A comparative study of 1975 and 1993 entering freshman engineering students at Auburn University using the Myers Briggs Type Indicato

Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) scores of 220 entering (freshman) engineering students for the academic year 1975--1976 were compared to the MBTI scores of 575 entering (freshman) engineering students for the academic year 1993--1994. A MANOVA procedure was utilized to examine the interaction effects and main effects of the independent variables of sex and year on the continuous MBTI scores across the four scales of extraversion-introversion, intuition-sensing, thinking-feeling, and judgement-perception.;The MANOVA procedures utilized in this study indicated the existence of a significant difference between 1975 and 1993 entering (freshman) engineering students on MBTI typologies. Results from the univariate F tests for the year independent variable indicated that the 1993 student group was more thinking and perception oriented while the 1975 student group was more feeling and judgement oriented. Results from the univariate F tests for the sex independent variable indicated that the male student group was more thinking and perception oriented while the female student group was more feeling and judgement oriented.;Results obtained from the study were used to develop suggested teaching/learning strategies for engineering students and faculty.