Personality and Learning: Motivated Strategies for Learning

What is Learning?

• Learning is defined as a "relatively permanent change in behavior, cognition, or affect that occurs as a result of one’s interaction with the environment" (Werner & DeSimone, 2006).

• Personality operates within a context, significantly influencing how individuals learn, adapt, and respond to different situations. Understanding this interaction is crucial in educational and training settings.

Types of Learning

• Associative Learning:

  • Classical Conditioning: Learning through association, where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus (e.g., Pavlov's dogs).

  • Operant Conditioning: Learning through consequences, where behaviors are strengthened if followed by reinforcement and weakened if followed by punishment (e.g., Skinner's box).

• Non-Associative Learning:

  • Habituation: Decreasing responsiveness to a repeated stimulus (e.g., getting used to a sound).

  • Sensitization: Increasing responsiveness to a repeated stimulus (e.g., becoming more sensitive to pain).

• Cognitive Learning: Involves higher mental processes such as problem-solving, reasoning, and understanding concepts (e.g., learning a new language).

• Observational Learning: Learning by observing others, including imitation and modeling (e.g., learning to cook by watching a chef).

Learning Styles

• There are diverse models of learning styles (Pashler et al., 2009).

  • Kolb's learning styles include Accommodators, Reflectors, Assimilators, and Convergers. Each represents a different approach to learning based on how individuals perceive and process information.

    • Accommodators: Learn through hands-on experience and prefer to take action. They are adaptable and good at implementing plans.

    • Reflectors: Learn by observing and reflecting on experiences. They prefer to analyze situations before making decisions.

    • Assimilators: Learn by creating theoretical models and prefer to think abstractly. They focus on ideas and concepts rather than people.

    • Convergers: Learn by applying ideas and prefer practical applications. They are good at problem-solving and decision-making.

  • Honey & Mumford's learning styles include Activist, Reflector, Theorist, and Pragmatist. These styles focus on how individuals prefer to learn in the workplace.

    • Activist: Learn by doing and prefer new experiences. They enjoy brainstorming and group activities.

    • Reflector: Learn by observing and thinking about experiences. They prefer to gather data and analyze it before making decisions.

    • Theorist: Learn by understanding the theory behind actions. They prefer logical and rational approaches.

    • Pragmatist: Learn by applying what they have learned in practical situations. They prefer hands-on experimentation.

  • Fleming's learning styles include Visual, Auditory, Reading-Writing, and Kinaesthetic (VARK model). This model categorizes learners based on their sensory preferences.

    • Visual: Learn through seeing and prefer visual aids like charts, graphs, and diagrams.

    • Auditory: Learn through listening and prefer lectures, discussions, and audio recordings.

    • Reading-Writing: Learn through reading and writing and prefer written notes, articles, and reports.

    • Kinaesthetic: Learn through doing and prefer hands-on activities, experiments, and physical movement.

• The assumption is that matching teaching with a student's learning style enhances learning. Tailoring instruction to match a student's learning style is believed to improve comprehension and retention.

• This approach is intuitively appealing to learners because it validates their preferred ways of processing information. Students often feel more engaged when teaching aligns with how they naturally learn.

• However, there is little empirical evidence to support this matching. Despite its popularity, research has not consistently shown that matching instruction to learning styles improves academic outcomes.

• In fact, "reverse-meshing" or introducing "desirable difficulty" may be more beneficial. Deliberately challenging students in ways that don't align with their preferred learning styles can promote deeper processing and longer-term retention. This approach encourages learners to develop cognitive flexibility.

Personality & Academic Performance

• Effect sizes (Rho) showing the correlation between personality traits and academic performance:

  • Agreeableness: $.25$; $.26$

  • Conscientiousness: $.25$; $.26$

  • Neuroticism: $-.01$; $-.02$

  • Extraversion: $.09$; $.10$

  • Openness: $.07$; $.08$

• Based on University studies (Zell & Lesick, 2021; Mammadov, 2021). These studies highlight the consistent relationships between personality traits and academic achievement.

How Personality Affects Learning

• Agreeableness: Friendly students are compliant (follow instructions) and manage time better. They also tend to have better relationships with teachers and peers, which can create a more positive learning environment.

• Conscientiousness: Involves effort regulation, a disciplined approach to work, good time-management, and sustained focus on tasks. Conscientious students are organized, diligent, and persistent in their studies.

• Emotional Stability: Enables maintaining focus in the face of distress, reduces avoidance and discouragement, and minimizes rumination. Emotionally stable students are better able to cope with stress and setbacks, promoting consistent academic performance.

