The Big Five personality predictors of academic achievement in gifted students: Mediation by self-regulatory efficacy and academic motivation

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Understanding factors associated with achievement and mechanisms underlying their relationships is critical for planning interventions and services to improve students’ performance and meet their needs. In the present study, the authors examined the predictive role of three Big Five personality traits (conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness to experience) on academic achievement within the sample of gifted students. Self-regulatory efficacy and autonomous and controlled types of motivation served as mediators in these relationships. Data were collected from 161 gifted middle and high school students. All three personality traits had direct associations with academic achievement. The indirect associations through specific pathways were estimated. Conscientiousness was mediated by self-regulatory efficacy and autonomous motivation, whereas openness was mediated by controlled motivation and autonomous motivation.