Personality Traits Conscientiousness Research Articles

Predictors of grit among medical students: a study at a Malaysian Public University

BackgroundPrevious literature has demonstrated associations between grit and positive educational and psychological outcomes, such as higher academic grades, lower attrition rates in medical training, and protection from burnout. However, the predictors of grit have yet to be studied, particularly among medical students in Malaysia. This study aimed to determine the level of grit and its predictors among Malaysian medical students.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 123 medical students from a public university in Malaysia. Data on sociodemographic and educational characteristics were collected. The student’s personality traits were determined using the Big Five Inventory (BFI), while grit was assessed using the validated 7-item Short Grit Scale (Grit-S). Grit was expressed as a mean score, ranging from 1 (not at all gritty) to 5 (extremely gritty). Multiple linear regression was used to determine the association between the predictors (personality, sociodemographic and educational characteristics) and grit among these students.ResultsThe mean grit score was 3.43 (SD 0.57). Based on the multiple linear regression analysis, the grit score was significantly predicted by three personality traits which were extraversion, b = 0.2 (95% CI: 0.07–0.32), agreeableness, b = 0.28 (95% CI: 0.12–0.44) and conscientiousness, b = 0.6 (95% CI: 0.42–0.77). A 1-point increase in the mean extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness scores would independently increase these students’ mean grit scores by 0.2, 0.28, and 0.6, respectively. The sociodemographic and educational characteristics did not significantly predict grit among Malaysian medical students.ConclusionsThe mean grit score among Malaysian medical students is comparable to other medical students in Asia. Extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness personality traits were associated with higher grit. As grit is a dynamic trait, appropriate interventions should be implemented to foster and increase it among these students.

Psychological Factors Associated with General Quality of Life in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study on a Multicultural Sample of Romanian Medical Students.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the general quality of life (GQOL) of a large number of individuals, including those in the academic environment. This study investigated GQOL in a sample of 613 Romanian medicine students (81.57% were female; mean age = 21.40 ± 1.749 years) in relation to their Big Five personality characteristics, Perceived Stress and Fear of COVID-19. The study was conducted between June 2020 and March 2022. These variables were investigated with the Big Five Inventory-2: Extra-Short Form, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), the Perceived Stress Scale-10 and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Statistical analysis included hierarchical linear regression and t-tests. The results indicated a significant direct relationship between GQOL and the personality traits of Conscientiousness, Extraversion and Agreeableness. However, a significant inverse relationship was observed between GQOL and Perceived Stress and Neuroticism. Fear of COVID-19 was significantly higher in women, while no other socio-demographic variables were associated with GQOL. A total of 61.7% of the studied population returned to their original residency during the pandemic years. These results could be important for better understanding the vulnerability to significant epidemiological events in academic populations and for planning adequate preventive or interventional measures.

The relationship between conscientiousness, openness to experience, knowledge-hiding behavior and job performance of employees

Purpose Knowledge-hiding behavior can lead to adverse consequences for individuals and organizations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between personality traits, knowledge-hiding behavior and job performance in the banking sector in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach This study used a quantitative approach to test the proposed research model using a linear structural modeling method. Data were collected from 291 employees working in commercial banks in Vietnam using a direct survey instrument. Findings The conscientiousness personality trait exhibits a negative relationship with explicit knowledge-hiding behavior but demonstrates a positive association with tacit knowledge-hiding behavior. Openness to experience is negatively correlated with both explicit and tacit knowledge-hiding behaviors. Explicit knowledge-hiding behavior is negatively related to job performance, whereas tacit knowledge-hiding behavior has a positive relationship with job performance. Knowledge-hiding behavior played an intermediary role in the relationship between conscientiousness and job performance. Originality/value The extent to which employees engage in knowledge hiding depends on whether the knowledge is explicit or tacit. The impact of knowledge hiding on job performance is contingent upon the nature of hidden knowledge, whether explicit or tacit, and can either diminish or enhance job performance.