• Extraversion: Leads to increased visibility and attention from teachers, and more exposure to novel environments and feedback. Extraverted students often participate more in class and seek out opportunities for collaboration.

• Openness: Characterized by curiosity, enjoyment of effortful learning activities, metacognition, and effort regulation (Poropat, 2016). Open students are more likely to engage in critical thinking and explore new ideas.

Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)

• The MSLQ is designed to measure learning strategies that influence academic performance. It provides insights into how students approach their studies and what strategies they find most effective.

• It includes five cognitive/metacognitive strategies scales, and four resource management strategies scales. These scales help in understanding the different dimensions of learning strategies.

• Reference: Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D. A. F., Garcia, T., & McKeachie, W. J. (1991). A manual for the use of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. The Regents of The University of Michigan.

MSLQ Strategies

The MSLQ assesses the use of various learning strategies, including:

• Critical thinking: Actively evaluating and applying ideas.

  • Example question: "I try to play around with ideas of my own related to what I am learning in university courses."

• Effort regulation: Maintaining motivation and persistence in the face of challenges.

  • Example question: "I work hard to do well in university courses even if I don't like what we are doing."

• Elaboration: Making connections between new information and prior knowledge.

  • Example question: "I try to apply ideas from course readings in other class activities such as lecture and discussion."

• Rehearsal: Repeating information to aid memory.

  • Example question: "I memorize key words to remind me of important concepts in class."

• Help-seeking: Seeking assistance from others when needed.

  • Example question: "I try to identify students in specific university courses whom I can ask for help if necessary."

• Metacognitive self-regulation: Monitoring and adjusting one's own learning strategies.

  • Example question: "I try to change the way I study in order to fit the course requirements and the instructor’s teaching style."

• Organisation: Structuring and organizing learning materials.

  • Example question: "I make simple charts, diagrams, or tables to help me organize university course material."

• Peer learning: Collaborating with peers to enhance understanding.

  • Example question: "When studying for university courses, I often try to explain the material to a classmate or friend."

• Time & study environment: Managing time effectively and creating a conducive study environment.

  • Example question: "I make sure that I keep up with the weekly readings and assignments for university courses."

Correlations Between Strategy & Academic Performance

• Meta-analysis (Crede, M & Phillips, L.A (2011). Learning and Individual Differences, 21, 337-346) from 67 studies using college students found the correlations between strategies and academic performance.

• The correlations between MSLQ scales and academic performance:

  • Critical thinking: $.12$

  • Effort regulation: $.40$

  • Elaboration: $.17$

  • Rehearsal: $.06$

  • Help-seeking: $.23$

  • Metacognitive self-regulation: $.31$

  • Organisation: $.11$

  • Peer learning: $.12$

  • Time & study environment: $.31$

MSLQ Relevance

• Is the MSLQ still relevant? Evaluating its continued relevance is important due to changes in educational practices and student demographics.

• Comparison of correlations between Crede & Phillips findings and unpublished data (T1, 2022, N = 305, First year psychology students):

  • Critical thinking: $.02$ (vs $.12$)

  • Effort regulation: $.40$ (vs $.40$)

  • Elaboration: $.17$ (vs $.24$)

  • Rehearsal: $.23$ (vs $.21$)

  • Help-seeking: $.31$ (vs $.13$)

  • Metacognitive self-regulation: $.12$ (vs $.31$)

  • Organisation: $.06$ (vs $.22$)

  • Peer learning: $.11$ (vs NA)

  • Time & study environment: $.12$ (vs $.34$)

Implications for Educators

• Personalized Learning: Understand that students have diverse learning preferences and that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be effective.

• Encourage Strategy Use: Promote the use of effective learning strategies such as critical thinking, elaboration, and self-regulation.

• Foster Positive Traits: Create a supportive environment that fosters conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience.

• Balanced Approach: Recognize the limitations of strict learning style matching and consider incorporating desirable difficulties to enhance learning outcomes.

Summary

• Personality operates in a context and affects how people learn. Recognizing these influences can help tailor educational approaches.

• There are clear links between the FFM (aka Big Five) and academic achievement. Understanding these links can inform interventions to support student success.

• To understand the relationship between personality and grades, it’s also important to focus on learning strategies. Effective learning strategies can mediate the impact of personality on academic outcomes.

• The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) has nine scales that assess these strategies. The MSLQ provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating and promoting effective learning strategies.