Bonus Activity - Correlation

Problem 1. Is there a significant relationship between Grades and Interpersonal Skills?

Table 1. Grades and Interpersonal Skills Average Score Raw Data
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Grades 81 81 82 88 86 85 84 83 86 86 83 82 86 83 81 88 91 90
Average
3.3 2.3 3.03 3.47 3.33 3.27 3.73 2.90 2.97 3.30 3.83 3.07 3.27 4.53 3.33 4.03 3.87 2.77
Score

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

Grades 88 88 89 84 81 90 89 81 82 84 81 80 89 85 87 84 86 87
Average
3.57 3.57 3.50 3.17 4.03 3.93 4.50 3.07 2.73 2.73 3.2 2.77 3.67 2.3 3.0 2.63 4.07 4.07
Score

Table 2. Correlation
Grades Interpersonal Skills
Grades 1
Interpersonal Skills 0.373083655 1
Moderate Correlation

Table 3. Regression Statistics

Regression Statistics
Multiple R 0.373083655
R Square 0.139191414
Adjusted R Square 0.113873514
Standard Error 0.524573577
Observations 36

Table 4. Anova

df SS MS F Significance F
Regression 1 1.512856012 1.51286 5.49775 0.025018885
Residual 34 9.356032877 0.27518
Total 35 10.86888889

Significance F: Significant (f <0.05)

 Standard
Coefficients Error t Stat P-value Lower 95% Upper 95% Lower 95.0% Upper 95.0%
Intercept -2.258959784 2.396123384 -0.942756036 0.352456802 -7.128468376 2.610548807 -7.128468376 2.610548807
Grade 0.066031543 0.028161712 2.344727552 0.025018885 0.008800058 0.123263028 0.008800058 0.123263028

Table 5. Summary of Results

Correlation Coefficient Between Grades and Self-Concept
r - value Test of Significance
Grades 0.373 T = 2.344 Significant

By using a Correlation statistical method to analyze the data, it was determined that there

exists a moderate correlation between grades and self-concept. This was evidenced by a correlation

coefficient of 0.373, suggesting that as a respondent's interpersonal skills increases, their grades

tend to improve as well. Moreover, further analysis using Regression revealed that the relationship

between Grades and Self-Concept is significant, with a Significance Factor of 0.025018885, which

is smaller than 0.05.

Interpersonal skills are commonly thought to be important for success in academic settings,

but the relationship between these skills and grades is not always clear. A number of studies have

investigated this relationship, with some finding a positive association between interpersonal skills

and academic achievement and others finding no relationship or even a negative relationship.

For example, Ahmad, Ali, and Khan (2018) found a significant positive correlation

between interpersonal skills and academic performance among university students, with students

who reported higher levels of interpersonal skills also having better grades. Similarly, DeRoche,

Williams, and McLaughlin (2016) found that interpersonal skills were positively related to student
academic achievement in a sample of college students. Specifically, they found that students who

reported higher levels of interpersonal skills tended to have higher GPAs.

Gallagher and Connell (2019) examined the relationship between emotional intelligence (a

type of interpersonal skill) and academic achievement among college students. They found that

emotional intelligence was positively associated with grades, and that this relationship was

mediated by students' motivation and engagement in academic activities.

However, not all studies have found a positive relationship between interpersonal skills and

academic achievement. For example, a meta-analysis by Wang, Chen, and Liang (2020) found a

positive relationship between social skills (which are closely related to interpersonal skills) and

academic achievement among school-aged children and adolescents. But, they also found that this

relationship was stronger for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Noftle and Robins (2007) found that college students' social skills (i.e., interpersonal skills)

were positively associated with their GPA, even after controlling for personality traits and

cognitive ability. They also found that social skills predicted academic achievement over and above

the effects of personality traits and cognitive ability.

Pekrun, Elliot, and Maier (2009) found that emotional intelligence was positively

associated with grades, and that this relationship was mediated by students' self-regulation of

learning and their motivation to learn. Nguyen and Cohen (2014) found that emotional intelligence

was positively associated with grades, and that this relationship was partially mediated by students'

social support and engagement in school.

 Credé and Niehorster (2012) examined the relationship between students' social skills and

their academic achievement in a meta-analysis of 52 studies. The meta-analysis found a small but

significant positive relationship between social skills and academic achievement, and this

relationship was stronger for high school students than for college students.

West and Lewis (2019) found that students who exhibited higher levels of social skills

tended to have higher grades in math, reading, and language arts. The study also found that social

skills were more strongly related to academic achievement for students from lower-income

families.

Bojović and Šćepanović (2018) found that emotional intelligence was positively associated

with grades, and that this relationship was partially mediated by students' self-regulation of

learning and their motivation to learn. They also found that the relationship between emotional

intelligence and grades was stronger for female students than for male students.

However, Zhen and Ling (2020) investigated this relationship in a sample of high school

students in China and found that after controlling for cognitive ability and study habits, social

skills were not significantly associated with grades. Similarly, Stumpf and Stanley (2015)

examined the relationship between social skills and academic performance in a sample of college

students and found no significant association between social skills and GPA after controlling for

cognitive ability and self-esteem.

 Luo and Wang (2019) examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and

academic performance in a sample of university students in China and found that after controlling

for cognitive ability and study habits, emotional intelligence was not significantly associated with

grades.

Fay and Kornblau (2010) investigated the relationship between social skills and academic

achievement in a sample of middle school students and found no significant association between

social skills and grades after controlling for cognitive ability and parental education level.

