Mammadov’s (2021) metaanalysis on the Big Five personality traits and academic performance is an interesting read. He concludes by linking conscientiousness as explaining a good portion of academic performance variance.
For background, the Big Five or the Five Factor Model (FFM) is a personality theory proposed made popular by Costa and McCrae (1999). The FFM has, big surprise, five dimensions: Openness to New Experiences; Conscientiousness; Extraversion; Agreeableness; and, Neuroticism (or, positively, Emotional Stability). People high in conscientiousness are those that prepare or plan well. They can become workaholics or be seen as deliberate.
Given this definition, it would make sense to see why higher conscientiousness would be linked to academic performance. I certainly know when I plan, I do better (or at least it feels this way).
Interestingly, in my research on law enforcement personal differences, I found conscientiousness had the highest mean among the FFM. This could indicate that law enforcement officers like to be planners.
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