Category: Conscience

In Meads view, the self develops as an individual interacts with others and comes to understand their perspectives. This process of taking on others perspectives is called role-taking. Through role-taking, individuals come to see themselves from a third-person perspective, as objects in the world rather than simply subjects experiencing the world (Schneider, 2006). From this third-person perspective, individuals can then reflect on their own thoughts and actions and assess them critically. This ability to take a step back and reflect on ones own thoughts and actions is what Mead termed  Objective Conscience. Thus, for Mead, an individual becomes an object to him or herself through the process of role-taking and objective conscience.

Meads concept of the social act is that individuals take on different roles in order to interact with each other. For example, when two people are talking, one person is typically the speaker, and the other is the listener. The listener plays an active role in the conversation by responding to what the speaker says (Schneider, 2006). The significant gestures that people make also help to define their roles in social interaction. For example, a nod or a smile can signal agreement, while a shake of the head can signal disagreement. By understanding these concepts, we can better understand how we interact with others and how we see ourselves in relation to others.

In my everyday life, I apply these concepts; when explaining tough concepts to my friends, they always take the listening role. After finishing, they can ask questions as I listen to them. Through this way, all of us get to speak and listen in turns. Conversely, I constantly use the significant gesture of nodding when one of the listeners gets a question and answers correctly. Nodding symbolizes agreeing with the listeners response while smiling is a sign of session enjoyment.

Reference

Schneider, M. A. (2006). The theory primer: A sociological guide. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Having considered two different opinions in the relation to the question whether consciousness can save us or not, I came to the conclusion that I support the Earth Charters ideas which state that human conscious can save the whole humanity from different disaster.

Taking the example of population and its damaging grows, we are going to support the Earth Charters ideas and ruin Hardins one. The Earth Charter states that only the universal responsibility, membership in the human family, the need for global ethics as the elements of social consciousness may save people from overpopulation which becomes a real problem for the whole planet (n.p.).

Garrett Hardin has another point of view. Referencing the research of the problem to the population, he states that human consciousness cannot help in the question as how many children a family had would not be a matter of public concern (Hardin n.p.).

I believe that consciousness can save our planet from overpopulation. This opinion may be easily supported with the following arguments. First of all, people understand that the increase of people on the planet increases the consumption of different resources that increase the responsibility of human beings for what they do.

Considering the global situation, it becomes obvious that overpopulation of the planet influences ecological and social systems, but the changes are not inevitable.

The understanding of the problem, the union of people from all countries may be really helpful. Along with the Earth Charter, I strongly believe that people understand that they belong to the whole Earth community, where each person shares the responsibility for the future of the planet.

The principles the Earth Charter considers are strong and can influence human consciousness. These principles recognize the rights of all people and affirm faith in the inherent dignity of all human beings and in the intellectual, artistic, ethical, and spiritual potential of humanity (the Earth Charter n.p).

This quote means that it is possible to influence on human morality, that being intellectual, ethical and spiritual, human beings are to be conscious about their life as well as about their planet. Supporting this idea Macgregor states that The Earth Charter may be seen as an example of a global citizen initiative that supports and promotes a cosmopolitan environmental vision (Macgregor 88).

Garrett Hardins point of view is absolutely unacceptable. Dwelling upon the problem of overpopulation, he states that most people who anguish over the population problem are trying to find a way to avoid the evils of overpopulation without relinquishing any of the privileges they now enjoy (Hardin n.p.). Such opinion is inadmissible, as according to the Earth Charter people are ready to care for the community of life with understanding, compassion, and love (The Earth Charter n.p.).

Such words touch the cultural images, refer to national symbols and narratives and create the feeling of human belonging to the world as the global society. Furthermore, Hardin also states that people should be influenced not consciously but rationally. He provides the arguments that if people are said about the lack of food because of the overpopulation, the problem is solved.

Still, he contradicts the idea he mentions above. Thus, all the reasons Hardin uses are weak. Only applying for human consciousness people can save the planet and stop its overpopulation. Isnt it what is necessary? Isnt the only way out to make people treat the situation seriously and make those bear responsibility for what is happening?

