Neuroticism as a predictor of university academic performance: The depression facet dominates neuroticism-GPA relations

The current study examined whether neuroticism or its facets would predict college academic performance, as measured by grade point averages (GPA). Official SAT total scores and GPAs were obtained from 450 university students. Neuroticism was measured with a 24-item International Personality Item Pool-based measure of neuroticism. Structural equation modeling was used to examine relations between neuroticism and its facets, SAT scores, and GPAs. The unique variances of neuroticism facets, after removing shared variance (i.e., domain-level neuroticism), and controlling for SAT scores were used to predict GPAs. The depression facet of neuroticism emerged as the only significant negative predictor of GPA after controlling for SAT scores and the other facets of neuroticism. These results suggest depression may dominate any domain-level neuroticism-GPA relations. • The study examined which facets of neuroticism best predict GPA. • The depression and immoderation facets were negatively correlated with GPA. • Structural equation modeling was used to remove shared variance. • The non-neuroticism residual variance of depression negatively predicted GPA.