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Brain structure links trait conscientiousness to academic performance.
Song Wang1,2,3, Yajun Zhao4, Jingguang Li5
1Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
Scientific Reports
|August 23, 2019
Summary
Conscientiousness, a key personality trait, is linked to brain structure in adolescents. Gray matter volume in specific brain regions influences academic performance through conscientiousness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Educational Research
Background:
- Conscientiousness is a known predictor of academic performance.
- The brain mechanisms and neuroanatomical basis linking conscientiousness to academic achievement remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neuroanatomical substrates of trait conscientiousness.
- To explore the brain mechanisms connecting conscientiousness and academic performance in adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to estimate cortical gray matter volume (GMV) in 148 high school students.
- Voxel-based morphometry and mediation analysis were employed to analyze the data.
Main Results:
- Trait conscientiousness positively correlated with GMV in the bilateral superior parietal lobe (SPL) and negatively with GMV in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG).
- SPL and MFG volumes influenced academic performance, with trait conscientiousness acting as a mediator.
- These findings remained significant after controlling for intelligence, socioeconomic status, and other personality traits.
Conclusions:
- Gray matter volume in the frontoparietal network serves as a neurostructural marker for adolescent conscientiousness.
- A brain-personality-achievement pathway is proposed, where brain structures influence academic success via trait conscientiousness.
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