Childhood personality and academic performance: A sibling fixed-effects study.
Big Five
academic performance
childhood personality
sibling fixed-effects design
Journal
Journal of personality
ISSN: 1467-6494
Titre abrégé: J Pers
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 2985194R
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
29 Nov 2023
29 Nov 2023
Historique:
revised:
20
10
2023
received:
24
11
2022
accepted:
25
10
2023
medline:
29
11
2023
pubmed:
29
11
2023
entrez:
29
11
2023
Statut:
aheadofprint
Résumé
This study investigated the associations between personality traits at age 8 and academic performance between ages 10 and 14, controlling for family confounds. Many studies have shown links between children's personality traits and their school performance. However, we lack evidence on whether these associations remain after genetic and environmental confounders are accounted for. Sibling data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) were used (n = 9701). First, we estimated the overall associations between Big Five personality traits and academic performance, including literacy, numeracy, and foreign language. Second, we added sibling fixed effects to remove unmeasured confounders shared by siblings as well as rating bias. Openness to Experience (between-person β = 0.22 [95% CI: 0.21-0.24]) and Conscientiousness (between-person β = 0.18 [95% CI 0.16-0.20]) were most strongly related to educational performance. Agreeableness (between-person β = 0.06 [95% CI -0.08-0.04]) and Extraversion (between-person β = 0.02 [95% CI 0.00-0.04]) showed small associations with educational performance. Neuroticism had a moderate negative association (between-person β = -0.14 [95% CI -0.15-0.11]). All associations between personality and performance were robust to confounding: the within-family estimates from sibling fixed-effects models overlapped with the between-person effects. Finally, childhood personality was equally predictive of educational performance across ages and genders. Although family background is influential for academic achievement, it does not confound associations with personality. Childhood personality traits reflect unbiased and consistent individual differences in educational potential.
Sections du résumé
OBJECTIVE
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the associations between personality traits at age 8 and academic performance between ages 10 and 14, controlling for family confounds.
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Many studies have shown links between children's personality traits and their school performance. However, we lack evidence on whether these associations remain after genetic and environmental confounders are accounted for.
METHOD
METHODS
Sibling data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) were used (n = 9701). First, we estimated the overall associations between Big Five personality traits and academic performance, including literacy, numeracy, and foreign language. Second, we added sibling fixed effects to remove unmeasured confounders shared by siblings as well as rating bias.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Openness to Experience (between-person β = 0.22 [95% CI: 0.21-0.24]) and Conscientiousness (between-person β = 0.18 [95% CI 0.16-0.20]) were most strongly related to educational performance. Agreeableness (between-person β = 0.06 [95% CI -0.08-0.04]) and Extraversion (between-person β = 0.02 [95% CI 0.00-0.04]) showed small associations with educational performance. Neuroticism had a moderate negative association (between-person β = -0.14 [95% CI -0.15-0.11]). All associations between personality and performance were robust to confounding: the within-family estimates from sibling fixed-effects models overlapped with the between-person effects. Finally, childhood personality was equally predictive of educational performance across ages and genders.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
Although family background is influential for academic achievement, it does not confound associations with personality. Childhood personality traits reflect unbiased and consistent individual differences in educational potential.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Subventions
Organisme : European Commission
ID : ERC CoG 818425
Organisme : European Commission
ID : 101045526
Organisme : The Research Council of Norway
ID : 288083
Organisme : The Research Council of Norway
ID : 325245
Organisme : The Research Council of Norway
ID : 262177
Organisme : The Research Council of Norway
ID : 336078
Organisme : The Research Council of Norway
ID : 331640
Organisme : The Research Council of Norway
ID : 273659
Organisme : The Research Council of Norway
ID : 300668
Organisme : The Research Council of Norway
ID : 262700
Informations de copyright
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Personality published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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