The Influence of Different Personality Types of Ordinary University Students on Constitutional Health Index

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1 The Influence of Different Personality Types of Ordinary University Students on Constitutional Health Index WANG Junqing, CHEN Lun Department of Physical Education, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Abstract: The mass teenagers should be healthy physically and psychologically, have strong body and will power and be full of vitality. This embodies the vigorous vitality of a nation, is the mark of progress in social civilization and an important aspect of overall national strength. This research takes 300 students of science & engineering and 300 students of arts in ordinary universities of Hebei Province as the research objects and adopts many research methods such as documentation consultation method, questionnaire survey, and mathematical statistics. Through testing the personality type and health index, etc. of students of science & engineering and arts, we get to know the health index difference of students with different specialties and characters. The research results show that: (1) Specialties and genders are obviously different. For instable extroverts, girls are more than boys; for instable introverts, boys are more than girls. Instable introverts have the worst psychological condition, while stable extroverts have the best psychological condition. (2) The physical strength of students of science & engineering is better than that of arts students; the pulmonary capacity and weight index of arts students is better than that of students of science & engineering. (3) The constitutional health has relatively close relation with students temperament type and sports they participate in, and there is no obvious difference between boys and girls. As for study, stable extroverts do the best and then stable introverts, instable extroverts follow; and instable introverts do the worst. Keywords: University Student, Personality Type, Health Index, Influence, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire 1 Pose Problems The developing tendency of China in 21 st century is closely related to the growth and development of university students. We should attach great importance to the physical education of teenagers; the teenagers should be healthy physically and psychologically, have strong body and will power and be full of vitality. This embodies the vigorous vitality of a nation, is the mark of progress in social civilization and an important aspect of overall national strength [1]. Therefore, the top priority for the modern universities to cultivate students who develop morally, intellectually and physically is strengthening personality education of university students, strengthening their constitution and deepening quality-oriented education with university students all-round development as the objective. In resent years, as the study and employment pressure of university students increases, people pay more attention to the constitutional health and psychological health of university students. Many scholars have made much research on the psychological health and constitutional health of university students and proposed some preventive measures and exercising means. However, personality difference of students with different specialties is less involved; especially the research on the influence of personality difference on constitutional health index is even less. This thesis takes students of science & engineering and arts in some universities of Hebei Province as research objects. It researches the influence of personality difference of students with different specialties on health index so as to take effective intervening measures and scientific exercising methods in university physical education and improve students psychological health and constitutional health index. 615

2 2 Research Object and Method 2.1 Research Object Research objects of this thesis are 300 students of science & engineering and 300 students of arts who were enrolled in Hebei University of Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University and Hebei University of Economics and Business in 2007 or On the basis that we have explained this research clearly to them, we conduct questionnaire survey and tests of constitutional health indexes. 2.2 Research Method Documentation Consultation Method We obtain the documentation related to this research by searching on the internet and retrieving periodical indexes and other methods. In addition, we have carefully studied the journals of many physical education universities of China and also consulted many materials about sports psychology, pedagogy in physical education, constitutional health, sports statistics, etc. In this way, we get to know the theories, methods, ideas and advanced level of Chinese and foreign scholars in the related research. We also pick up the materials related to this research through analysis and summary so as to lay a solid foundation for this research Questionnaire Survey We conduct questionnaire survey for students of science & engineering and arts who were enrolled in Hebei University of Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University and Hebei University of Economics and Busines in 2007 or In this research, we issued 600 questionnaires and took back 591 copies (294 from students of science & engineering, 297 from arts); the recovery rate is 98.5%. We have 586 effective research objects which account for 97.7% of research objects Test Scale The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) is prepared by Eysenck (English) who worked in Department of Psychological Sciences of University of London and the Institute of Psychiatry. The version with 88 questions, which has been revised by Gong Yaoxian and et al, are applied in this survey. Each question has two answers: Yes or No. With excellent reliability and validity, this is one of the most widely applied questionnaires in education, psychiatric consulting and other fields [2] Scoring Method of the Scale As a self-rating questionnaire, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire contains 88 items that influence the personality of the student. Its statistical indexes include extroversion and introvertsion (E), psychoticism (P), neuroticism (N) and lie (L). In the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, when the N and E scales are combined in double dimension, an orthogonal coordinate will be formed with E as X-axis and N as Y-axis. In this way, the four quadrants are formed: stable extrovert (sanguine), unstable extrovert (choleric), stable introvert (phlegmatic), and unstable introvert (melancholic).taking the four quadrants as the point of penetration, this thesis mainly studies the students with different personalities Method of Mathematical Statistics: input the recollected information into the computer to carry out mathematical statistics and adopt SPSS11.0 software to process data. The average and standard deviation shall be calculated; the T test shall be conducted. Finally, the conclusion will be obtained. 3 Result and Analysis 3.1 Personality Test of Students by the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Personality characteristics, also called individual mental characteristics, are the intrinsic, frequent and stable mental characteristics presented by individuals. The personality test of students by Eysenck Personality Questionnaire shows: the unstable introverts account for 6.31%, and unstable extroverts 7.0%. In the real world, the psychological health is vulnerable to the two personality types. In addition, of unstable extroverts, the male and female occupy 6.43% and 7.64% respectively, and the proportion of 616

