Final answer:
The most common personality type found among engineering students is ISTJ, a category well-suited to the detail-oriented and structured nature of engineering. The NT personality types, which include INTJ and INTP, are less common in the general population but are often overrepresented in engineering and scientific fields due to their preference for abstraction and logical thought.
Step-by-step explanation:
The personality type that is most frequently found among engineering students is ISTJ. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) specifies different personality types based on four axes: Introversion/Extraversion (I/E),
iNtuiting/Sensing (N/S), Thinking/Feeling (T/F), and Judging/Perceiving (J/P). These types often correspond to different preferences and working styles.
When considering engineering students specifically, the ISTJ type is known for focusing on facts and details (S), which aligns with the practical aspects of engineering. They are also structured and decisive (J), traits that complement the need for planning and execution in engineering disciplines.
Scientists, and by extension many individuals in engineering fields, tend to fall into the NT category, which values abstraction and logical thought. However, the NT combination is relatively rare in the general population, making up about 10%. Within engineering and scientific communities, there's an over-representation of INTJ and INTP personality types.
The information you've provided indicates that NT types are attractive to scientific pursuits, and since engineering is closely related to scientific fields, one could expect a similar trend among engineering students.
Hence, despite being more rare in the general population, NT types, specifically INTJ and INTP, are more prevalent among those in scientific and technically-oriented fields such as engineering.