Personality Predicts Academic Performance: Exploring the moderating role of gender

Abstract

In this study, students' personality traits were investigated in relation to course grade in an undergraduate management course taught by the same professor and overall college grade point average (GPA). Conscientiousness positively and significantly predicted overall GPA over and beyond other personality traits of agreeableness, extroversion, emotional stability and intellect, accounting for unique variance in final course grade and overall GPA. Gender was consistently found to moderate the personality–academic performance relationship (as measured by GPA). Specifically, emotional stability positively and significantly predicted academic performance among male students, but not so among females. Intellect positively and significantly predicted academic performance among male students, but the same relationship was nonexistent among female students. Discussion was offered relative to the importance of personality traits in predicting academic performance.