RESUMO
Introduction: The High Five Model (HFM) categorizes five positive human characteristics-erudition, peace, joviality, honesty, and tenacity-utilizing an inductive psycholexic approach. This study examines the predictive power of HFM on academic performance among university students, hypothesizing that it surpasses conventional predictors such as academic motivation, exam anxiety, and academic procrastination. Methods: A non-experimental cross-sectional correlational design was implemented using a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 1,007 Ecuadorian university students (403 females). Self-reported measures of the "high factors," academic motivation, exam anxiety, and academic procrastination were collected. Linear regression analysis was utilized to evaluate the predictive capacity of the HFM on academic performance. Results: The analysis revealed that the high factors of the HFM significantly predict academic performance, demonstrating a stronger predictive ability than traditional psychological predictors. Discussion: The findings suggest that incorporating the HFM into academic settings could enhance understanding and prediction of student performance. This could potentially inform targeted interventions that leverage these high factors, thereby fostering better academic outcomes. Further research could explore the integration of the HFM with other educational strategies and its applicability across diverse educational contexts.
RESUMO
Traditionally, models of positive personality traits have referred to moral characteristics. The High Five Model (HFM) is a factor model of individual positive traits based on an inductive psycho-lexical approach. Unlike other models, in the HFM the positive characteristics were freely determined by lay people, beyond any moral tones. The HFM comprises the following factors: erudition, peace, cheerfulness, honesty, and tenacity, known as "the high factors." This model was shown to positively exceed the capacity of normal personality to predict emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Additionally, this model is negatively associated with non-transmissible diseases, psychopathological symptoms, and psychopathological personality traits. This study aimed to increase the validation of the HFM, by analyzing the relationships among this model and positive mental health, psychopathological symptoms, academic adjustment, and academic performance in university students. Another objective was to study the association between complete mental well-being (i.e., high well-being and low psychopathological symptomatology) and the high factors of the HFM. The sample consisted of 256 university students. Correlations were calculated, and the two-step cluster analysis was used to obtain profiles. The results showed that tenacity and erudition high factors are positively associated with academic achievement and academic adjustment. Finally, each of the high factors was positively associated with complete mental well-being. The HFM has a broad scope, as it is related not only to psychological variables (e.g., well-being or psychopathological symptomatology) but also to academic performance (e.g., adjustment and achievement) in university students.