An Exploratory Study of the Jungian Personality Types of Second Life Residents

Abstract

In virtual worlds such as Second Life, participants can engage in a variety of activities with other online residents. The personality type of the resident inherently guides the activities in which he or she chooses to participate. Choices, such as communication method (i.e., group communication versus one-to-one) and in-world community participation (i.e., exploring new worlds versus building their own), can be directly linked to the personality preferences of the virtual world user. Carl Jung’s work entitled “Personality Types” (1921) is regarded as one of the foundational works in understanding the personality preferences of oneself and others. Jung’s work is the foundation for extrapolated personality theories and the basis for personality assessments on personality type. Understanding the personality types of virtual world users may help educators when designing online experiential learning activities. This understanding may also help educators understand why some students thrive with online experiential learning activities while others struggle. Utilizing a demographic survey and the Majors Personality Type Inventory, a quantitative analysis of Second Life users was conducted. An examination of a resident sample size (n=91) in relation to population norms will be outlined. Statistically significant differences between the Second LifeTM population and population norms will be discussed. The implications of this study for educators who choose to employ Second LifeTM as an experiential learning tool will also be examined.