The Language of Performance: The Link Between Language, Personality and Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this research has been to assess the relationships between language use, personality and performance ratings. More specifically, this research attempted to assess whether writing style could predict student performance in a scholarship setting and whether a significant amount of variance in writing style could be accounted for by personality. Writing samples from two groups of applicants to a university scholarship program were drawn and content analyzed. Three factors of language were found including use of positive words, use of negative words and use of cognitive words. Analyses indicate that there were significant differences between selected and non-selected students in terms of usage of positive words, with selected applicants using significantly more positive words. Correlations between the three language factors and a five-factor model of personality showed no significant correlations. Regression analyses revealed that personality factors were better able to predict student performance ratings based on a four-factor model of student performance. However, use of positive words did add incremental variance in addition to personality on two of the four performance factors. Implications for the use of content analysis of student essays and administration of personality tests to scholarship applicants are discussed.