Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between the Big Five and Academic Success at University

Abstract

Interest in the prediction of academic success in higher education has grown considerably in recent years in German-speaking countries. While the validity of school grades and admission tests has been investigated by meta-analyses and large-scale studies at least in the United States, less is known about noncognitive predictors of academic success. The present meta-analysis investigates the impact of the Big Five personality factors on academic success at university. A total of 258 correlation coefficients from 58 studies published since 1980 were included. Grades, retention, and satisfaction served as success criteria. Correlations were corrected for attenuation caused by measurement error. Results show that the influence of personality traits on academic achievement depends on the success criterion. While Neuroticism is related to academic satisfaction (μ^ρ = .369, k = 8), Conscientiousness correlates with grades (μ^ρ = .269, k = 41). Extraversion, Openness to Experience, and Agreeableness have no significant impact on academic success. Moderator analyses suggest effects of culture for the validity of Extraversion. Parallels to validity for job performance are identified and implications for admission and counseling of students are discussed.