How do university students’ personalities affect their engagement, satisfaction, and stickiness toward E-learning?: evidence from Australia

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of e-learning systems worldwide. While much research has explored how learners' personality traits affect their acceptance of e-learning, there's a gap in understanding their readiness to continue using online platforms post-pandemic. This study aims to address this gap by developing a more comprehensive framework for examining the role of the Big -five personality traits in student engagement, satisfaction, and stickiness with e-learning platforms. Data was collected from 403 students across three Australian higher education providers and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that agreeableness and conscientiousness positively influence student engagement, while extroversion and agreeableness impact satisfaction. Furthermore, students' extrovert and conscientious personality traits influence their stickiness towards e-learning. Additionally, student engagement positively correlates with satisfaction, leading to greater stickiness towards elearning. These insights can inform the development of more user-centric e-learning designs and contribute to future research on educational technologies and sustainable user behavior.

Impact of patient attributes on the relationship between hearing handicap and readiness to pursue audiologic rehabilitation

Objective This study explored whether select patient attributes were significant predictors of readiness to pursue hearing aids (HAs) and estimated the impacts of hearing aid self-efficacy (HASE) and emotional states, on the relationship between perceived hearing handicap and readiness to pursue HAs. Design & study sample Sixty-two adults with self-reported hearing difficulties and no previous experience with HAs self-reported their hearing handicap, HASE, personality, emotional states in varying contexts, and readiness to pursue HAs. Results Individuals with greater hearing handicap and who had experienced hearing loss for a shorter duration were more ready to pursue HAs. Having higher HASE, more positive emotional states in “Social” situations, higher scores for the Agreeableness, and having lower Conscientiousness personality trait scores also independently predicted readiness. Neither HASE nor reported emotional states had a significant impact on the relationship between perceived hearing handicap and readiness to pursue HAs. Conclusions Certain patient characteristics independently motivate people towards or away from pursuing HAs. However, it remains unclear whether targeted modification of these attributes would directly facilitate behaviour change. Future research should further explore these questions to facilitate a more individualised audiologic rehabilitation.

Personality traits and job performance among academic staff in a private academic institution

<span lang="EN-US">This study investigates the association between the personality traits of academic staff members and their job performance in a Malaysian private educational institution. The personality traits were based on the Big Five model, which has five dimensions: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. About 110 participants from this institution were surveyed using a quantitative questionnaire, and their data were gathered. Throughout the study, the data were examined utilizing multiple regression analysis and factor analysis. According to the study’s findings, conscientiousness, and openness to experience significantly positively affect job performance. However, it was determined that extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism were not statistically significant and had no connection to job performance. As a result, in this institution, openness to experience is the most essential predictor of job performance. The findings of this study showed the management that openness to experience and conscientiousness are crucial for improving job performance inside the institution. Therefore, the management should pay more attention to these areas and recruit new employees with openness to experience and conscientious personality traits.</span>

