From basic personality to motivation: Relating the HEXACO factors to achievement goals

• We explored the associations of the HEXACO personality domains to achievement goals.
• Honesty–Humility showed a distinct pattern of systematic relations to achievement goals.
• Honesty–Humility substantially accounted for variance explained in achievement goals.
• We discuss the role of Honesty–Humility in education.

Associations between personality and motivation have been investigated using various operationalizations for both constructs, but no study so far has linked the HEXACO personality space to achievement goals. The aim of the present study was thus to explore relations between the HEXACO personality domains and achievement goals focusing particularly on Honesty–Humility. Participants were 173 high-school students with a mean age of 14.49 (SD = 1.04) years. Data were collected using questionnaires assessing the HEXACO personality inventory and students' mastery goals, performance-approach goals, and performance-avoidance goals for school in general. With few exceptions, findings were consistent with associations reported for the Big Five dimensions and achievement goals. Moreover, Honesty–Humility showed a distinct pattern of systematic relations with achievement goals, correlating positively with mastery goals and negatively with both performance-approach goals and performance-avoidance goals. Finally, relative weights analyses revealed that Honesty–Humility accounted for substantial proportions of explained variance in all achievement goals.