4. Discussion
4.1. Differences between faculties
Statistically significant differences in N were found between students from different faculties,
but not always in accordance with the hypotheses of the study. While it was predicted that
art students would be more neurotic than students of the other three groups, it was the law students
who were proven significantly more neurotic than both the social and the natural science
students. The N level of the art students is highest, as foreseen, although it is very close to that
of the law students. Only Hollands (1992) artistic type scored above 66 in N and confirmed
Howard and Howards (2001) findings, which were the basis for the hypothesis that they would
be highly neurotic. A recent study (Rubinstein, 2003), however, found Israeli law students to
score higher in authoritarianism and lower in creativity than other students. In the current
study, law students were also found to be significantly less open to experience than all other
three groups. Being high in N, this group might tend to cling somewhat defensively to rules,
a factor which might account for their high scores in authoritarianism and low scores in creativity.
This would seem to be the case at least at the time that they choose to study law, although
these tendencies may shift both during their studies, and later when they actually practice law
(Rubinstein, 2003).
Although students of the natural sciences seem to have chosen a field of study which is not conducive
to fostering inter-personal relationships, as far as the results of this study are concerned,
they are as extraverted as the other groups.
Law students were also found to be less open than the other three groups. Their low O scores
are compatible with the findings of Rubinsteins (2003) study in which law students were found to
score higher than other students on authoritarianism and lower on creativity. Once again, this is
presented only as an indication of the scores they received during their first year of law school. It is
assumed that during the initial phases of their studies they may need to be more rigid, but that the
actual practice of law might foster greater openness to experience.