Differences in olfactory functioning: The role of personality and gender

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between the gender and personality traits of individuals and their ability to detect, identify, and discriminate odors. The dataset on olfactory performance was compiled from a panel of 207 healthy human volunteers. The dataset for the odor identification test was collected using a set of 10 distinct odorants, and the odor discrimination test dataset was collected using a well‐established “Sniffin sticks” (Burghardt®, Wedel, Germany) odor discrimination test kit. To assess the Big Five personality traits of study participants, a self‐report survey questionnaire based on the International Personality Item Pool‐Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness (IPIP‐NEO) was used. Here, we conducted a statistical analysis to investigate the role of personality measures and gender on olfactory performance, as well as the relationship between olfactory performance and perceived odor intensity, pleasantness, and familiarity. The findings of the study suggest the existence of some relationships between gender and personality traits and odor discrimination and identification, but not odor detection. Conscientiousness and openness to experience personality traits were positively correlated with odor identification, while agreeableness and conscientiousness personality traits were positively correlated with odor discrimination. The extroversion personality scale was negatively correlated with odor discrimination. Additionally, male participants performed better than females in odor identification tasks, while females performed better in odor discrimination. The neuroticism personality domain was associated with odor identification tasks in males but not in females when analyzed separately. Correct identification of odors was also associated with their perceived familiarity.Practical ApplicationsThe results of this study may have important practical implications for a range of industries, including the fragrance and food industries. These findings may help tailor products to specific consumer preferences based on personality and gender, enhancing product appeal. Further, the fragrance and food industries can develop targeted marketing campaigns using fragrances and flavors associated with particular personality types or genders. Similarly, product testing can also be improved by representing a diverse range of personality types and genders to obtain more accurate feedback. The study insights can further guide the development of flavor and taste pairings that resonate with specific personality and gender groups. Overall, by considering olfactory differences related to personality and gender, the fragrance and food industries can segment their target markets more effectively and design products that appeal to different consumer groups.

Impact of confrontation to patient suffering and death on wellbeing and burnout in professionals: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundPalliative care and oncology generate a risk of burnout and psychological distress in professionals. The purpose of this study is to identify both psychopathological and positive factors related to mental health at work. It aims (i) to explore the extent to which these professionals are confronted with suffering, illness, and death; and to explore the prevalence of psychological distress and/or burnout, (ii) to identify potential determinants of burnout and psychological wellbeing at work, (iii) to develop an integrative model of mental health; and to identify frequency and impact of confrontations with death, and (iv) to identify profiles of professionals are at risk of developing a mental health disorder or, conversely, characterized by wellbeing.MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted in palliative care and oncology evaluating confrontations with death, coping, burnout, psychological distress, personality, self-esteem, well-being and meaning at work. Regressions, clustering, and structural equation modeling analyses were performed.Results109 professionals participated (58% from oncology and 42% from palliative care), of which 79% were female, and 65% were between 30 and 49 years old. Aim i: 30% witnessed an intolerable suffering at least 9 times a month, 45% reported moderate to high levels of burnout, 39% suffered from anxiety and 11% from depression. Aim ii: the determinants of burnout were the personality traits conscientiousness and neuroticism, low meaning of work, and low wellbeing (R2 = 0.44). The determinants of wellbeing were work meaning, depersonalization, self-esteem, fulfillment and low emotional exhaustion (R2 = 0.71). Aim iii: the integrative model included both well-being (self-esteem, conscientiousness) and psychopathology (neuroticism, anxiety) parameters, and strongly satisfied the standard SEM goodness of fit indices (e.g., CFI, IFI, and TLI ≥ 0.95). Aim iv: three profiles were identified: (a) a “distressed profile” with a majority of professionals at the patient’s bedside, (b) a “disengaged profile” with professionals working as second-line consultants, (c) a “wellbeing profile” contains profiles of caregivers insensitive to psychological distress and with a high level of positive Impact of confrontation on different areas of their lives.ConclusionsAn integrative approach is essential to understand the full range of mental health issues for professionals. Meaning of work is a key factor in professional interventions that should primarily affect front-line professionals with limited experience.

Community startup businesses: the impact of big five personality traits and social media technology acceptance on group buying leaders