Works Cited

Hardin, Garrett. The Tragedy of the Commons. The Garret Hardin Society 2005. Web.

Macgregor, Sherilyn. Reading the Earth Charter: Cosmopolitan environmental citizenship or light green politics as usual? Ethics, Place and Environment 71.2 (2004): 8596. Print.

The Earth Charter. Web.

Summary

The book discusses issues revolving around psychopathic patients living within our society. It describes the situation as the most dangerous form of personality disorder.

The discussion is based on an extensive study of the world of psychopaths. It is worth noting that the author uses empirical literature characterized by various anecdotes. The author further describes psychopaths, their characteristic behavior from film and literature. Also the author discusses such issues as they appear in the press.

There are also particular celebrated cases that include Clifford Olson and Ted Bundy that are mentioned in this book as some of the ways in which the study can be done using these figures. Oprah Winfrey and Jack Abbott are also mentioned in this book. Many individuals who have been mentioned in this book shared a number of behaviors which have a common theme.

The author describes the psychopathic minds as characterized by egocentricity, recklessness and contentment. Other characteristics of psychopathic behaviors are grandiosity and lack of conscience.

The author gives three messages about how to treat psychopathic individuals. The first thing is that the parents of such people must not be blamed for the conditions of their patient relatives. Instead, such parents or spouses should consult the services of clinicians (Hare 1999).

The clinicians must be able to offer special diagnostic expertise and use specific strategies for certain special cases. The second message the author gives is that it should be known that the personality of a psychopathic patient is unlikely to change. Their behavior will change only in a situation where there is diminution with age.

Also, the treatment efforts may not be quite effective simply because the patients are content of themselves. The third message given by Hare is related to the way in which one might protect them from being mistreated by other people. This aspect of perspective is known as street proofing for adults.

The book however seems to contradict in certain specific aspects. The author appears to make suggestions that emanate from common sense. Some of his suggestions also emanate from clinical insight and folk wisdom whereas he warns against relying on such sources.

A good example of this scenario is when the author describes the fixate stare of the patients as one that can be identified by eerie anecdotes. The author goes ahead to contradict himself by saying that this method is unreliable since it does not give accurate results.

Sometimes, the author describes things in a way that can be viewed as a promotional piece. This is exemplified especially when it depicts the convention of PCL as the only way in which the patients can be diagnosed with their conditions.

This statement contradicts his earlier thoughts of a developed structured interview protocol. The other contradictions by the author are that sometimes the book seems to read like a public service announcement. The announcement is further viewed as aimed at protecting the society from the menace of psychopathic situations.

Various human personalities of a psychopath are described by the use of anecdotes. Such features are actually translated by Hare as behavioral action and victimization. The author sums up by presenting his views as a form of litany of tales that have mixed emotions. Thus, the tales are a mixture of fascinating and sorrowful senses.

The author clearly states that many people have a limited understanding of psychopathic patients. He therefore recommends an in-depth and rigorous scientific research coupled with investments into the study of psychopaths.

Reference List

Hare, R. (1999). Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths among us. Guilford Press, New York.

What are our ‘Laws of Life’? They are what we live by, what we base our decisions on, and what we abide by. We follow these decisions based on what we believe is the right thing to do. My central law of life, is that I follow what my conscience tells me. A person’s conscience can be their strongest weapon when traversing the complicated and sometimes irrational roads we face. Each individual person has different laws they follow, each based on their own conscience. The conscience is important, but if we are to follow its guidance, we have to differentiate intrusive thoughts from the actual conscience itself.

What are intrusive thoughts though? Simply put, they are negative ideas or actions that ‘intrude’ in the person’s thoughts. According to Lecia Bushak, from the Medical Daily Website, four out of five people experience intrusive thoughts. I myself have experienced these. The issue with these intrusions, is that people can experience thoughts of self-harm, and harm to others, such as swerving into oncoming traffic, or cutting someone with a knife. They wish to rid themselves of these ideas, because they know deep down that they are the wrong things to perform, but alas, cannot. The thoughts are like a parasite; the more someone gives in to it, the stronger it grows, the stronger it becomes, the stronger of an influence it has over someone. The more power it has, the higher of a chance that one will cave and give in to these bad thoughts. So how can one tell the difference between their conscience and intrusions, so we can steer clear of the intrusive thoughts?

