# Non-Cognitive Predictors: Evidence and Implications for Academic Achievement and Cognitive Processing

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how non-cognitive factors like personality and self-beliefs influence academic success and cognitive processing.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the limited predictive power of traditional personality measures and emphasizes the importance of psychological and socio-economic factors.

## Key findings

- Big Five personality measures have low predictability for academic achievement.
- Self-beliefs such as self-efficacy and confidence are crucial predictors.
- Socio-economic status remains a strong predictor alongside psychological measures.

## Abstract

This is a review of recent findings about the role of non-cognitive variables in predicting academic achievement. Many indices considered up until now, including the Big Five personality measures, have low predictability. This has been supported by the findings from previous TIMSS and PISA large-scale surveys and recent studies based on measures of Social and Emotional Skills. Socio-economic status remains a good predictor but also crucial are psychological measures of self-beliefs (self-efficacy, test anxiety, and confidence).