The Role of Personality Traits and Thinking Styles in Academic Achievement: Introducing Casual Models

his research aimed at examining the role of personality traits and thinking styles in the academic achievement of university students. 214 male and 205 female students completed the short version of the Five Factor Inventory and Thinking Styles Inventory. Grade Point Averages (GPA) of the parti- cipants were used as indicators of academic achievement. The path analysis was conducted to test the direct and indirect effects of personality traits on thinking styles and academic achievement. The results showed the significant positive effects of openness on judicial, global, liberal and conservative thinking styles, neuroticism on executive, local and conservative thinking styles, conscientiousness on legislative and hierarchical thinking styles, and extro- version on global liberal, hierarchical and external thinking styles. But openness had a significant negative effect on conservative thinking style. Indirect effects of the following factors on the academic achievement were also signifi- cant: openness through judicial thinking style, neuroticism through executive thinking style, conscientiousness through legislative thinking style, openness and extroversion through global and liberal thinking styles, neuroticism and openness through conservative thinking style, extrove- rsion and conscientiousness through hierarchical thinking style, and extroversion through external thinking style. In general, the results of this research emphasize the necessity of considering the role or personality traits and thinking styles in academic achievement of students. The implications for instructors are discussed.