Personality Traits and Academic Performance among Undergraduate Dental Students: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study at Azra Naheed Dental College
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52206/jsmc.2026.16.1.1222Abstract
Background: Academic performance in dental education is shaped by a complex interplay of cognitive and non-cognitive factors. Understanding these associations is particularly relevant in high-stakes educational systems where annual professional examinations largely determine academic success.
Objective: To examine the association between the five major personality traits; openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism; and academic performance among undergraduate dental students and recent graduates at Azra Naheed Dental College, Lahore.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study included third-year and final-year dental students as well as recent graduates from Azra Naheed Dental College. A total of 97 participants completed a structured questionnaire incorporating the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) to assess personality traits. Academic performance was measured using the most recent annual professional examination scores obtained from academic records. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27.0, with correlation analyses performed to evaluate associations between personality traits and academic achievement.
Results: The study population consisted of 60% female and 40% male participants, with a mean academic score of 71.67%. Conscientiousness emerged as the most prevalent personality trait and demonstrated a statistically significant positive correlation with academic performance (p < 0.05). Extraversion showed a modest positive association, while neuroticism exhibited a weak negative trend. Other personality traits did not show significant associations with academic outcomes.
Conclusion: Conscientiousness was positively associated with academic performance among dental students, highlighting its relevance in demanding educational environments. Extraversion and neuroticism demonstrated weaker, non-significant trends. These findings underscore the importance of considering personality traits in academic support strategies, while acknowledging the limitations of a single-institution, cross-sectional design.
Keywords: Academic Performance, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Dental Education, Extraversion, Five-Factor Model (FFM), Neuroticism, Openness, Personality Traits.
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