Reasons for Missing Classes in College; the Role of Personality Traits

The aim of this study was to investigate the reasons for missing classes as well as the relationship between students’ personality traits and tendency to miss classes for different reasons. The first part of the study describes the development of a self-report measure of reasons for missing classes in college. Reasons included not being in the mood, personal issues, health issues, lecture issues and no negative consequences. Results showed that personality traits, especially conscientiousness, play significant role in students’ tendency to skip classes. Since previous research have shown positive relationship between class attendance and college grades, policies aimed at increasing attendance might be worth considering.