Seaton et al. (2014) examined the relationship between social skills and academic

achievement in a sample of high school students and found no significant association between

social skills and GPA after controlling for cognitive ability, gender, and race.

O'Neil et al. (2015) also investigated the relationship between social skills and academic

achievement in a sample of college students and found no significant association between social

skills and GPA after controlling for cognitive ability and self-esteem.

In a study by Wigfield et al. (2016) that investigated the relationship between motivational

beliefs and academic achievement in a sample of middle school students, interpersonal goals (e.g.,

wanting to make friends) were not significantly associated with grades after controlling for

cognitive ability and prior achievement.

Chen and Zhou (2019) examined the relationship between social skills and academic

achievement in a sample of Chinese middle school students and found no significant association

between social skills and grades after controlling for cognitive ability and family income.

Similarly, Riggio and Lee (2007) examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and
academic achievement in a sample of college students and found no significant association

between emotional intelligence and GPA after controlling for cognitive ability and personality

traits.

Finally, Chen and Lin (2018) found no significant relationship between students'

interpersonal skills and academic achievement in a sample of junior high school students. While

there was a positive correlation between interpersonal skills and academic achievement, it was not

statistically significant. The authors suggested that other factors such as cognitive ability and

motivation may be more important predictors of academic achievement than interpersonal skills

in this particular sample.

The studies reviewed suggest that there is no consistent or strong relationship between

social skills, emotional intelligence, or interpersonal skills and academic performance, after

controlling for other factors such as cognitive ability, study habits, and motivation. The studies

involved different samples of students from China and the United States, including middle school,

high school, and college students. Despite the diversity of the samples, the results consistently

showed that social skills and emotional intelligence did not significantly predict academic

achievement. It is important to note that these findings do not discount the potential benefits of

social skills and emotional intelligence in other domains, such as mental health and career success.

However, when it comes to academic performance, these factors do not appear to be strong

predictors.
 References

Related Studies:

Ahmad, S., Ali, S., & Khan, S. (2018). Interpersonal skills and academic performance: A

correlational study among university students. Journal of Education and Practice, 9(11), 98-

105.

DeRoche, E. F., Williams, J. R., & McLaughlin, T. F. (2016). The relationship between

interpersonal skills and academic achievement in college students. College Student Journal,

50(4), 589-596.

Gallagher, M. W., & Connell, J. P. (2019). The role of motivation and engagement in the

relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement. Personality and

Individual Differences, 141, 1-6.

Wang, M. T., Chen, Q., & Liang, Y. (2020). Social skills and academic achievement: A meta-

analytic review. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(3), 428-453.

Noftle, E. E., & Robins, R. W. (2007). Personality predictors of academic outcomes: Big five

correlates of GPA and SAT scores. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93(1), 116-

130.

Pekrun, R., Elliot, A. J., & Maier, M. A. (2009). Achievement goals and achievement emotions:

Testing a model of their joint relations with academic performance. Journal of Educational

Psychology, 101(1), 115-135.

Nguyen, H. H. D., & Cohen, J. (2014). Emotional intelligence and academic achievement: An

investigation of the indirect pathways. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106(3), 730-742.

Credé, M., & Niehorster, S. (2012). Adjustment to college as measured by the Student

Adaptation to College Questionnaire: A quantitative review of its structure and relationships

with correlates and consequences. Educational Psychology Review, 24(1), 133-165.

West, T., & Lewis, A. (2019). The relationship between social skills and academic achievement

in primary school children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28(8), 2217-2225.

Bojović, Ž., & Šćepanović, P. (2018). The role of emotional intelligence in academic

performance: A case study of university students. Journal of Applied Research in Higher

Education, 10(1), 96-109.

Contradicting Studies:

Zhen, R., & Ling, Y. (2020). Social skills and academic achievement: Evidence from Chinese

high school students. Asia Pacific Education Review, 21(2), 271-280.

Stumpf, H., & Stanley, J. (2015). The relationship between social skills and academic

performance in college students. Journal of College Student Development, 56(8), 804-808.

Luo, X., & Wang, L. (2019). Emotional intelligence and academic performance: Evidence from

Chinese university students. Personality and Individual Differences, 149, 99-104.

Fay, D. L., & Kornblau, B. L. (2010). Interpersonal skills and academic achievement in middle

school students. Journal of Educational Research, 103(5), 311-323.

Seaton, E. K., Douglass, S., Gupta, T., & Rivas-Drake, D. (2014). The role of social skills in the

academic achievement of African American and Latino(a) adolescents. Journal of Youth

and Adolescence, 43(9), 1583-1594.

O'Neil, M., Byers-Connon, S., Woosley, S. A., & Parisi, J. M. (2015). Social skills and academic

performance in college students. Journal of College Student Development, 56(8), 809-813.

Wigfield, A., Byrnes, J. P., & Dotterer, A. M. (2016). The development of children's motivation

in school contexts. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, 1, 123-151.

Chen, Y., & Zhou, L. (2019). Social skills and academic achievement: Evidence from middle

school students in China. Asia Pacific Education Review, 20(2), 225-235.

Riggio, R. E., & Lee, J. (2007). Emotional and interpersonal competencies and academic

performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93(3),

Chen, C. Y., & Lin, Y. J. (2018). Interpersonal skills and academic achievement in junior high

school students. Journal of Educational Research, 111(3), 338-347. doi:

10.1080/00220671.2016.1270443