Personality and Vocational Motivation: A Study among Catholic Seminarians in Italy Employing the Big Five and the NIRO

Abstract

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Reviewing the use of psychological assessment tools in the screening and admission process of candidates to the catholic priesthood or religious life.

“…Except eight studies that used projective tests (Banks et al, 1984; Bartsch & Dawson, 1979; Gamino et al, 2007; Maddi & Rulla, 1972; McLaughlin, 1969; Rulla & Maddi, 1972; Sheridan, 1968; Palomo, 1966), all other research used objective tests or scales. The instrument more frequently adopted (46% of all studies) is the MMPI in its various versions: MMPI (Banks et al, 1984; Healy, 1968; Kimmons, 2002; Kuchan et al, 2013; Murray & Connolly, 1966; Pino, 1980; Vaughan, 1970; Weisgerber, 1969); MMPI-K scale (Sunardi, 2014); MMPI-2 (Gamino et al, 2007; Ifeacho et al, 2015; Isacco, Finn, et al, 2020; Kimmons, 2002; Kuchan et al, 2013; Plante et al, 1996, 2005; Plante & Lackey, 2007; Thomas & Plante, 2015); Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ingram et al, 2021; Isacco, Finn, et al, 2020; Isacco, Ingram, et al, 2020); followed by the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF; Campagna & O’Toole, 1981; Isacco, Ingram, et al, 2020; Plante et al, 1996, 2005; Plante & Lackey, 2007; Shainauskas, 1976) and Big Five Personality tests (Francis & Crea, 2019; Galea, 2010; Kosek, 2000; Sunardi, 2014; Thurackal et al, 2016).…”

“…He found that those who showed high level of desire for God scored higher on Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, as compared with seminarians with low level of desire for God. Francis and Crea (2019) assessed the religious orientation (extrinsic vs. intrinsic) of seminarians through the New Indices of Religious Orientation questionnaire (Francis, 2007), and correlated the results with their personality traits, as measured by the BFQ. Seminarians scored higher on intrinsic orientation, and this aspect was positively correlated with Conscientiousness.…”

“…These authors also identified several other measures that were then being used, that is, Shipley Institute of Living Scale, Neuropsychological Impairment Scale-Self Report, Connors’ Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder Rating Scale, 16PF, MIPS, Personality Assessment Inventory, EPPS, Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Orientation–Behavior, Career Assessment Inventory, SWB, and the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory, showing that most of the assessment tools had focused on evaluating cognitive functioning, personality, and some career interests. In the publications reviewed here, the main factors studied have resulted in personality (34 out of 40 studies), spirituality (Cahyono & Julom, 2015; Francis & Crea, 2019; Kosek, 2000; Mahalik & Lagan, 2001; Okozi, 2010; Sunardi, 2014) and intelligence (with IQs that turned out to be average, Banks et al, 1984; Gamino et al, 2007; Kuchan et al, 2013; Songy, 2007). Two studies assessed the perceived parental bonding of candidates (Cahyono & Julom, 2015; Sunardi, 2014), one emotional intelligence (Cahyono & Julom, 2015), while another study assessed gender-related conflict and stress (Mahalik & Lagan, 2001), one the quality of life (Prusak et al, 2021) and one (Landry et al, 2019) addiction (raising the question about the need for the seminary authorities to carry out random screening for internet addiction).…”

Personality, Prosperity, Priority, Productivity, and Piety: Selecting Congregational Valued Lay Leaders

“…personal relationships, community building) of employees, volunteers, and leaders. In fact, clergy have been assessed via the personality-based trait assessments, including the Big Five (Cerasa et al, 2016;Francis & Crea, 2019;Saroglou, 2002). The five factors rank one's affinity to complete goals or tasks (conscientiousness), tolerance and ability to trust (agreeableness), willingness to socialize and assert one's opinions (extraversion), intelligence and engagement with information (openness), and levels of worry and anxiety (neuroticism) (Antonioni & Park, 2001).…”

Cross-Cultural Values: A Meta-Analysis of Major Quantitative Studies in the Last Decade (2010–2020)

“…Numerous cross-cultural studies examine the role of belief in people's lives across the world (e.g., Francis and Crea 2019;Freese 2004;Frese 2015;Gebauer et al 2012Gebauer et al , 2017Gotsis and Grimani 2017;Graham and Haidt 2010;Parris and Peachey 2013;Shepherd et al 2019). These studies attempt to isolate core assumptions about how the world works.…”