Big 5 Personality Characteristics Are Related to Choices About Study Strategy

Choices that students make in regards to how to effectively learn course content may be affected by Big 5 personality characteristics. For example, previous research showed conscientiousness is positively correlated with Grade Point Average and group leadership and that extraversion is positively correlated with leadership and with the likelihood of finding group work beneficial; neuroticism is negatively correlated with leadership (Casper & Lehman, 2019). The present study is aimed at examining whether students who are given information about an effective learning strategy, retrieval practice, would change their choice of study strategy and whether the likelihood of changing or using retrieval practice as a study strategy is related to their personality traits. We hypothesized that the likelihood of using retrieval practice as a study strategy would be positively correlated with conscientiousness, openness and agreeableness. Additionally, we predicted that the likelihood of changing strategy would be correlated with growth mindset, which measures one’s belief in the ability to change their intelligence. Lynn University students participated in which we measured personality and growth mindset, then presented participants with information about the effectiveness of retrieval practice, and subsequently measured the likelihood that students would change study strategies and choose to use retrieval practice. The first hypothesis was partially supported: likelihood of change and likelihood of use was positively correlated with agreeableness and openness; however, likelihood of changing or using retrieval practice was not correlated with conscientiousness. Growth mindset was positively correlated with conscientiousness, but not with changing strategy.