described as extraversion and introversion. Qualities like sociability,
spontaneity, and assertiveness are used to define extraversion (Bozinelos, 2003). It has
also been observed that extraverts actively seek out social encounters to interact with
other people (Bozinelos, 2003). Extraverts are also described as optimistic, friendly with
others, and more likely to experience positive moods (Turban, Stevens, & Lee, 2009).
Introverts, or those with a shy, reserved personality type, on the other hand, prefer little
interaction with others and are not considered outgoing or assertive.
First, it may be important to understand the possible reasons why personality
would have an effect on career success. Research has suggested that personality should
influence what are called, motivational variables, such as a person’s self-efficacy, or a
person’s belief about their own capabilities to perform a task or meet a standard, (Spurk
& Abele, 2010) as well as their career-advancement goals (Spurk & Abele, 2010).
Certain motivational variables like the desire for different levels of responsibility in a job,
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the desire for leisure time, and self-esteem also have an effect on work status (Spurk &
Abele, 2010). Aspects of personality determine these motivational variables.
Personality has, in fact, been tied to occupational outcomes like job performance
as well as job satisfaction (Sutin, Costa Jr., Miech, & Eaton, 2009). Past research has
shown that people more often obtain their first job through weak ties, such as a mutual
friend in their social network rather than through strong ties, like a sibling, for example
(Sutin et al., 2009). This suggests that extraverts are possibly more successful at
obtaining their first job, because they most likely have more weak ties. Introverts will
most likely rely on other means or attempt to get the job with strong ties. However, the
advantage of having weak ties reduces with age and because of this, extraverts’ career
success as far as their salary level, is stronger earlier on in their career. They may
eventually have to rely on aspects such as actual skills and accomplishments when trying
to become even more successful in their career (Sutin et al., 2009). Therefore, the use of
weak ties that comes with extraversion does not always indicate success, and introverts
who have outstanding skills and accomplishments may have just as good of a chance to
succeed.
Self-esteem is another important aspect and possible explanation to consider when
thinking about the effects of personality on future success or life outcomes. Although
extraversion and introversion may not directly determine one’s level of self-esteem, it is
generally found or assumed that outgoing, assertive people have higher levels of selfesteem than those who are shy and reserved. However, whether or not people with high
self-esteem have better outcomes than those with low self-esteem is still being debated
(Ulrich, Robins, & Widaman, 2011). It has been both implied that self-esteem does have
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a substantial impact on life outcomes, and that self-esteem does not have a significant
influence on outcomes such as relationship success, economic welfare, and health (Ulrich
et al., 2011). Studies have implied that self-esteem positively influences job satisfaction
and salary. These studies also point out that this may be true because high self-esteem
encourages a person to obtain higher education and be successful in their workplace,
therefore making a higher position and salary (Ulrich et al., 2011). Hypotheses made on
the topic of personality type and career success specifically, predict that extraverts will be
more satisfied with their jobs (Sutin et al., 2009). It was also predicted that extraversion
would positively influence career-advancement goals (Spurk & Abele, 2010).
Other than career success, studies have been done to measure how personality
affects happiness in life. Happiness is defined as the state that results from having lived a
virtuous life (Doyle & Youn, 2000). It has been defined more recently as a global
assessment of quality of life, positive affect, or a pleasant emotional experience (Doyle &
Youn, 2000). Furthermore, researchers suggest that happiness is another word for life
satisfaction (Doyle & Youn, 2000). These researchers also claim that happiness varies
with personality aspects such as extraversion, introversion, self-esteem, and optimism
(Doyle & Youn, 2000). The researchers in this study gave the name, Expressives to
people who are extraverted, social, agreeable, and energetic. People who are introverted,
less sociable, and less agreeable, were classified in this study as, Analytics (Doyle &
Youn, 2000). They then tested happiness within these personality types across four
factors related to happiness. The first factor was financial security. The second was
financial optimism followed by anxiety and tension, and lastly, health concerns (Doyle &
Youn, 2000). The results of this study found that the Expressives were satisfied the most
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with their lives overall, and the Analytics were the least satisfied with theirs (Doyle &
Youn, 2000). As far as financial insecurity, results showed that people who feel happier
feel more financially secure (Doyle & Youn, 2000). The “Analytics” displayed the
highest levels of anxiety and tension. The Expressives, displayed the highest financial
optimism, and as the researcher indicates, this confirms the generalized belief that
happiness is connected to extroverted traits (Doyle & Youn, 2000). Finally, this study
highlights an important possible explanation of their results. That is, that the expressive
personality types deny the negative in life, and the analytical types watch too closely for
the negative side of life or the troubles in life (Doyle & Youn, 2000).
