The role of personality type in college adjustment

College adjustment has been attributed to many factors. Whereas some students make the transition to college with relative ease, others experience many adjustment difficulties. This study examined the role of personality type in students' levels of adjustment to college. One hundred and seven male and female, first year students participated in this study. In determining the level of adjustment of students, the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) was administered. Dependent variables were the four SACQ subscales (academic adjustment, social adjustment, goal commitment/institutional attachment, personal-emotional adjustment) and the SACQ full-scale score. Independent variables investigated were the four Myers Briggs Type Indicator dichotomies (Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, Judging/Perceiving), place of residence, gender, and four College Adjustment Scale (CAS) subscales (family problems, career problems, self-esteem problems, interpersonal problems). Results suggested that Extraversion and Perceiving contributed to social adjustment; however, the Relative Pratt Index suggests that the contribution was not important. Finally, Judging contributed to academic adjustment. While many of the CAS problems scales were significantly related to the adjustment scales, the most significant finding was that the self-esteem problems subscale was a particularly effective indicator of all areas of adjustment as well as overall adjustment.