Conscientiousness is a personality trait that involves the tendency to be organized, reliable, and hardworking. It is one of the five major dimensions of personality, as measured by the Five-Factor Model (FFM). Research has found that conscientiousness is associated with numerous positive outcomes, such as academic achievement, better health, and higher income. This article will review the research on conscientiousness and its role in various outcomes.
The FFM is a widely accepted framework for describing human personality. It consists of five primary dimensions: extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Conscientiousness is defined as the tendency to be organized, reliable, and hardworking. It encompasses traits such as self-discipline, reliability, and orderliness (John & Srivastava, 1999).
Studies have found that conscientiousness is associated with a number of positive outcomes. For example, research has shown that individuals who are higher in conscientiousness tend to have higher academic achievement and better job performance (Furnham & Cheng, 2000; Roberts, Kuncel, Shiner, Caspi, & Goldberg, 2007). Conscientiousness has also been found to be associated with better health, with higher conscientiousness being linked to lower rates of smoking, drinking, and drug use (Krueger et al., 2002). Finally, research has found that individuals who are higher in conscientiousness tend to have higher incomes than those who are lower in conscientiousness (Furnham & Cheng, 2000).
In addition to these positive outcomes, research has also found that conscientiousness is associated with lower levels of psychological distress. For example, research has found that higher conscientiousness is associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress (Krueger et al., 2002). This suggests that conscientiousness may be protective against mental health problems.
Overall, the research suggests that conscientiousness is associated with a number of positive outcomes, such as better health, higher income, and lower levels of psychological distress. Thus, it appears that conscientiousness is an important factor to consider when evaluating an individual’s overall wellbeing.
References
Furnham, A., & Cheng, H. (2000). Personality, motivation and job satisfaction: A study of the hotel industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 12(6), 305-311.
John, O. P., & Srivastava, S. (1999). The Big Five trait taxonomy: History, measurement, and theoretical perspectives. In L.A. Pervin & O.P. John (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (pp. 102-138). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Krueger, R.F., Hicks, B.M., Patrick, C.J., Carlson, S.R., Iacono, W.G., & McGue, M. (2002). Etiologic connections among substance dependence, antisocial behavior, and personality: Modeling the externalizing spectrum. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 411-424.
Roberts, B.W., Kuncel, N.R., Shiner, R., Caspi, A., & Goldberg, L.R. (2007). The power of personality: The comparative validity of personality traits, socioeconomic status, and cognitive ability for predicting important life outcomes. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2, 313-345.