Arthur Eugene Poropat

A Meta-Analysis of the Five-Factor Model of Personality and Academic Performance

This article reports a meta-analysis of personality-academic performance relationships, based on the 5-factor model, in which cumulative sample sizes ranged to over 70,000. Most analyzed studies came from the tertiary level of education, but there were similar aggregate samples from secondary and tertiary education. There was a comparatively smaller sample derived from studies at the primary level. Academic performance was found to correlate significantly with Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness. Where tested, correlations between Conscientiousness and academic performance were largely independent of intelligence. When secondary academic performance was controlled for, Conscientiousness added as much to the prediction of tertiary academic performance as did intelligence. Strong evidence was found for moderators of correlations. Academic level (primary, secondary, or tertiary), average age of participant, and the interaction between academic level and age significantly moderated correlations with academic performance. Possible explanations for these moderator effects are discussed, and recommendations for future research are provided.

The Eysenckian personality factors and their correlations with academic performance

BACKGROUND. The relationship between personality and academic performance has long been explored, and a recent meta-analysis established that measures of the five-factor model (FFM) dimension of Conscientiousness have similar validity to intelligence measures. Although currently dominant, the FFM is only one of the currently accepted models of personality, and has limited theoretical support. In contrast, the Eysenckian personality model was developed to assess a specific theoretical model and is still commonly used in educational settings and research. AIMS. This meta-analysis assessed the validity of the Eysenckian personality measures for predicting academic performance. SAMPLE. Statistics were obtained for correlations with Psychoticism, Extraversion, and Neuroticism (20-23 samples; N from 8,013 to 9,191), with smaller aggregates for the Lie scale (7 samples; N= 3,910). METHODS. The Hunter-Schmidt random effects method was used to estimate population correlations between the Eysenckian personality measures and academic performance. Moderating effects were tested using weighted least squares regression. RESULTS. Significant but modest validities were reported for each scale. Neuroticism and Extraversion had relationships with academic performance that were consistent with previous findings, while Psychoticism appears to be linked to academic performance because of its association with FFM Conscientiousness. Age and educational level moderated correlations with Neuroticism and Extraversion, and gender had no moderating effect. Correlations varied significantly based on the measurement instrument used. CONCLUSIONS. The Eysenckian scales do not add to the prediction of academic performance beyond that provided by FFM scales. Several measurement problems afflict the Eysenckian scales, including low to poor internal reliability and complex factor structures. In particular, the measurement and validity problems of Psychoticism mean its continued use in academic settings is unjustified.

A meta-analysis of adult-rated child personality and academic performance in primary education.

BACKGROUND Personality is reliably associated with academic performance, but personality measurement in primary education can be problematic. Young children find it difficult to accurately self-rate personality, and dominant models of adult personality may be inappropriate for children. AIMS This meta-analysis was conducted to determine the validity of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality for statistically predicting childrens academic performance. SAMPLE Literature search identified 12 reports, with cumulative sample sizes ranging from 4,382 (19 correlations) to 5,706 (23 correlations) for correlations with Emotional Stability and Conscientiousness respectively. METHOD Hunter-Schmidt random-effects meta-analysis was used, and moderators were tested using sample-weighted regression. RESULTS When compared with self-rated measures, adult-rated Conscientiousness and Openness were more strongly correlated with academic performance, but adult-rated Agreeableness was less strongly correlated. Q-set-based assessments had lower validity, which appeared to explain moderating effects of rating source. Moderating effects were not found for age, year of education (grades 1-7), or language within which the study was conducted. CONCLUSIONS Conscientiousness and Openness had two of the strongest correlations with academic performance yet reported, comparable with previous meta-analytic correlations of academic performance with instructional quality, cognitive ability, and feedback. The FFM appears to be valid for educational research with children. Openness, which has no counterpart in models of childrens temperament, should be further researched with children. Future research should examine the measurement of childhood personality, its relationship with intelligence, the extent to which it is malleable in primary education, and its causal relationship with academic performance.

The role of citizenship performance in academic achievement and graduate employability

Purpose – Employability is a major educational goal, but employability programmes emphasise skill development, while employers value performance. Education acts as a model for employment, so educational performance assessment should be aligned with employment models. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between educational and workplace performance, especially the role of Citizenship Performance within educational settings.Design/methodology/approach – Students in an introductory university course rated their own personality, and weeks later assessed one anothers Citizenship Performance. The relationship of these ratings to academic Task Performance was analysed with structural equation modelling.Findings – Citizenship Performance was correlated with academic Task Performance, at a similar level to that found in workplace studies. Further, Citizenship Performance mediated the prediction of Task Performance by the personality dimension Conscientiousness, a major predictor of ...

The Relationship Between Attributional Style, Gender and the Five-Factor Model of Personality

Abstract The Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality has taken a pre-eminent position among factorial descriptions of personality but has been criticised for its largely atheoretical basis. In response it has been suggested that the FFM reflects underlying cognitive–affective systems. Attributional style is one of a number of such systems and has been shown elsewhere to be related to a number of well-established factors of personality but with apparently different patterns for men and women. This study examined the relationship between attributional style as assessed by the Attributional Style Questionnaire, gender, and the FFM Mini-Markers. The patterns of correlations between ASQ scales and FFM dimensions appeared different for men and women, and three significant gender interactions were observed using multiple regression. Both internal attributional style for positive events and overall attributional style interacted with gender to predict openness, and hopefulness interacted with gender to predict extraversion. Similarities and differences between these findings and those reported elsewhere are discussed. It is suggested that further research exploring the cognitive–affective basis for the FFM is justified and that caution should be used in application of the FFM within applied settings.