PurposeThis study investigates how personality traits influence individuals’ intention to become community group buying (CGB) leaders.Design/methodology/approachData include 517 valid questionnaires that are employed to examine the research model and test the hypotheses using partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsThis study reveals that among the Big Five personality traits, extroversion and neuroticism have more impact on the perceived ease of use and usefulness of social media, and individuals with high levels of these traits are more likely to become CGB leaders. Perceived ease of use only mediates the relationship between agreeableness and CGB leader intention, whereas perceived usefulness mediates the relationships between conscientiousness and CGB leader intention and neuroticism and CGB leader intention.Originality/valueThis study can serve as a catalyst for advancing the exploration of how personality traits and social media affect the intention of being CGB leaders. In addition, the study investigates the mediating effect of social media technology acceptance obtaining valuable insights into how social media affects individuals’ intention to become CGB leaders, expanding the research in this field.Highlights(1)Individuals with extroversion, neuroticism, and conscientiousness personality traits exhibit higher perceived ease of use and usefulness of social media.(2)Unlike previous research suggested, neurotic individuals appear to be attracted to becoming community group buying (CGB) leaders.(3)Individuals with high agreeableness are encouraged by ease in pursuing CGB leadership.(4)Perceived usefulness mediates the relationship between conscientiousness and CGB leadership intention and neuroticism and CGB leader intention.

Personality and leadership style in generation z: A quantitative study in a higher education institution in Mexico

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to discern the combination of personality traits that most contribute to effective leadership styles in individuals belonging to Generation Z.Design/methodology/approach: We utilized a structural equation model to analyze data from 244 higher education students in Mexico. This approach allowed us to examine the relationship between personality traits, leadership styles, and perceived effectiveness.Findings: Our findings indicate that the transformational leadership style is the most impactful among Generation Z individuals. Furthermore, the personality traits of openness and conscientiousness emerged as the most influential in relation to effective leadership styles.Research limitations/implications: Despite valuable insights, limitations exist due to small sample size (n=244) from one institution, restricting generalizability. The cross-sectional nature provides a snapshot, not accounting for societal/technological shifts affecting Generation Z over time. Self-reported data may suffer from biases. The cultural context focuses solely on a Mexican educational setting. Future research calls for larger, more diverse samples across institutions/countries with longitudinal data to offer enhanced, nuanced understanding of evolving leadership and personality traits within Generation Z.Practical implications: Organizations could enhance effectiveness by fostering transformational leadership among Generation Z employees through coaching/training programs tailored for this cohort. Academically, business curricula would benefit from integrating insights on aligning leadership styles with inherent personality traits.Social Implications: Transformational leadership emergence within Generation Z may propagate leaders equipped to drive innovation, convey visionary goals, and evoke follower commitment to address pressing societal issues.Originality/value: To our knowledge, this study represents the first investigation within the Mexican context examining the interplay of personality traits, leadership styles, and effectiveness among Generation Z individuals.

Teacher-leaders’ personality traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience and transformational leadership: The implications for collective teachers efficacy

The significant role of teacher-leaders has been acknowledged in educational studies throughout the globe. However, few studies have focused on the effect of teacher-leaders’ leadership on their teachers' job attitudes. This study, grounded in social cognitive theory, explores the mediating role of teacher-leaders' transformational leadership on the link between teacher-leaders’ personality traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience, and collective teacher efficacy. The results of Structural Equation Modeling from a sample of 103 teacher-leaders and 506 teachers, indicated that transformational leadership fully mediated the relationship between teacher-leaders’ personality traits and collective teacher efficacy. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The HEXACO model of personality is associated with loneliness in a university setting

The problem of loneliness among college students has attracted extensive attention from researchers. As a fundamental psychological framework, personality traits are associated with loneliness. Thus, we conducted a survey of 688 college students in Mainland China to examine the relationship between the HEXACO personality traits and loneliness. Regression analysis revealed a negative association between loneliness and the personality traits of agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience, and a positive association between loneliness and the personality traits of honesty???humility, emotionality, and extraversion. This model explained 33.78% of the variance in loneliness. Implications of the findings are discussed.

The Effect of Owner-Managers’ Personality Traits on Organisational Ambidexterity in the Context of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

This empirical study aimed to analyse the influence of the personality traits of owner-managers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on organisational ambidexterity (OA). Based on the existing literature, five hypotheses were formulated about the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and organisational ambidexterity. A second-order structural equation model was used with a sample of 224 Portuguese SMEs in the sector of information technology (IT), telecommunications, and audio-visual and IT consultancy. The results obtained suggest that the personality traits of extraversion, neuroticism (versus emotional stability) and conscientiousness have a significant influence on organisational ambidexterity. These results are consistent with the research and demonstrate that owner-managers’ personality traits influence organisational ambidexterity in SMEs. Theoretical and practical implications are explored.

