Personality and Learning FORTRAN

Abstract Relationships between personality traits and achievement in introductory FORTRAN were examined among 326 college students. Personality was assessed via seven different multiple-choice tests, and achievement was assessed with four course exams, the first serving as a covariate. The course became more difficult as it progressed, and the relevance of personality to achievement increased. Ultimately, relatively introverted subjects, who were hard-driving and ambitious (Type A personality) obtained higher grades than their more extroverted, easy-going counterparts. There was no evidence that non -engineering majors were temperamentally “unsuited” for computer programming.

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