Relationship between school phobia and extraversion, assertiveness, and openness to experience among third-grade primary school pupils
Keywords:
School Phobia, Extraversion, Assertiveness, Openness to Experience, Personality Traits, Primary School PupilsAbstract
School phobia represents a significant psychological challenge that may negatively affect children's academic achievement, social development, and emotional well-being. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between school phobia and three personality traits: extraversion, assertiveness, and openness to experience among third-grade primary school pupils. A descriptive correlational design was adopted. The study sample consisted of 30 pupils (15 males and 15 females) enrolled in the third grade of primary education in the city of Constantine, Algeria. Data were collected using four questionnaires designed to measure school phobia, extraversion, assertiveness, and openness to experience. The reliability of the instruments was verified using Cronbach's alpha coefficients, which indicated satisfactory levels of internal consistency. Pearson correlation coefficients were employed to analyze the relationships among the variables. The findings revealed significant negative correlations between school phobia and extraversion (r = -0.83), school phobia and assertiveness (r = -0.90), and school phobia and openness to experience (r = -0.87). These results suggest that pupils who display lower levels of extraversion, assertiveness, and openness to experience tend to exhibit higher levels of school phobia. The study highlights the importance of considering personality characteristics in understanding and addressing school phobia among primary school children.
Downloads
References
Carpentieri, R., Iannoni, M. E., Curto, M., Biagiarelli, M., Listanti, G., Andraos, M. P., Mantovani, B., Farulla, C., Pelaccia, S., Grosso, G., Speranza, A. M., & Sarlatto, C. (2022). School Refusal Behavior: Role of Personality Styles, Social Functioning, and Psychiatric Symptoms in a Sample of Adolescent Help-Seekers. PubMed, 19(1), 20–28. https://doi.org/10.36131/cnfioritieditore20220104
Filippello, P., Sorrenti, L., Buzzai, C., & Costa, S. (2018). Predicting risk of school refusal: Examining the incremental role of trait EI beyond personality and emotion regulation. Psihologija, 51(1), 51–67. https://doi.org/10.2298/psi170526013f
Gkatsa, T. (2023). School Bullying and Personality Traits from Elementary School to University. International Journal of Bullying Prevention, 6(3), 308–320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42380-023-00174-w
Heyne, D., Gren‐Landell, M., Melvin, G., & Gentle‐Genitty, C. (2018). Differentiation Between School Attendance Problems: Why and How? Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 26(1), 8–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2018.03.006
Jach, H., Bardach, L., & Murayama, K. (2023). How Personality Matters for Education Research. Educational Psychology Review, 35(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09807-4
Kearney, C. A., Dupont, R., Fensken, M., & Gonzálvez, C. (2023). School attendance problems and absenteeism as early warning signals: review and implications for health-based protocols and school-based practices. Frontiers in Education, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1253595
Li, G., Niu, Y., Liang, X., Andari, E., Liu, Z., & Zhang, K. (2023). Psychological characteristics and emotional difficulties underlying school refusal in adolescents using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. BMC Psychiatry, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05291-w
Macovei, C. M., Bumbuc, Ștefania, & Martinescu-Bădălan, F. (2023). The role of personality traits in mediating the relation between fear of negative evaluation and social interaction anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1268052
Martín, M., Gonzálvez, C., Vicent, M., Sanmartín, R., Fernández‐Sogorb, A., & García-Fernández, J. M. (2021). School Refusal Behavior Profiles, Optimism/Pessimism, and Personality Traits in Spanish Children. Education Sciences, 11(9), 524–524. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11090524
Mourelatos, E. (2021). How personality affects reaction. A mental health behavioral insight review during the Pandemic. Current Psychology, 42(10), 8644–8665. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02425-9
Shalini, S. (2024). Relationship Between Refusal To School And Anxiety Among Typically Developing Children Of Age 12 To 15 Years: A Correlational Study. Revista Electronica de Veterinaria, 3074–3079. https://doi.org/10.69980/redvet.v25i1.1488
Tekin, I., Erden, S., Ayva, A. B. Ş., & Büyüköksüz, E. (2018). The predictors of school refusal: Depression, anxiety, cognitive distortion and attachment. Journal of Human Sciences, 15(3), 1519–1519. https://doi.org/10.14687/jhs.v15i3.5084
Ulaş, S., & Seçer, İ. (2024). A systematic review of school refusal [Review of A systematic review of school refusal]. Current Psychology, 43(21), 19407–19422. Springer Science+Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05742-x
Vincenzo, C. D., Pontillo, M., Bellantoni, D., Luzio, M. D., Lala, M. R., Villa, M., Demaria, F., & Vicari, S. (2024). School refusal behavior in children and adolescents: a five-year narrative review of clinical significance and psychopathological profiles. The Italian Journal of Pediatrics/Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 50(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-024-01667-0
Wauthia, É., Lefèbvre, L., Huet, K., Blekić, W., Bouragui, K. E., & Rossignol, M. (2019). Examining the Hierarchical Influences of the Big-Five Dimensions and Anxiety Sensitivity on Anxiety Symptoms in Children. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01185
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 The International tax journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
