Student Performance in Principles of Macroeconomics: the Importance of Gender and Personality Type

Abstract

Several studies indicate that females perform more poorly in economic courses than their male counterparts. Other studies reveal that students' personality types affect their performance in economic courses, as well. The present study explores this issue by testing a number of interactions between gender and the Kersey-Bates temperament types in an ordered probit model explaining students' grades in Principles of Macroeconomics. The results confirm that the interaction of gender and temperament types does matter in a student's performance. The present study reveals that not all female temperament types perform more poorly than their counterparts and not all male temperament types do significantly better than females as a group.