Cognitive skills, personality, and economic preferences in collegiate success

Stephen Burks, Connor Lewis, Paul A. Kivi, Amanda Wiener, Jon E. Anderson, Lorenz Götte, Colin G. DeYoung and Aldo Rustichini

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2015, vol. 115, issue C, 30-44

Abstract: We collected multiple measures from 100 students at a small public undergraduate liberal arts college in the Midwestern US and later assessed their academic success. The “proactive” (hard-working, persistent) aspect of the Big Five trait of Conscientiousness and not its “inhibitive” (organized, careful) aspect is a large positive predictor for two graduation outcomes and grade point average (GPA). The Big Five trait of Agreeableness (“pro-sociality”) is a large and negative predictor for graduation outcomes. A non-standard cognitive skill measure (a backward-induction game) positively predicts graduation outcomes, in parallel with its success in predicting vocational student job success (Burks et al., 2009). Patient time preferences predict one graduation outcome and GPA.

Keywords: Graduation; Big Five; Conscientiousness; Aspect; Cognitive skill; Economic preferences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C99 D03 I21 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (32)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:115:y:2015:i:c:p:30-44

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2015.01.007

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