Personality traits and investment decision

This study aims at examining the relationship between personality traits and investment decision. The study used empirical research methodology using primary sources of information collected using structure questionnaire. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the linear relationship between the personality dimensions and investment decision-making. The personality traits considered for the study are extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. The study provided empirical evidence that the personality trait of conscientiousness and extroversion have a significant positive influence on the investment decision making process of retail investors. Similar, neuroticism has positive effect on investment decision of investor and statistically significant at 10 percent level of significance. The results of the study could help investors better understand their investment decision-making in terms of the influence of their personality. Financial advisors could also benefit from this study as it would allow them to correlate their clients’ personalities and decision-making tools and suggest the most appropriate investment strategies.

Frugal or Sustainable? The Interplay of Consumers’ Personality Traits and Self-Regulated Minds in Recycling Behavior

Through the lens of self-regulation theory (SRT), this study investigates the following: (1) the ways in which consumers’ personality traits of conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness increase their self-regulated mindsets of frugality and green efficacy; (2) whether frugality facilitates green efficacy; and (3) whether frugality and green efficacy ultimately affect recycling behavior. This study proposes modeling the duality of the self-regulated mindsets of frugality and green efficacy as the reason why consumers engage in recycling behavior. This study conducted an online survey among U.S. consumers that garnered 400 responses for the empirical data analysis. The results reveal that frugality is positively influenced by conscientiousness and openness, whereas green efficacy is facilitated by agreeableness but not by openness. Notably, frugality contributes to green efficacy, which indicates the causal duality of the self-regulated mindset as a motive in recycling behavior. Both frugality and green efficacy predict greater recycling behavior. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for consumers’ recycling behavior and the development of effective public promotion strategies for the disposal of waste and recycling.

Personality matters: how adaptive selling skills mediate the effect of personality traits on salespeople’s exploited cross-selling potential

This article examines how salespeople’s personality traits influence their adaptive selling skills and exploited cross-selling potential. We collect both a cross-industry and cross-country dataset of 430 salespeople who engage in cross-selling activities. In contrast with prior research on the relationship between personality traits and general sales performance, we find none of the big-five personality traits to have a significant direct effect on the exploited cross-selling potential. However, drawing on the theory of self-monitoring, we find that the big-five traits have dimensionally varying, significant effects on adaptive selling skills. In turn, adaptive selling skills have a significant direct effect on exploited cross-selling potential. Moreover, our analyses reveal that the personality traits conscientiousness and extraversion have indirect positive effects on exploited cross-selling potential. These findings provide beneficial insights for human resources as well as human development practice in both recruiting and training initiatives. In particular, we provide guidance on how to hire and train the best personnel for intensive cross-selling sales positions in firms. In addition, we introduce new perspectives for research on the relationship between personality traits and performance measures by identifying the importance of possible mediators.

Personality Trait, Intolerance Of Uncertainty, And Psychological Well-Being In Palembang City Students In Facing Vuca

The VUCA era is an era of life that is described as a situation full of change, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity which has a negative impact on humans psychologically by decreasing the psychological well-being of society, especially students. Previous research found that psychological well-being is affected by intolerance of uncertainty (IU) in individuals. Other studies have also found that personality traits are factors that influence IU in individuals. This study aims to examine the effect of personality traits (OCEAN) on the psychological well-being of students via intolerance of uncertainty in Palembang City students who are affected by VUCA. Data was collected from 106 students in Palembang City using Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale version 18 item (RPWB-18), Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale version 12 item (IU-12), and Big Five Inventory - 2 (BFI-2) version of 30 items adapted to Indonesian and tested. The results showed that IU, and the personality traits of neuroticism and conscientiousness had a significant effect on psychological well-being. Meanwhile, IU was significantly influenced by the personality traits of neuroticism and extraversion. However, the results of the study did not find any indirect influence of personality traits on psychological well-being through intolerance of uncertainty (IU).

