Temperament in Portuguese university students as measured by TEMPS-A: implications for professional choice.
BACKGROUND
The structure of temperament displays subaffective traits as attributes of adaptive value. There are few studies on how different professions compare on temperaments. Our aim was to examine the relationship between the choices of Portuguese students in their fields of study, and their respective temperaments.


METHODS
The sample included 1386 students from six different universities (law, engineering, arts, medicine, psychology, and nursing), of both genders (67% female), and ages between 17 and 58 (X + or - SD = 21 + or - 3.4).


RESULTS
Law and art students presented a cyclothymic or irritable temperament. Engineering students presented a hyperthymic temperament. Psychology and nursing students presented predominantly depressive and anxious temperaments. Medicine students were least extreme in temperament scores or frequencies.


CONCLUSIONS
Nursing students came largely from one university located in a Portuguese city (northeast from Lisbon) which could be a potential limitation to be confirmed.


CONCLUSIONS
Distinct temperamental profiles of students enrolled in different professional fields could be identified in our sample taking into account the presence or absence of excessive temperaments. Future physicians did not present a predominant temperament, future lawyers and artists presented predominantly a cyclothymic or irritable temperament, future engineers presented a hyperthymic temperament and, future psychologists and nurses presented predominantly depressive and anxious temperaments.
Figueira
M Luisa
ML
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Santa Maria Hospital, Lisbon, Portugal. canessa@me.com
Caeiro
Lara
L
Ferro
Ana
A
Cordeiro
Raul
R
Duarte
Pedro M
PM
Akiskal
Hagop S
HS
Akiskal
Kareen K
KK
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011174:Portugal; D011584:Psychology / Q000193:education; D011594:Psychometrics; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology; D013694:Temperament; D055815:Young Adult