Personality traits as a predictor of academic achievement in adolescents

The study examined the predictive value of adolescents' personality trait ratings by different groups of informants in explaining academic achievement [ grade point average (GPA)] while controlling for students' sex and their mothers' education. The Inventory of Child/Adolescent Individual Differences was employed as a measure of students' personality traits at the end of elementary schooling (mean age - 14.7 years) and two years later when the participants attended secondary schools. The trait ratings were obtained through self-, maternal and peer reports at both measurement occasions. They explained substantial portions of unique variance in the students' GPA concurrently, and over time. Ratings by each of the three groups of informants had an incremental validity over one another in predicting school grades. Among personality variables, conscientiousness and low extraversion were consistently predictive of GPA.