Personality and motivation are determinants of seating preferences by students in lecture halls
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Authors
Casey, Peter
Issue Date
2014
Degree
BA (Hons) in Psychology
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to test the belief that, seating choices by students are a barometer of their motivation and reflect their personality traits. It was expected that students occupying seats in the front and middle sections of the lecture hall would display greater achievement motivation and be more extrovert than those who chose seats towards the back of the hall. A questionnaire survey was conducted using a convenience sample of 70 Dublin Business School mature Students (N=70) both male (N= 27, 38.6%) and female (N=43, 61.4%). Age range was (18 - 41+). Data was analysed in SPSS using cross-tabulation, chi-square and analysis of variance. There was an association between introversion and end of seat choices. X2(4) = 4.169, P ≥ 0.05. Results supported the belief that seats in a lecture hall are not chosen at random by the student but a variety of motivational and personality factors inform their choices. Author keywords: Personality, motivation, students, lecture halls, seat selection