Journal of Applied Psychology 1996. Vol. 81. No. 5.474-482 Copyright 1996 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 0021-90IO/96/S3.00 Conscientiousness and Task Performance: Test of a Cognitive Process Model Ian R. Gellatly University of Lethbridge The purpose of this study was to examine whether the effect of the Big Five factor of conscientiousness on task performance was mediated by performance expectancy, per- formance valence, and goal choice. There were 117 business students who completed 6 subscales of the Personality Research Form (D. N. Jackson, 1987), responded to several self-report measures, and performed a simple arithmetic task. A cognitive process model was tested and supported through LISREL analyses. The effect of conscientiousness on task performance was mediated by performance expectancy and goal choice. Robust effects for performance valence were not observed in this situation. Theoretical and prac- tical implications were discussed. The Five Factor Model of Personalty asserts that five broad orthogonal factors consistently account for the common variance observed among measures of individ- ual traits across instruments, samples, and cultures (for a review, see Digman, 1990). These five personality fac- tors are typically referred to as agreeableness, extraver- sion, emotional stability (or lack of neuroticism), open- ness to experience, and conscientiousness. Of these, con- scientiousness has been shown to consistently predict both work outcomes such as performance and training proficiency and personnel data (e.g., salary level, turn- over, and tenure) across occupational groups (Barrick & Mount, 1991). It is less clear how personality character- istics affect on-the-job behaviors. A recent study by Bar- rick, Mount, and Straus (1993) suggested that high-con- scientious salespeople were more likely to engage in au- tonomous goal setting than were those rated low on this personality dimension. The present study extends this work further by examining the nature of the cognitive process that mediates conscientiousness-performance relations. Clearly, a better understanding of how consci- entiousness affects task performance has implications for This research was supported in part by Grant 4405-42141 from the University of Lethbridge Research Fund. A paper based on this research was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 1996. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ian R. Gellatly, Faculty of Management, University of Leth- bridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K 3M4. Electronic mail be sent via Internet to gellir@cetus.mngt.uleth.ca. managers who wish to facilitate the behavioral expression of this trait configuration in their employees. Unfortunately, attempts to empirically link personal- ity characteristics with motivational variables have pro- duced inconsistent results (Locke & Latham, 1990). One problem has been the propensity of researchers to study the effects of a narrow range of individual traits (e.g., need achievement, locus of control, and self-es- teem) in the absence of a fundamental theoretical frame- work. Another problem has been the tendency to study personality effects in research settings that potentially at- tenuate personality-based variability in performance (e.g., participants or employees are given explicit task in- structions; goals are assigned by supervisors who can re- ward or punish compliance). The present study was de- signed to overcome these difficulties by examining the effects of a broad personality dimension, conceptually linked to the criteria under investigation, and the person- ality effects in a research setting where situational cues are minimized. The article begins by describing elements of a cognitive-motivational process known to mediate goal-setting effects. Thereafter, the Big Five personality factor of conscientiousness is reviewed. Hypothesized re- lations among the study variables are specified in a lim- ited causal model, and the results of a correlational study are described. Cognitive-Process Model of Motivation and Task Performance It is well documented that assigning specific, difficult goals to people leads to improved performance in almost any job (Mento, Steel, & Karren, 1987; Tubbs, 1986). Researchers who have studied this phenomenon have 474