The Relationship between Personality Traits, Psychomorbidity and Academic Performance in Fresh Entrants to the Professional College

In order to evaluate the combined effects of the two personality traits, namely, Neuroticism and Extraversion on academic performance among fresh entrants to professional college, the present study was undertaken by enrolling 142 participants from a private professional college, South India. Students with psychomorbidity such as anxiety and / or depression were identified using Zung’s self-rated Anxiety and Depression Scales. Personality traits were determined using the NEO-FFI devised by Costa & Mc Crae. The academic performance of the students in four consecutive examinations was evaluated, and high and low achievers were identified. It was found that among mentally healthy students, those with the personality trait combination of low Neuroticism & low Extraversion (low-keyed) are significantly high achievers, when compared to those with the combination of high Neuroticism & high Extraversion (overly emotional). Students with depression were low achievers when compared to normal students, but this difference was significant only in the case of low-keyed individuals and upbeat optimists (low Neuroticism & high Extraversion). Our findings demonstrate that the key towards high achievement in examinations is the personality trait combination of low Neuroticism (emotional stability) and introversion (which allows more time for studies). The relevance of Gray’s BAS/BIS hypothesis concerning the aetiology of depression, with respect to our findings is discussed.