Using bifactor model of personality to predict academic performance and dishonesty

A bifactor Confirmatory Factor Analytic (CFA) model was shown to fit Big Five personality data significantly better than a simple CFA model in predicting academic performance and dishonesty using a sample of 299 undergraduate students from two U.S. universities. Specifically, after removing the variance associated with the general factor, factor scores of extraversion were more strongly related to academic dishonesty than were its scale scores. After controlling for sex and cognitive ability, the factor scores of conscientiousness remained a significant predictor of both academic performance and dishonesty while the factor scores of extraversion was a significant predictor of academic dishonesty. The use of bifactor models in improving the predictive validity of personality is discussed.