3 the female is greater than that of the male; of unstable introverts, the male and female occupy 7.40 % and 5.09 % respectively, and the proportion of the male is greater than that of the female; of all students, the intermediate type is the most, accounting for 52.39%; for the extroverts, the students of science & engineering accounts for 12.63%, the students of arts 13.82% which is greater than that of students of science engineering; for introverts, the students of science & engineering accounts for 10.92%, the students of arts 10.24% which is lower than that of students of science engineering (See table 1). Table 1 Personality Test Results of Students of Science & Engineering and Arts Stable Extrovert (Sanguine) Unstable Extrovert (Choleric) Intermediate Type Stable Introvert (Phlegmatic) Unstable Introvert (Melancholic) Science & Male 39(18.14%) 14(6.51%) 114(53.02%) 32(14.88%) 16(7.45%) 215 Engineering Female 15(19.48%) 6(7.79%) 40(51.96%) 12(15.58%) 4(5.19%) 77 Male 19(19.79%) 6(6.25%) 51(53.13%) 13(13.54%) 7(7.29%) 96 Arts Female 41(20.70%) 15(7.58%) 102(51.52%) 30(15.15%) 10(5.05%) 198 Total This shows that the university students have different personality characteristics. Of them, the students with different specialties and genders are different in personality characteristics. The students of science & engineering are introverted, since they are rigorous, serious, responsible, rational, positive and optimistic, etc.; the students of arts are extroverted, since they are sensible, good at associating, easy to cooperate and eager for excitement. Besides, in modern society, people s living standard has been improved generally, so that the children are spoiled by excessive compromises in most family. Consequently, some boys are shy, sensitive and timid, and they are overcautious to get on with others and easy to feel anxious; some girls become enthusiastic, extroverted, relaxed, excited and brave, and have little anxiety and take things as they are. Therefore, the boys and girls have double personalities. Thus, the colleges and universities should grasp the personality characteristics of contemporary students, educate and guide them at proper time so as to make their personalities adapt to their future career. 3.2 Test of Student Health Index National Standards for Student Constitutional Health is an educational mode to promote the development of students constitutional health and to stimulate them to do physical exercise actively and an individual evaluation criterion of students constitutional health [3]. In order to know the constitutional health of students of science & engineering and arts, test results of the National Standards for Student Constitutional Health of chosen students with different specialties are obtained with the help of the Departments of Physical Education of Hebei University of Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University and Hebei University of Economics and Business (see table 2). The content of the specific tests include strength quality (medicine ball for male and sit-ups for the female); speed quality (standing jump); endurance quality (the male: 1000 m, the female: 800m); height, weight and pulmonary capacity. The research results show: after the test for them, the students of science & engineering have higher scores that the students of arts in the strength quality tests (medicine ball, sit-ups, etc.); the students of science & engineering have lower scores than the students of arts in the speed quality test (standing jump) and endurance quality tests (1000m or 800m); In the strength quality test and endurance quality test, the students of science & engineering and arts have significant difference (P<0.01). In the speed quality test, they have slight difference (P<0.05); the results of pulmonary capacity of the two groups of students have significant difference. In weight and height, they have no significant difference. Total 617

4 Table 2 Test Results of Health Index of Students of Science & Engineering and Arts (Male) Science & Engineering (215 Persons) Medicine Ball, m Standing Jump, cm 1000m s Height, cm Weight, kg ml S Arts (96 Persons) S T P <0.01 <0.05 <0.01 >0.05 >0.05 <0.01 In the teaching of university physical education, the teacher should highlight students' physical exercise and make the students understand the importance of "To civilize the spirit must build the body first" and overcome the sub-health state resulted from the overpressure of study, sleep insufficiency, overnutrition and others. In exercise, teachers should aim at students of different disciplines and instruct them to select different exercising methods and contents for scientific exercise. For instance, for students of arts, they need to strengthen the physical strength to improve the power of their limbs and abdominal muscles; for students of science, they need to strengthen their speed and physical endurance in order to improve their ability in running and aerobic metabolic capacity. Only by adopting effective means and methods, can we comprehensively promote the improvement of the health level of students of different specialties. Table 3 Test Results of Health Index of Students of Science & Engineering and Arts (Female) Sit-Ups Standing Jump 800m Height Weight Science & Engineering (77 Persons) S Arts (198 Persons) S T P <0.01 <0.05 <0.01 >0.05 >0.05 < Influence of Different Personality Types on Health Indexes The students who are extroverted in character are usually energetic, optimistic, lively, quick in response and strong in athletic ability; while, the students introverted are unsociable and timid in character, slow and clumsy in speech, thinking and action, and weak in athletic ability. Therefore, the personality is an important factor of influencing health indexes. By research, Vingerhoers (1990) argues that, the people who never exercise are obviously higher in nervosity, hostility, social phobia than those who exercise one or two times a week, and show a lower level in self esteem. Therefore, the students actively exercise show more stable personality tendency, and their score is significantly lower on psychoticism (P), strong in athletic ability and high in health index. From Table 4 and 5, we can conclude that, whether male or female students, stable extroverts have higher level on the strength, speed and physical endurance, those who are of the intermediate type are more standard; and there is a significant difference (P<0.01) between the stable extrovert and the intermediate type. The instable introverts have the lowest aptitude level, and there is a big difference (P<0.01) compared with the intermediate type. An obvious difference exists among the unstable extroverts and stable introverts and the intermediate type students, but no obvious difference on height 618

