Cognitive skills, personality, and economic preferences in collegiate success

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Year: 2015
Volume: 115
Issue: C
Pages: 30-44

Authors (8)

Burks, Stephen V. (University of Minnesota) Lewis, Connor (not in RePEc) Kivi, Paul A. (not in RePEc) Wiener, Amanda (not in RePEc) Anderson, Jon E. (not in RePEc) Götte, Lorenz (not in RePEc) DeYoung, Colin G. (not in RePEc) Rustichini, Aldo (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.251 = (α=2.01 / 8 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

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.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jeborg:v:115:y:2015:i:c:p:30-44
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
8
Added to Database
2026-01-25