Big Five Personality Traits and Assertiveness do not Affect Mastery of Communication Skills

Abstract

Background: Mastering communication skills is often emphasized as an important aspect of job or academic performance. However, research into the relationships between personality factors and these skills is scarce. Purpose: This study investigated whether the big-five personality factors and assertiveness predict mastery of communication skills before and after following communication skills training. Method: The skills level of 143 psychology students was assessed after two communication skills courses, namely a basic and an advanced communication skills training. Personality factors were assessed with the Five Factor Personality Inventory and the Scale for Interpersonal Behavior. Results: Participants showed substantial progress in their mastery of the communication skills after both courses. Surprisingly, none of the personality factors predicted the level of mastery of these skills. Discussion: This seems to imply that trainees can become professional communicators, regardless of their scores on these personality factors.

Keywords

• Communication skills
• Personality
• Assertiveness
• Training
• Assessment