Abstract:

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between thinking styles and the big five personality traits. One-hundred-and-fifty-four (mean age 20 years) second-year university students from Hong Kong participated in the study. Participants responded to the Thinking Styles Inventory based on Sternberg’s theory of mental selfgovernment and to the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI, Costa & McCare, 1992). Although significant relationships were identified between particular thinking styles and certain personality traits, it was included that it is premature to claim that a personality measure, such as the NEO-FFI can be used to measure thinking styles. Key words: Thinking styles; personality traits.

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