Intersectionality describes social inequality on the basis of various interrelated factors (e.g. migration status and social origin; Gross & Gottburgsen, 2013). This approach goes beyond a multidimensionally defined construct of inequality by making the linkages of its dimensions visible.

In the field of educational research, there are already findings on multiplicative effects that can be attributed to an intersectionality persepective: research shows that girls from households with working-class parents benefit more from the educational expansion of recent years (Becker & Müller, 2011), whereas boys from less privileged backgrounds have more difficulties succeeding in the German education system (Legewie & DiPrete, 2012). For higher education, Lörz's (2019) findings suggest that immigrant youth from non-academic homes are less likely to complete their studies. Likewise, Griga, Hadjar, and Becker (2013) show that immigrant women are relatively less likely to enter higher education.

The aim of our study is to investigate how determinants of social inequality (immigrant background and parental educational level) impacts the relationship between conscientiousness and academic achievement. Conscientiousness can be understood as the expression of the disposition to self-control, determination, and sense of responsibility. We focus on conscientiousness because it is one of the most important factors influencing academic achievement outside the domain of cognitive factors (Poropat, 2009). Our study might help to broaden the perspective to include possible mechanisms for the intersectional interaction of determinants of social inequality.

We use data from the 2008 cohort of a German panel study with three measurement points (Heine et al., 2017). The data make it possible to investigate the effects of the Big Five personality traits on the (perceived) achievement in university over a span of five years. The sample consists of N=3.084 participants satisfying our inclusion criteria (e.g., start of university studies and provided information on their academic performance during their studies). The first survey was conducted shortly before the students obtained their higher education entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung [HZB]), the second assessment took place shortly thereafter, and the third measurement was conducted 4 ½ years later. As for the outcome variable, academic achievement, we utilize the self-assessed academic performance in comparison to others, on a scale ranging from 5 "above average" to -5 "below average". Social inequality is assessed by two variables, immigrant background and educational level of parents. Information on the country of birth of students and their parents is summarized in a dichotomous variable based on a broad definition of immigrant background. Based on the participants‘ information on their parents' professional degrees, the dichotomous variable parental educational level indicates whether at least one of the parents has an academic degree. Conscientiousness is assessed with two five-point Likert-type items of a Big Five inventory (BFI-10; Rammstedt & John 2007) at the 1st measurement point. In addition, extraversion, neuroticism, openness, and agreeableness, as well as gender, grades in acquiring HZB, and field of studies are included as control variables. Effects of conscientiousness on (self-assessed) academic achievement varying with social background (i.e., immigrant background and parental education) are tested using interaction terms in multiple linear regression models with robust standard errors clustered by school.

Regression analyses revealed differences in the relationship between conscientiousness and (self-assessed) academic achievement depending on social background. There is a positive effect of conscientiousness on academic achievement for participants from academic households with or without an immigrant background, and for participants from a non-academic household without an immigrant background. However, for adolescents with an immigrant background and a familial non-academic background, there is no such positive effect. The results indicate a differential effect of conscientiousness on academic achievement when interaction effects of social background variables are accounted for. The expected positive correlation between conscientiousness and academic achievement is not evident for adolescents with an immigrant background who come from non-academic households. Although the results require replication, they nevertheless contribute to the debate about differentiated offers for the promotion of socio-emotional factors in the educational context (Eskreis-Winkler, 2015).

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