Development and validation of a unifactorial measure of citizenship performance

Citizenship Performance has long been accepted as an important aspect of performance, but there has been little consensus on how best to measure this construct. Previous measures have assessed as many as five sub-factors, yet recent meta-analyses have indicated that citizenship is largely unifactorial. At the same time, none of the previously developed unifactorial Citizenship Performance scales have been adequately validated. Consequently, this article reports the development of a unifactorial measure of Citizenship Performance, which was found to have good criterion validity. The unifactorial scale also had superior convergent and divergent validity, and better internal factor structure, than the commonly-used Job Dedication and Interpersonal Facilitation scales, developed by Van Scotter and Motowidlo (1996).

Chinese students’ participation: the effect of cultural factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide for Western educators of international Chinese and Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC) students the first integrated review of kiasu, the “fear of missing out”, and its consequences for learning, teaching, and future research. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the economic importance of international Chinese students is provided, followed by consideration of the pedagogical consequences of restricted participation in educational activities by the so-called “silent Chinese student”. Examination of research on international Chinese students and their source cultures established significant gaps and misunderstandings in the generally accepted understandings of CHCs, especially with respect to the actual practices used in Western and Chinese teaching. More importantly, the participation-related implications of kiasu within the context of broader cultural characteristics are described and implications drawn for teaching practices and research. Findings – W...

Blood lead and preeclampsia: A meta-analysis and review of implications☆

Background Multiple cross‐sectional studies suggest that there is an association between blood lead and preeclampsia. Objectives We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis to summarize information on the association between preeclampsia and lead poisoning. Methods Searches of Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed, Science Direct and ProQuest (dissertations and theses) identified 2089 reports, 46 of which were downloaded after reviewing the abstracts, and 11 studies were evaluated as meeting the selection criteria. Evaluation using the ROBINS‐I template (Sterne, et al., 2016), indicated moderate risk of bias in all studies. Results We found that blood lead concentrations were significantly and substantially associated with preeclampsia (k = 12; N = 6069; Cohens d = 1.26; odds ratio = 9.81; odds ratio LCL = 8.01; odds ratio UCL = 12.02; p = 0.005). Eliminating one study produced a homogeneous meta‐analysis and stronger estimates, despite the remaining studies coming from eight separate countries and having countervailing risks of bias. Conclusions Blood lead concentrations in pregnant women are a major risk factor for preeclampsia, with an increase of 1 &mgr;g/dL associated with a 1.6% increase in likelihood of preeclampsia, which appears to be the strongest risk factor for preeclampsia yet reported. Pregnant women with historical lead exposure should routinely have blood lead concentrations tested, especially after mid‐term. Women with concentrations higher than 5 &mgr;g/dL should be actively monitored for preeclampsia and be advised to take prophylactic calcium supplementation. All pregnant women should be advised to actively avoid lead exposure. HighlightsA meta‐analysis of blood lead (BPb) and preeclampsia was performed.12 studies were included in the meta‐analysis.Odds ratio for BPb and preeclampsia = 9.81 (95% CI = 8.01–12.02).Increase of 1 &mgr;g/dL in BPb results in a 1.6% increase in likelihood of preeclampsia.Pregnant women advised to actively avoid lead exposure.

How best practices are copied, transferred, or translated between health care facilities: a conceptual framework

Introduction: In spite of significant investment in quality programs and activities, there is a persistent struggle to achieve quality outcomes and performance improvements within the constraints and support of sociopolitical parsimonies. Equally, such constraints have intensified the need to better understand the best practice methods for achieving quality improvements in health care organizations over time. This study proposes a conceptual framework to assist with strategies for the copying, transferring, and/or translation of best practice between different health care facilities. Purpose: Applying a deductive logic, the conceptual framework was developed by blending selected theoretical lenses drawn from the knowledge management and organizational learning literatures. Findings: The proposed framework highlighted that (a) major constraints need to be addressed to turn best practices into everyday practices and (b) double-loop learning is an adequate learning mode to copy and to transfer best practices and deuteron learning mode is a more suitable learning mode for translating best practice. We also found that, in complex organizations, copying, transferring, and translating new knowledge is more difficult than in smaller, less complex organizations. We also posit that knowledge translation cannot happen without transfer and copy, and transfer cannot happen without copy of best practices. Hence, an integration of all three learning processes is required for knowledge translation (copy best practice–transfer knowledge about best practice–translation of best practice into new context). In addition, the higher the level of complexity of the organization, the more best practice is tacit oriented and, in this case, the higher the level of K&L capabilities are required to successfully copy, transfer, and/or translate best practices between organizations. Practice Implications: The approach provides a framework for assessing organizational context and capabilities to guide copy/transfer/translation of best practices. A roadmap is provided to assist managers and practitioners to select appropriate learning modes for building success and positive systemic change.

Neuroscience of Motivation and Organizational Behavior: Putting the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) to Work

Abstract Neuroscience research on human motivation in the workplace is still in its infancy. There is a large industrial and organizational (IO) psychology literature containing numerous theories of motivation, relating to prosocial and productive, and, less so, “darker” antisocial and counter-productive, behaviors. However, the development of a viable over-arching theoretical framework has proved elusive. In this chapter, we argue that basic neuropsychological systems related to approach, avoidance, and their conflict, may provide such a framework, one which we discuss in terms of the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) of personality. We argue that workplace behaviors may be understood by reference to the motivational types that are formed from the combination of basic approach, avoidance, and conflict-related personalities. We offer suggestions for future research to explore workplace behaviors in terms of the wider literature on the neuroscience of motivation.