HEXACO Personality Traits and Self-Control as Predictors of Counterproductive Academic Behavior

The current study examined the validity of HEXACO personality traits (at the broad trait-level and narrow facet-level) and Self-Control as predictors of counterproductive academic behavior (CAB; at the overall level and specific dimensional level) among college students. We collected data from 483 undergraduate students in South Korea who completed self-report measures of HEXACO personality traits, Self-Control, CAB. Results showed that Conscientiousness (r = − .23) and Honesty-Humility (r = − .25) were significantly correlated with CAB and that Self-Control provided incremental validity over HEXACO personality traits in predicting CAB. The correlations of Conscientiousness and Self-Control with CAB were consistently negative at the facet-level. However, within each HEXACO trait, there was some variability in the strength (and sometimes, the direction) of the relationships between the facet traits and CAB dimensions. Additionally, hierarchical multiple regression analysis results showed that Self-Control provided incremental validity for predicting CAB beyond prediction provided by the HEXACO personality traits. The results provide further support for personality and Self-Control as meaningful predictors of counterproductive academic behavior in college.