Major Choices: Students' Personal Intelligence, Considerations When Choosing a Major, and Academic Success.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Higher Education Studies

Background:

• Student major choice is influenced by external factors (family, peers, institutional quality, societal issues) and internal factors (personal personality, self-reflection).
• Previous research has not fully integrated personal intelligence and the decision-making process in major selection.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for academic success and student well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a Choice of Major Scale.
• To examine the relationship between personal intelligence, engagement in the major choice process, and academic outcomes.
• To identify key psychological factors influencing students' major selection and subsequent academic performance.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel Choice of Major Scale.
• Three cross-sectional studies involving 1262 undergraduate students (Ns = 304, 466, 492).
• Assessment of personal intelligence (capacity to reason about personalities) and major choice engagement using validated scales.

Main Results:

• Students with higher personal intelligence and greater engagement in choosing a major considered more options initially.
• These students also selected their major more rapidly.
• Improved understanding of personality and active major selection were associated with better subsequent academic outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Personal intelligence and deliberate engagement in the major choice process are significant predictors of academic success.
• The findings underscore the importance of self-awareness and a structured approach to major selection for students.
• Interventions aimed at enhancing students' metacognitive skills and decision-making strategies may improve academic trajectories.