Type of High School Predicts Academic Performance at University Better than Individual Differences.

Psychological correlates of academic performance have always been of high relevance to psychological research. The relation between psychometric intelligence and academic performance is one of the most consistent and well-established findings in psychology. It is hypothesized that intelligence puts...

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Main Authors: Benjamin Banai, Višnja Perin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5047646?pdf=render
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author Benjamin Banai
Višnja Perin
author_facet Benjamin Banai
Višnja Perin
author_sort Benjamin Banai
collection DOAJ
description Psychological correlates of academic performance have always been of high relevance to psychological research. The relation between psychometric intelligence and academic performance is one of the most consistent and well-established findings in psychology. It is hypothesized that intelligence puts a limit on what an individual can learn or achieve. Moreover, a growing body of literature indicates a relationship between personality traits and academic performance. This relationship helps us to better understand how an individual will learn or achieve their goals. The aim of this study is to further investigate the relationship between psychological correlates of academic performance by exploring the potentially moderating role of prior education. The participants in this study differed in the type of high school they attended. They went either to gymnasium, a general education type of high school that prepares students specifically for university studies, or to vocational school, which prepares students both for the labour market and for further studies. In this study, we used archival data of psychological testing during career guidance in the final year of high school, and information about the university graduation of those who received guidance. The psychological measures included intelligence, personality and general knowledge. The results show that gymnasium students had greater chances of performing well at university, and that this relationship exceeds the contribution of intelligence and personality traits to university graduation. Moreover, psychological measures did not interact with type of high school, which indicates that students from different school types do not profit from certain individual characteristics.
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spelling doaj.art-8e1bf4a26bdd4bad902f2312a459162c2022-12-21T19:49:42ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032016-01-011110e016399610.1371/journal.pone.0163996Type of High School Predicts Academic Performance at University Better than Individual Differences.Benjamin BanaiVišnja PerinPsychological correlates of academic performance have always been of high relevance to psychological research. The relation between psychometric intelligence and academic performance is one of the most consistent and well-established findings in psychology. It is hypothesized that intelligence puts a limit on what an individual can learn or achieve. Moreover, a growing body of literature indicates a relationship between personality traits and academic performance. This relationship helps us to better understand how an individual will learn or achieve their goals. The aim of this study is to further investigate the relationship between psychological correlates of academic performance by exploring the potentially moderating role of prior education. The participants in this study differed in the type of high school they attended. They went either to gymnasium, a general education type of high school that prepares students specifically for university studies, or to vocational school, which prepares students both for the labour market and for further studies. In this study, we used archival data of psychological testing during career guidance in the final year of high school, and information about the university graduation of those who received guidance. The psychological measures included intelligence, personality and general knowledge. The results show that gymnasium students had greater chances of performing well at university, and that this relationship exceeds the contribution of intelligence and personality traits to university graduation. Moreover, psychological measures did not interact with type of high school, which indicates that students from different school types do not profit from certain individual characteristics.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5047646?pdf=render
spellingShingle Benjamin Banai
Višnja Perin
Type of High School Predicts Academic Performance at University Better than Individual Differences.
PLoS ONE
title Type of High School Predicts Academic Performance at University Better than Individual Differences.
title_full Type of High School Predicts Academic Performance at University Better than Individual Differences.
title_fullStr Type of High School Predicts Academic Performance at University Better than Individual Differences.
title_full_unstemmed Type of High School Predicts Academic Performance at University Better than Individual Differences.
title_short Type of High School Predicts Academic Performance at University Better than Individual Differences.
title_sort type of high school predicts academic performance at university better than individual differences
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5047646?pdf=render
work_keys_str_mv AT benjaminbanai typeofhighschoolpredictsacademicperformanceatuniversitybetterthanindividualdifferences
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