Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Title

Relationship of Personality Types and Temperament Traits to the Occupational Profile of Adults with Asperger Syndrome and Related Autism Spectrum Disorders

Authors

Debra Scurlock, Nova Southeastern University

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Occupational Therapy

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

Department

College of Health Care Sciences – Occupational Therapy Department

Publication Date / Copyright Date

2008

Publisher

Nova Southeastern University

NSUWorks Citation

Debra Scurlock. 2008. Relationship of Personality Types and Temperament Traits to the Occupational Profile of Adults with Asperger Syndrome and Related Autism Spectrum Disorders. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Health Care Sciences – Occupational Therapy Department. (15)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_ot_student_dissertations/15.

Abstract

"Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Occupational Therapy Department, College of Allied Health and Nursing, Nova Southeastern University."

Objective. The purpose of this study was to predict the length of employment (in months) from a common occupational profile as derived from the MBTI and WAIQ scores. This study employed the MBTI and the WAI instruments to gather information about subjects' personality types and temperament traits. These measures were used to predict length of employment for individuals with AS/HFA. Methods. A convenience sample of N=83 adults self -disclosed with AS/HFA completed the MBTI and WAI instruments. Backward Elimination Multiple Regression was used for data analysis. Results. A standard multiple regression analyses with average months on the job as the dependent variable and WAIQ, Gender (GND), age (AGE) and the subscales for the MBTI as the predictors was conducted. R for regression was significantly different from zero, F (7,75) = 8.20, p< .001. The statistically significant predictors were WAIQ (t = - 2.18, p < .05), GND (t=-3.14 p < .05), and AGE (t = 5.79, p < .001). A backward elimination model was conducted for the same predictors and dependent variable. After step 4, R = 0.65, F(4,78) = 14.17, p < .001. The statistically significant predictors were WAIQ (t = - 2.20, p < .05), GND (t=-3.40 p < .05), AGE (t = 6.39, p < .001), and SNS (t = -2.17, p < .05). A backward elimination model was also conducted on average months on the job (dependent variable) with the WAIQ and MBTI subscores as predictors. After step 7, with the remaining variables in the equation, R = 0.52, F(4,78) = 7.06, p < .001. The predictors that emerged statistically significant were Activity Raw score (t = - 2.76, p < .01), Sociability Raw score (t=1.70, p = .06), Assertiveness Raw score (t = -3.62, p < .01), and SNS (t = -2.17, p < .01). Conclusion. The data supports the identification of an Occupational Profile for adults with AS/HFA. The results support the development of interventions to assist individuals with AS/HFA in the workplace to potentially increase the likelihood of successful job performance as measured by length of employment.

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

Keywords

Psychology, Asperger Syndrome, Autism, Autism spectrum, Occupational profile, Personality types, Temperament traits