Trait Emotional Intelligence, the Big Five Personality Factors, and Academic Performance

This study examines the relationship between the Big Five personality traits, trait emotional intelligence, and academic performance. There has been repeated research suggesting that specific personality traits predict academic performance (Ridgell & Lounsbury, 2004). It has also been claimed that emotional intelligence can predict performance at school, at home, and at work and will do so as well as or better than IQ (Barchard, 2003). One hundred and twenty-eight participants’ trait emotional intelligence and Big Five personality traits were measured and their high school and college GPAs and ACT scores were obtained. Conscientiousness was the only Big Five personality trait that was significantly correlated with academic performance in college as measured by fall 2009 GPA. There were no significant correlations between any of the trait emotional intelligence factors and academic performance in college. Numerous significant correlations were found between the Big Five personality traits and the broad factors and subscales of TEIQue. The results of a step-wise multiple regression analysis suggests that trait emotional intelligence does not assist in the prediction of academic performance over and above the Big Five personality traits. A Factorial ANOVA was used to examine if trait emotional intelligence was more important for low ability students than for ability students. Results suggest that trait emotional intelligence is no more important for low ability students than for high ability students