The Relationship Between Extraversion, Anxiety, and Academic Performance When Participation is Required

Abstract

We explored the relationship between a person's level of extraversion, their overall academic performance, and their anxiety levels when participation was required in the classroom. This study specifically tested the effect that extroversion had on academic performance via the reduction of anxiety in class participation. We hypothesized that when participation was required there would be a positive correlation between the students' level of extraversion and their overall academic performance indirectly through the amount of anxiety the student felt in the classroom. Our study was conducted online and used participants from the introductory to psychology course at the University of Arizona. We conducted a meditational analysis on the results, and they were congruent with original hypothesis. These results have some important implications for the education realm.