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An assessment of academic performance and personality
Author(s) -
GREEN A.,
PETERS T.J.,
WEBSTER D.J. T.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
medical education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1365-2923
pISSN - 0308-0110
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2923.1991.tb00076.x
Subject(s) - personality , psychology , educational measurement , personality assessment inventory , medical education , applied psychology , medline , clinical psychology , social psychology , pedagogy , medicine , curriculum , political science , law
Summary. This study examines whether personality profiles, using personality factors, or clusters of personality factors, are associated with academic success. One hundred and forty medical students of the University of Wales College of Medicine were invited to complete a personality questionnaire (Cattell 16 PF) as they sat their final examinations in June 1988. A total of 129 useable forms were obtained. The students were divided into four groups dependent on their academic performance, which had been monitored throughout the course. The majority (62%) had no academic problems, but 16 (12%) students had serious difficulties, which entailed delaying qualification by at least 6 months. There was no relationship between the scores obtained for the students' first attempt at A‐level and their subsequent medical school academic performance. However, students who obtained a degree either before or during their medical course were significantly less likely to have academic problems. Academic success was not associated with any of Cattell's personality factors. This was true of previously reported groups of factors associated with the poor student performance, and regardless of first or second order factors. We conclude that this personality profile is unlikely to be helpful in selecting future intakes of medical students, although a prospective study would be required for a definite answer to this question.