THE RELATIONSHIP OF DOMINANCE, FRIENDLINESS, TASK ORIENTATION, ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION, INTELLIGENCE, GENDER, AND RACE TO HIGH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship of personality variables (dominance, friendliness, task orientation, achievement motivation), intelligence, gender, race, and school climate, to leadership roles in high school students. Using the High School Characteristics Index, two high schools, one with a low instrumental, low expressive school climate and the other with a high instrumental, high expressive school climate, were identified. A total of 230 leaders were identified and divided into four groups. Formal leaders were defined as the occupants of leadership positions in formal, officially recognized school groups. Informal leaders were students selected as leaders by their peers but were not leaders in any formal student organization. Formal-informal leaders were leaders in the formal school organization and also nominated by their peers as leaders. Nonleaders were occupants of no leadership position and were not nominated by peers. All students were administered the dominance, affiliation, cognitive structure, and achievement motivation scales of the Personality Research Form-E. Cognitive ability data were obtained from PSAT scores. Results indicated that of the variables examined, dominance was the most important variable predictive of high school student leadership. The other major finding was in the gender composition of the leader groups. The formal leader group was proportionately more female, the informal leader group was composed of proportionately more males, while the formal-informal leader group was more equally male and female. There were no personality or intellectual differences between leaders on the basis of gender or race. When each leader group was viewed separately, the school climate appeared to have a greater influence. In the low instrumental, low expressive school, dominance was linked with friendliness to discriminate the formal-informal from the nonleader group. In addition, in this school, the formal leaders were found to be more highly achievement oriented girls with less ability at task orientation than the informal leaders, who were lower achievement oriented boys with more ability at task orientation. In contrast, in the high instrumental, high expressive school, dominance was the only significant factor which discriminated the formal and formal-informal leaders from the nonleaders.
Subject Area
Educational psychology
Recommended Citation
SANTNER, BRUCE, "THE RELATIONSHIP OF DOMINANCE, FRIENDLINESS, TASK ORIENTATION, ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION, INTELLIGENCE, GENDER, AND RACE TO HIGH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP" (1986). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8616828.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8616828
