Personality predicts academic performance: Evidence from two longitudinal university samples

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Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas and Furnham, Adrian. 2003. Personality predicts academic performance: Evidence from two longitudinal university samples. Journal of Research in Personality, 37(4), pp. 319-338. ISSN 00926566 [Article]

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00578-0

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To what extent and which personality traits predict academic performance was investigated in two longitudinal studies of two British university samples. Academic performance was assessed throughout a three years period and via multiple criteria (e.g., exams and final-year project). In addition several indicators of academic behaviour, e.g., absenteeism, essay writing, tutors’ exam predictions, were also examined with regard to both academic performance and personality traits. In sample 1 (N=70), the Big Five personality factors ([Costa and McCrae, 1992])—particularly Neuroticism and Conscientiousness—were found to predict overall final exam marks over and above several academic predictors, accounting for more than 10% of unique variance in overall exam marks. Results suggest that Neuroticism may impair academic performance, while Conscientiousness may lead to higher academic achievement. In sample 2 (N=75) the EPQ-R ([Eysenck and Eysenck, 1985]) was used as the personality measure and results showed the three superfactors were the most powerful predictor of academic performance, accounting for nearly 17% of unique variance in overall exam results. It is demonstrated that (like Neuroctisim) Psychoticism could limit academic success. The present results provide evidence supporting the inclusion of well-established personality measures in academic selection procedures, and run counter to the traditional view of ability measures as the exclusive psychometric correlate of academic performance.

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Article

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https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00578-0