ABSTRACT

The aim of this research is to discuss an application of the successful intelligence model during the final evaluation of students’ performance attainments. More precisely, the aim of this study is to look at the extent in which academic performance is influenced by internal factors (the student’s dimensions of personality) and by situational factors. As internal factors, we selected the dimensions of emotional stability, conscientiousness and openness to experience of the Big Five model; the chosen situational variables were teacher’s feedback (positive/ negative), the perception of teacher’s control (high vs. low level) and the perception of task structure (well-defined vs. ill-defined). A group of second-year students majoring in Psychology, with the average age of 19, has participated in this research. The results show that the perception of well-defined academic tasks, having clear solving strategies, is related to the students’ receiving positive feedback and perceiving a more relaxed control from the teacher; conscientiousness is encouraged by the perception of tight control from the teacher; achievement in academic synthesis tasks increases when students are emotionally stable and receive positive feedback. The educational implications are also discussed.

KEYWORDS: successful intelligence, feedback, control, conscientiousness, academic task.

PAGES:101-119