| Popis: |
The studies reported herein were conducted to identify individual differences in how people plan for the future. The first study focused on identifying personality characteristics and behavioral tendencies which affect the process of planning. It was expected that the individual difference variables would be related to efficacy and the need for achievement, and that scores on the variables would form patterns indicative of planning styles. Once planning styles were identified, the studies focused on construct and predictive validation in an effort to determine whether the styles were related to personality characteristics or behavior. In Studies One and Two, planning styles were compared with motive, skill levels, learning styles, personality types, value orientations, and interpersonal styles. In Study Three, longitudinal research was conducted to determine whether planning style was predictive of behavior in graduate school or at work. The results of the studies were encouraging, suggesting that there are personality and behavioral characteristics that affect how people plan. However, the planning styles were not discrete, and were not as richly or as clearly depicted as had been expected. Because of these anomalies and some unexpected results, an exploratory study w as conducted. Analysis of the total data set indicated that differences in planning for the future might better be studied in terms of dimensions of the planning process, rather than in terms of personality styles. Factor analysis indicated that there are three dimensions which seem to capture different approaches to planning. The first dimension, Efficacy, seems to indicate the degree to which a person feels in control of the future. The second dimension, Achievement Orientation, seems to be indicative of planning behaviors associated with the need for achievement. The third dimension, Vision, is related to how far into the future a person sees, and whether the future is considered in instrumental or developmental terms. The studies indicate that there are individual differences in how people plan for the future. The results also suggest that these differences might be best explained in terms of the relative influence of the planning dimensions Efficacy, Achievement Orientation, and Vision. |
