A comprehensive survey on personality, narcissism, leadership efficacy and divergent thinking has been conducted among ASP candidates, aiming to integrate both technical and non-technical assessments.
The investigation, led by Cristina Mosso, professor at the Department of Psychology of University of Turin, aimed to explore certain personality characteristics and behavioural styles that also find expression in the professional sphere. These dimensions count in individual choices and expectations but are also reflected in the success of training activities (teams, group work, etc.). Psychological assessment can in this context facilitate learning especially in terms of self-reflection and awareness.
Aligned with the ASP’s educational approach, the survey examined personality traits in relation to leadership effectiveness and the dark triad—traits often associated with complex personality profiles.
A total of 150 candidates participated in the online survey during the 2023-2024 academic year. The participants came from diverse backgrounds, with more than 84% hailing from Italy. Of the total applicants, 74.66% applied to Politecnico di Milano, while the remaining 25.33% submitted their applications to Politecnico di Torino.
Results
Participants scored higher on the personality trait Conscientiousness, which refers to the ability to organise and complete tasks with a sense of responsibility and accuracy, while they scored lower on the dimensions concerning emotional vulnerability (Emotionality). Moreover, females on average had higher mean scores than males in: Emotionality, Openness to experience, especially with regard to the tendency to value the new and atypical; and Extraversion, an optimistic perception of social skills.
Narcissistic personality is manifested by the two core themes of vulnerability and grandiosity associated with both pathological and normal personality traits. Grandiosity is a sense of uniqueness and superiority, interpersonal exploitativeness, entitled expectations for self and others, fantasies of unlimited success, a tendency to repress negative aspects of the self and a lack of empathy. Vulnerability is characterized by the tendency to deep shame regarding expectations, needs, and threats to self-esteem. Both vulnerability and grandiosity share features of entitlement and antagonism, and mirror the general aim of preserving a positive self-image through self-enhancement.
Moreover, males obtained higher scores in Vulnerability dimension of Narcissism scale (t(150)= 1,984, p<0,05.
The results denote a greater characterisation of the respondents towards accuracy and rational planning of activities and tasks (leadership efficacy), while being open to the new (divergent thinking mean score). The gender differences emerging among the respondents generally confirm the evidences in the literature where females obtain higher scores in the Emotionality and Openness to Experience dimensions.
| Mean | Males (N=92) Mean | Females (N=58) Mean | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honesty-Humility | 3,73 | 3,68 | 3,80 |
| Emotionality (1) | 3,02 | 2,84 | 3,31 |
| Extraversion (2) | 3,60 | 3,52 | 3,71 |
| Agreeableness | 3,29 | 3,27 | 3,32 |
| Conscientiousness | 4,08 | 4,03 | 4,16 |
| Openness to Experience (3) | 3,84 | 3,70 | 4,06 |
| Leadership self-efficacy | 3,95 | 3,93 | 3,97 |
| B-PNI_vulnerability | 2,39 | 2,41 | 2,37 |
| B-PNI_grandiosity | 3,18 | 3,25 | 3,06 |
| Divergent thinking | 3,37 | 3,42 | 3,29 |
(1) t(150)=4,627, p<0,000; (2) t 150)=1,613, p<0,055; (3) t(150)=3,008, p<0,005