5 and standard body weight (P>0.05). Table 4 Influence of Different Personality Types on Health Index (Male) Medicine Ball Standing Jump 1000m Height SBW Weight Index S S S S S The Intermediate Type Stable Extrovert T Unstable Extrovert T P <0.01 <0.05 <0.05 >0.05 <0.05 Stable Introvert T P <0.05 <0.01 <0.01 >0.05 <0.01 Unstable Introvert T Note: The comparison among Stable Extrovert and Unstable Extrovert, Stable Introvert & Unstable Introvert and Intermediate Type Table 5 Influence of Different Personality Types on Health Index (Female) Sit-Ups Standing Jump 800m Height SBW Weight Index S S S S S The Intermediate Type Stable Extrovert T Unstable Extrovert T P <0.01 <0.05 <0.05 >0.05 <0.05 Stable Introvert T P <0.05 <0.01 <0.01 >0.05 <0.01 Unstable Introvert T Note: The comparison among Stable Extrovert and Unstable Extrovert, Stable Introvert & Unstable Introvert and Intermediate Type Therefore, the physical education curriculum of universities should follow the spirit of The Sports Teaching Guidelines of National Ordinary Higher Education. The teaching plan should aim at the characteristics of the students of different specialties and personalities. Accordingly, it needs to adopt different grouping methods and teaching forms, to apply different teaching means and measures and to carry out various forms of exercises progressively and repeatedly in order to strengthen their interest in 619

6 study and enhance their confidence in study. In addition, it needs to encourage the students who have special talents and sufficient energy to improve their sports skill level and develop their own sports talents. Therefore, in teaching, the teachers should carefully observe the students' characters and characteristics and make them participate in the sunshine physical education so as to improve their aptitude and health level and realize the objective of physical education curriculum. 4 Conclusion and Suggestions 4.1 Conclusion The university students have different characters and characteristics, and hence significant difference exists on the mental health status of the different genders of students. On the proportion of unstable extroverts, the female is higher than male; on the proportion of unstable introverts, the male is higher than female; these two types of characters have the biggest influence on the mental health. The unstable introverts (melancholy) are the poorest on the metal health, and the stable extroverts (sanguineous) are the best In constitutional health test, the students of arts are superior to the students of science on the speed and stamina diathesis; while in the power test, the students of science are superior to the students of arts; on the pulmonary capacity and weight indexes, the students of arts are superior to the students of science Constitutional health is closely relevant to the character type and the participated sports items, and there is no significant difference between male and female. The sanguineous students are the best in the study; the students of phlegmatic and bilious temperament are minor; and the students of melancholic temperament are the worst. 4.2 Suggestions In teaching, the teachers should adopt different teaching content and methods for teaching and training according to the characteristics of the students of different specialties and characters so as to enhance the students' aptitudes and health indexes For different specialties and stages of students who are apt to have psychological problems, we shall guide them along their course of development and carry out healthy prevention education. For unstable introverts and unstable extroverts, we shall give special attentions. In teaching, we shall cultivate the students optimistic attitude toward life and friendly and harmonious interpersonal relationship so as to promote the university students' physical and mental development and make them adapt to the increasingly fierce market competition of current society and serve the society better. References [1]. Opinions on Strengthening the Youth Sports and Enhancing the Youth Constitution issued by State Council [S]. Beijing: General Office of the CPC Central Committee, May, 2007(in Chinese) [2]. Manual of Behavioral Medicine Scale [M]. China Behavioral Medicine Association. 2005, (8): 37 (in Chinese) [3]. Shu Da. Operational Practices of National Standards for Student Constitution Health [M]. Beijing: Kaiming Press, 2008:3(in Chinese) [4]. You Jin, Guo Yongyu. Relationship among the University Student's Personality, Social Support and Subjective Well-being [J]. Psychology and Behavior Research, 2007 (1): 28-29(in Chinese) 620