TY - JOUR

T1 - The effect of personality traits on subject choice and performance in high school

T2 - Evidence from an English cohort

AU - Mendolia, Silvia

AU - Walker, Ian

PY - 2014/12

Y1 - 2014/12

N2 - This paper investigates the relationship between personality traits in adolescence and performance in high school using a large and recent cohort study. In particular, we investigate the impact of locus of control, self-esteem, and work ethics at age 15, on test scores at age 16, and on subject choices and subsequent performance at age 17–18. In particular, individuals with external locus of control or with low levels of self-esteem seem less likely to have good performance in test scores at age 16 and to pursue further studies at 17–18, especially in Mathematics or Science.We use matching methods to control for a rich set of adolescent and family characteristics and we find that personality traits do affect study choices and performance in test scores – particularly in Mathematics and Science. We explore the robustness of our results using the methodology proposed by Altonji, Elder, and Taber (2005) that consists of making hypotheses about the correlation between the unobservables that determine test scores and subjects’ choices and the unobservables that influence personality.

AB - This paper investigates the relationship between personality traits in adolescence and performance in high school using a large and recent cohort study. In particular, we investigate the impact of locus of control, self-esteem, and work ethics at age 15, on test scores at age 16, and on subject choices and subsequent performance at age 17–18. In particular, individuals with external locus of control or with low levels of self-esteem seem less likely to have good performance in test scores at age 16 and to pursue further studies at 17–18, especially in Mathematics or Science.We use matching methods to control for a rich set of adolescent and family characteristics and we find that personality traits do affect study choices and performance in test scores – particularly in Mathematics and Science. We explore the robustness of our results using the methodology proposed by Altonji, Elder, and Taber (2005) that consists of making hypotheses about the correlation between the unobservables that determine test scores and subjects’ choices and the unobservables that influence personality.

KW - Personality

KW - Education

KW - Locus of control

KW - Self-esteem

U2 - 10.1016/j.econedurev.2014.09.004

DO - 10.1016/j.econedurev.2014.09.004

M3 - Journal article

VL - 43

SP - 47

EP - 65

JO - Economics of Education Review

JF - Economics of Education Review

SN - 0272-7757

ER -