Medical University Students´ Personality and Learning Performance: Learning Burnout as a Mediator

Objective To explore the relationship between the personality and learning performance of medical university students, and check the mediator role of learning burnout. Methods A survey with the scales such as NEO-FFI, learning burnout and learning performance was made on 699 medical university students in grade one and grade two from 4 universities, and 636 subjects were valid. Results Correlation analysis results indicated that both extraversion and conscientiousness were positively correlated to the learning performance, and that both neuroticism and agreeableness were negatively correlated to learning performance. Openness to experience had no significant correlation with the learning performance. But learning burnout was significantly related to learning performance and the Big Five personality. Hierarchical regression analysis results indicated that, neuroticism, openness to experience and conscientiousness were powerful predictors of learning burnout beyond the demographic variables, and 18% variance of learning burnout was explained by Big Five personality. Hierarchical regression also indicated that conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness to experience were powerful predictors of learning performance beyond the demographic variables, and 17% variance of learning performance was explained by Big Five personality. Learning burnout partially mediated the relation between conscientiousness and learning performance. Conclusion Higher conscientiousness predicted higher learning performance of medical university students, but higher agreeableness predicted lower learning performance. Higher learning burnout predicted lower learning performance, and it partially mediated conscientiousness´ effect on learning performance. There are two ways to improve learning performance of medical university students from this research, one is to cultivate and improve their conscientiousness, and the other is to lower their learning burnout. It is best to cultivate their conscientiousness and in the meanwhile lower learning burnout.