My next client: Understanding the Big Five and positive personality dispositions of those seeking psychosocial support interventions

Abstract

Objectives:The purpose of this study was to examine whether individuals who sought out psychosocial support interventions which include life, career and executive coaching, mentoring services and counselling psychology services, could be identified by a combination of the Big Five and other positive personality facets and could subsequently be described as being open to growth and having a goal directed orientation.Design:The dimensions of Personal Growth Initiative, Adult Dispositional Hope, Goal Setting and the Big Five factors (Extraversion, Neuroticism, Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness) were investigated in an attempt to predict and further understand those individuals who would actively seek out and participate in a psychosocial intervention.Methods:The NEO-PI-R, the Goal-Setting scale of the Apollo Profile, the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale and the Personal Growth Initiative Scale were administered to 200 individuals to examine the personality attributes of clients who seek psychosocial support including coaching. Statistical analyses included the review of Group Statistics between Intervention Seekers and Non Intervention Seekers, Discriminant Function Analysis (one discriminant function revealed) and Confirmatory Cross Validation for Prediction of Group Membership.Results:Results revealed that high scores on Openness to Experience, Extraversion, Adult Dispositional Hope, Personal Growth Initiative, and Goal Setting were valid personality trait predictors of intervention seekers.Conclusions:The findings have implications for the research and practice of counselling psychology, the growing areas of life and executive coaching and for organisations where career and performance interventions such as coaching and mentoring are used.