The relationship between personality traits, self-report conscientiousness the Conscientiousness Index and academic performance in undergraduate medical students

Finn, G.M.; Carter, M.; Sawdon, M.; Thompson, N.; Tiffin, P

Abstract

Personality traits are now accepted as being important factors within the workplace and medical education. Both cognitive ability and conscientiousness have been shown as important predictors of work-related performance within organisational research1. Conscientiousness is in an important trait within any career, but in particular within medicine where a lack of diligence can be disastrous and potentially cost lives. Within undergraduate students, objective measurement of conscientiousness is important since conscientious students are more likely to set and achieve goals. Durham University utilises the Conscientiousness Index (CI) as an objective scalar measure of conscientiousness. The CI has previously been validated against staff and peer views of student professionalism4,5. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the Big Five personality domains (including the 6 sub-facets of conscientiousness), Conscientiousness Index scores and academic performance in medical students in order to determine whether self-report conscientiousness correlates with the Conscientiousness Index and whether a relationship with academic performance exists.

Citation

Finn, G., Carter, M., Sawdon, M., Thompson, N., & Tiffin, P. (2012, July). The relationship between personality traits, self-report conscientiousness the Conscientiousness Index and academic performance in undergraduate medical students. Presented at ASME Annual Scientific Meeting, Brighton Centre, Brighton

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: ASME Annual Scientific Meeting
• Start Date: Jul 18, 2012
• End Date: Jul 20, 2012
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2012
• Deposit Date: Apr 17, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: May 29, 2012
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1156797
• Publisher URL: http://www.asme.org.uk/conferences/forthcoming-conferences/asm-2012.html