Relationship between aptitudes and attitudes toward computer-aided design and personality types of interior design students

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between attitudes and aptitudes toward Computer-aided design (CAD) and personality types among interior design students. Twenty-eight junior and 28 senior interior design students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University comprised the population of this study. Information was mainly obtained from the survey questionnaire and Keirsey Temperament Sorter which were administered during the last week of the spring semester 1991.

The collected data was analyzed by descriptive statistics. The frequency distribution and mean scores were used to describe the characteristics of the sample population, attitudes and aptitudes toward CAD, and personality types. Correlation coefficients were used to examine the hypotheses of this study that a significant relationship exists between students' attitudes and aptitudes toward CAD and personality types.

Results of this study revealed that students seem to have higher preference for Extravert, Intuition, Feeling, and Judging types rather than Introvert, Sensing, Thinking, and Perceiving. This finding suggests that most students in the classes tended to perceive things by intuition, relied more on empathy and sensitivity in making judgment, and made systematic, orderly judgements about the world. It was found that the students who had stronger attitudes toward CAD usefulness tended to be the Feeling type rather than Thinking. It was also discovered that there was a correlation between the Judging type and higher CAD proficiency grades. While only an isolated case, this study revealed a significant difference between the CAD instructor and stUdents in personality types.the world. It was found that the students who had stronger attitudes toward CAD usefulness tended to be the Feeling type rather than Thinking. It was also discovered that there was a correlation between the Judging type and higher CAD proficiency grades. While only an isolated case, this study revealed a significant difference between the CAD instructor and students in personality types.