The research discussed above has measured the effects of personality on career
success and happiness. Based on this research, it has been generally found that
extraversion and high self-esteem positively influence career success as well as happiness
and life satisfaction. Introversion and related characteristics, on the other hand, have
generally been found to have a more negative influence on success and life satisfaction. I
predict that people with outgoing, extraverted personalities are generally more successful
and satisfied in life.
Method
Participants
University Research Methods students (40 total, 20 females, 20 males, Mean age
= 20.18, Standard deviation = 4.02, age range: 18-36) who have volunteered will
participate in this study. The participants will be randomly assigned into two different
groups.
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Materials and Procedure
Each participant will be given a sheet of paper containing scenarios along with
related questions following each scenario. I will create the scenarios and questions
myself. The participants will read the scenarios and answer the questions in a standard
classroom with standard tables and chairs. One group of participants will read a scenario
describing a person with an outspoken and outgoing personality type. The other group of
participants will read a scenario describing a person with a quiet and reserved personality.
After each group reads their assigned scenario, they will respond to a questionnaire based
on the person described in the scenario. Both groups will respond to the same
questionnaire. The first question will ask the participant what they think the salary level
is of this outspoken/outgoing person. They will choose one of four salary levels that they
believe the person described in the scenario earns. The second question will ask the
participants if they believe this person has reached or will reach many or most of their
goals in life. Lastly, the third question will ask the participant if they believe the person
described is happy/successful in their life in general.
Proposed Results and Discussion
An independent samples t-test will be performed as this is a between subjects
design with one independent variable and two groups. I expect to find that most of the
participants’ responses will support a higher level of success for the person with the
outgoing personality. This will mean that most people perceive outgoing individuals as
generally more successful.
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References
Bozinelos, N. (2003). Intra-organizational network resources: Relation to career success
and personality. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 11, 41-66. doi:
10.1108/eb028962
Converse, P. D., Pathak, J., DePaul-Haddock, A., Gotlib, T., Merbedone, M. (2011).
Controlling your environment and yourself: Implications for career success. Journal
of Vocational Behavior, 80, 148-159. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2011.07.003
Doyle, K. P., & Youn, S. (2000). Exploring the traits of happy people. Social Indicators
Research, 52, 195-209. doi: 10.1023/A:1007017616165
Spurk, D., & Abele, A. E. (2010). Who earns more and why? A multiple mediation
model from personality to salary. Journal of Business and Psychology, 26, 87-103.
doi: 10.1007/s10869-010-9184-3
Sutin, A. R., Costa Jr., P. T., Miech, R., & Eaton, W. W. (2009). Personality and career
success: Concurrent and longitudinal Relations. European Journal of Personality,
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Turban, D. B., Stevens, C. K., & Lee, K. F. (2009). Effects of conscientiousness and
extraversion on new labor market entrants’ job search: The mediating role of
metacognitive activities and positive emotions. Personnel Psychology, 62, 553-573.
doi: 10.1111/j.1744-6570.2009.01148.x
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Ulrich, O., Robins, R.W., & Widaman, K.F. (2011). Life-span development of selfesteem and its effects on important life outcomes. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0025558