Exploring the Temperament Traits of English Major Students in a University Setting

Authors

  • Marianne Angel Aligam Student-Ifugao State University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64358/m6hwxf65

Keywords:

Temperament traits, age, gender, year level

Abstract

Abstract: This study examined the temperament traits of 82 English major students at Ifugao State University–Potia Campus using a mixed-method research design. A standardized questionnaire measured four temperament types—Sanguine, Melancholy, Choleric, and Phlegmatic—while interviews provided qualitative insights into students’ academic behavior. Overall, Choleric was the most dominant temperament (34.1%), followed by Melancholy and Phlegmatic (24.4% each), and Sanguine (20.7%). By age, students aged 23–24 showed a strong dominance of Choleric traits (75%), while the 19–20 age group displayed a more balanced distribution: Choleric (30.5%), Melancholy (28.8%), Phlegmatic (18.6%), and Sanguine (13.6%). Students aged 21–22 were also predominantly Choleric (36.8%) and Phlegmatic (31.6%). By gender, both males and females exhibited a Choleric majority—36.8% of males and 31.7% of females—though female students displayed a more even distribution across all four types. By year level, Choleric temperament increased with academic standing: 28.6% in first year, 36.7% in second year, and 37.5% in third year. Phlegmatic traits also rose in the third year (29.2%), possibly indicating maturing emotional control. Thematic analysis revealed specific challenges by temperament: Sanguine students struggled with distractions and noise, Melancholic students faced anxiety and perfectionism, Choleric students often took control but had difficulty with group cooperation, and Phlegmatic students preferred harmony and avoided leadership roles. These results suggest the importance of designing personality-based instructional strategies to address the emotional and behavioral tendencies of learners for improved academic outcomes.

References

References

Alangui, W. V. (2018). Building stone walls: A case study from the Philippines. In Numeracy as Social Practice (pp. 40-58). Routledge.

Cainday, M. R. L., Chan, F. A. O., & Bestuer, G. M. (2023). Relationship of personality traits and organizational climate on work engagement among higher education personnel in the Philippines. Applied Business and Education Research, 4(9),3123–3133.

Castellanos, I., & Houston, D. M. (2024). Temperament in toddlers with and without prelingual hearing loss. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 67(1), 232–243.

Gkonou, C and Mercer, S (2017) Understanding emotional and social intelligence among English language teachers. Discussion Paper. British Council ELT Research Papers.

Kodak, R. N., & Güzel, H. Ş. (2023). Aggression among Preschool Children within the Framework of Temperament, Attachment and Parental Attitudes. Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar – Current Approaches in Psychiatry, 16(1), 48–57.

Lengua, L. J., Gartstein, M. A., Zhou, Q., Colder, C. R., & Jacques, D. T. (2024).

Temperament and child development in context. Cambridge University Press.

Murillo, A. S., Clifford, S., Cheng, C. H., Doane, L. D., Davis, M. C., & Lemery Chalfant, K. (2024). Development of temperament types from infancy to adolescence: Genetic and environmental influences with an economically and racially/ethnically diverse sample. Developmental Psychology. Advance online publication.

Nasvytienė, D., & Lazdauskas, T. (2021). Temperament and Academic Achievement in Children: A Meta-Analysis. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 11(3), 736–757.

Ormilla, R. C. G. (2022). Socio-economic, psychological and environmental factors in the academic performance of elementary pupils of Alfonso Lista District, Ifugao, Philippines. EDUCATUM Journal of Social Sciences, 8(1), 1-12.

Pintzinger, N. M., Pfabigan, D. M., Tran, U. S., Kryspin-Exner, I., & Lamm, C. (2016). Attentional biases in healthy adults: Exploring the impact of temperament and gender. Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry, 52, 29-37.

Rivera, R. (2023). Assessment of five factor model of personality traits of senior high school students: Basis for faculty development program. International Journal of Research Studies in Education, 12 (5), 11–22.

Tus, J. (2019). The impact of the personality traits on the academic achievement of the senior high school students. Journal of Global Research in Education and Social Science, 13(6), 208–212. Retrieved from

Tus, J., Perante, L., Espiritu, N. A., & Paras, N. E. (2021). Amidst the new normal of education: The personality traits and its influence on the Filipino senior high school students' academic performance. International Journal of Psychology and Counseling, 11(1), 125–135.

Willoughby, M. T., Stifter, C. A., Gottfredson, N. C., & Family Life Project Investigators. (2015). The epidemiology of observed temperament: Factor structure and demographic group differences. Infant Behavior and Development, 39, 21-34.

Zohar, A. H., Zwir, I., Wang, J., Cloninger, C. R., & Anokhin, A. P. (2019). The

development of temperament and character during adolescence: The processes and phases of change. Development and Psychopathology, 31(2), 601-617.

Downloads

Published

2025-06-18