Examining the Conscientiousness × Interest Compensation (CONIC) model with similar constructs in high school and college students

Abstract

The Conscientiousness × Interest Compensation (CONIC) model (Trautwein et al., 2019) assumes that the two constructs conscientiousness and interest can (partly) compensate for each other in predicting academic effort and achievement. We extend previous work by testing the CONIC model in two independent U.S. samples from different age groups (high school sample: N = 1,246, M_age = 14.86 years; college sample: N = 581, M_age = 19.83 years). We also assessed whether the compensatory relations occur when grit is substituted for conscientiousness and students’ overall task value or utility value for interest. We preregistered the study and tested the various models for both science and math effort as well as achievement, using latent variable regression analyses. Overall, we found some support for the CONIC model in the U.S. samples. There was also some support for the extensions of the model to the other constructs; however, the predictive links were not as strong.