Cardiac Autonomic Activity, Personality Traits, and Academic Performance in First-Year Medical Students: A Gender-Specific Relation.

Background It is not always the sincere or hardworking or intelligent student that gets the highest grades. Exploring unknown dimensions that may distinguish academic performance in adolescents/youth migrating from a high school study environment to that of a professional school and in a learning environment without parental supervision for the first time remains important. We hypothesized that cardiac autonomic activity influenced by cognitive domain factors and emotions would predict academic success in them. Further, we investigated which of their personality traits related to academic performance. Exploratory gender-based analysis was included. Methods A prospective cohort study measured first-year medical students' resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and personality traits (from the self-reported NEO Five-Factor Inventory-3). Spearman's correlation coefficient tested the correlation between the year-end final aggregate marks and assessed parameters, including subgroup analysis based on gender. Regression analyses of variables with academic marks were performed in the entire cohort. Results The aggregate marks of 81 volunteering students (Mage = 18.7, SD = 0.8 years; 42 females, 39 males) as a cohort did not correlate with their resting heart rate or HRV indices. Subgroup analysis revealed a positive correlation between marks and high-frequency power (r = 0.33, p= 0.03) and total power (r = 0.37, p= 0.02) of HRV in females. The marks positively correlated with the personality conscientiousness score (r = 0.32, p= 0.04) and extraversion score (r = 0.34, p= 0.03) in females.Multivariable regression analysis in the entire cohort revealed no significant interactions. Conclusion Academic performance was significantly related to cardiac autonomic modulation and personality traits of conscientiousness and extraversion in female but not male first-year medical students. These resultsindicate a gender-specific difference in the relation between scholastic performance and HRV in adolescents/youth transiting from high school to professional schools and entering a study environment without parental supervision for the first time. Further our data expands the knowledge base of educational psychology among them.

Exploring Correlates of Student Preferences for Virtual or In-Class Learning among Neurodiverse Adolescents Using a Single-Case Design Methodology

The purpose of the current study is to explore several correlates of adolescent students’ preferences for at-home virtual or in-class in-person learning in a single case of a school that serves students with learning differences. Correlates of interest were the Big Five personality traits (Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism) and the students’ self-reported learning engagement. Participants were recruited from a single independent school for students with neurodiversity and special learning needs, where they had high exposure to computer-/internet-assisted learning. Twenty-seven students responded to questionnaires measuring preferred learning modes, personality traits, and learning engagement. Despite teacher reports that some of these students thrived with virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, 88.5% of this sample preferred in-class learning. The personality traits of Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience were related to a preference for in-class learning. A preference for in-class learning was related, in turn, to learning engagement. Learning engagement was associated with Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and lower levels of Neuroticism. The strengths and limitations of this study and its implications for further research and practice are discussed.

The effect of conscientiousness on managerial learning from stock prices

ABSTRACT We examine whether and how CEOs’ conscientiousness affects managerial learning from stock prices. We use a deep learning-based natural language processing model to detect personality from textual records of an individual’s spoken language. Following personality psychologists’ description of the personality trait of conscientiousness, we hypothesize that conscientious CEOs are more willing and able to collect comprehensive decision-relevant information compared to others, and to the extent that they possess more relevant information prior to the arrival of news in the stock market, they have less to learn from it. From the sample of large U.S. public firms for which earnings call transcripts are available, we replicate the well-stylized investment-to-price relationship while reporting a weaker relationship for firms with conscientious CEOs. This finding supports the hypothesis that conscientious managers learn less from stock prices.