THE STUDY HAS TWO OJBECTIVES: (1) TO DETERMINE WHETHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDENTS PLANNING CAREERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT DIFFER IN PERSONALITY FROM CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDENTS PLANNING CAREERS IN CORRECTIONS AND (2) TO DETERMINE WHETHER STUDENTS DIFFER IN PERSONALITY FROM THEIR FIELD COUNTERPARTS (WORKING POLICE OFFICERS AND CORRECTIONAL SOCIAL WORKERS). ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS' SCORES ON A PERSONALITY TEST SHOWS THAT THE TWO STUDENT GROUPS ARE DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER. LAW ENFORCEMENT STUDENTS ARE A HIGHLY STABLE, PROSAIC GROUP COMPARED TO CORRECTIONS STUDENTS, WHO ARE LESS STABLE AND MORE AESTHETIC AND IMAGINATIVE. THIS FINDING SUGGESTS THE POTENTIAL FOR DISCORD BETWEEN POLICE AND CORRECTIONAL PERSONNEL. NEITHER STUDENT GROUP IS LIKE ITS FIELD COUNTERPART. HOWEVER, THE STUDENT-PRACTITIONER COMPARISON IS LIMITED BY RELIANCE ON PRACTITIONER PROFILES REPORTED BY THE DEVELOPERS OF THE PERSONALITY TEST. THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE 'MAGNET PHENOMENA' CONCEPT--THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO OR REPELLED BY CERTAIN OCCUPATIONS ON THE BASIS OF THEIR PERSONALITIES. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)