Relationship between Personality Traits and Satisfaction in Interpersonal Relationships among Consecrated Religious in Catholic Higher Education Institutions in Lang’ ata Sub-County, Kenya

Scholars have argued that there is a relationship between personality traits and satisfaction in interpersonal relationships among individuals. As such, the current study sought to investigate the relationship between personality traits and satisfaction in interpersonal relationships among consecrated religious in Catholic higher education institutions in Lang’ata Sub-County, Kenya. The study employed a quantitative paradigm to collect data and analyze it. A correlational research design was utilized. Proportionate stratified random sampling method was used to select 329 participants that took part in the study. The study was based on the Big Five Model and the Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Orientation theory. Data was collected using the Big Five Inventory and the Relationship Assessment Scale and analyzed using both descriptive and correlational analysis. The results showed that majority (80.9%) of the participants had moderate level of satisfaction in interpersonal relationships, compared to 18.1% who had high level of satisfaction in interpersonal relationships, and 1.0% of the participants who had low level of satisfaction in interpersonal relationships. In addition, the study found out that there is a statistically significant relationship between personality traits such as extraversion (r=0.128, p=0.021), agreeableness (r=0.398, p=0.000), conscientiousness (r=0.281, p=0.000), openness (r=0.171, p0.002) and neuroticism (r=-0.323, p=0.000) and satisfaction in interpersonal relationship among the respondents. The study concluded that there is a link between personality traits and satisfaction in interpersonal relationship among the consecrated religious. The study recommended that counselors need to psycho-educate the clients especially those high in neuroticism on how to develop interpersonal skills.