Relationship between variety of work experience and personality

Abstract

Compared Omnibus Personality Inventory (OPI) scores and a measure of the variety of precollege work experience (Student Profile Report of the American College Test) for 1,330 male and 1,046 female undergraduates. Ss (separated by sex) were randomly selected in groups of 100 each from populations divided into below average, average, and above average work experience. Ss with above average work experience had higher OPI scores on Thinking Introversion and Social Extraversion than Ss with average or below average work scores. Ss with many work experiences had higher scores on Complexity and Impulse Expression and lower scores on Masculinity-Femininity than those Ss with few or average work experiences. There were no sex differences. Findings are interpreted as operationally defining the "work personality." (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)