The conscience one owns is very crucial, very critical, and a very central part of them. It tells the separation from right and wrong, or in other words, gives the person a feeling if they are doing something right or wrong. The way to differentiate the conscience from intrusive thoughts, is that the conscience is not going to wish harm upon oneself or another. This helps people make the right decisions, because guilt falls upon a person if they, for example, purposely tell a lie or falsify the truth. Guilt has a very powerful impact, because of the influence it has over people. It is an amazing tool we can utilize, because it works in correlation with the conscience, in telling us what the right decision is. In the past year, I have noticed something I never had before. Each person on this earth has a different level of consciousness. Some will know the feeling of guilt well, as their conscience will let them know about each and every single thing they’ve done wrong. On the other hand, many do not know it as well, because their conscience does not inform them as much when they have done something incorrect. As for myself, I found this out when I was experiencing the difficulty of having this guilt every moment of the day, and then I could see another do something incorrect, or even worse than I did, and have absolutely no issue with it. I saw this, where varying people would range from going for an activity, to hesitating,to staying clear of it. This is when I noticed that not everyone has the same sort of consciousness as myself. I have been asking myself a year and longer question since the moment that sparked in me. Why do people have different levels of consciousness?

The parasite, (being the intrusion), begins to creep into the conscience, and take over. Slowly, beginning with walking in the council of the wicked, to standing in the way of sinners, to finally sitting in the seat of scoffers, by the time one is sitting, their conscience has no effect on them anymore. Because they have trained their self to see that there is no wrong in their doing. Bit by bit, the conscience begins to fade away. Starting with walking in the presence of the parasite, to standing near it, as one begins to feel more comfortable with it, they start to sit next to it. The moment that they sit next to the parasite, they have become part of the parasite. It is the sole reason why people can mentally do activities such as murder and selling drugs. The consciousness has been effectively dulled out. One cannot just jump right to the extremes though, they slowly, piece by piece, add more despicable things that they have done to their record. “Like a snowball rolling down a hill, one day we find ourselves, in a place, we thought we would never be, doing things, we thought we would never do, but because it was so slow, we’re totally rationalizing all of it. Because people never crumble in a day. It’s always a slow fade.” – Mark Hall, Casting Crowns

As human beings, we naturally develop a conscious perception of life around us, that is, although very unique and personal, often strongly influenced by the guidelines of law set by our government. This influence leads to near-blind control over selfacknowledgement of our own humane rights. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. not only asserted but showed that each of our own individual consciences should have the right to challenge the government. This would allow society to not be run from the biased government’s view, but from that of the people affected by the government. King’s ideas show influence from the highly regarded idealists Henry David Thoreau and Plato.

Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience brings to light the necessity for the conscience of each of society’s citizens to have an equal impact on government regulations. “Can there not be a government in which majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong but conscience? – in which majorities decide only those questions to which the rule of expediency is applicable? Must the citizen ever for a moment or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience then? I think that we should be men first and subjects afterward” (Jacobus 178). Thoreau is stating his belief that a man is first obligated to act on their conscience, or what they personally feel is right or wrong. With a majority, a minority also exists, and any time there is not equality, the humanity of someone is undermined.

Through his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King expresses agreement with many of Thoreau’s assertions in his work. “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (Jacobus 218). King not only acknowledges the importance of conscience in legality, but also its direct relation to morality. This allows him to show laws that one feels are unjust are immoral as well and therefore as a member of society, one has not only the right, but the obligation to challenge this law. King considerately expands on this philosophy: “In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist…One who breaks an unjust law, must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty…an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law” (Jacobus 220). King is suggesting that passion shows intent, which causes the conscience of society to evaluate the situation. This approach to disobeying unjust laws contrasts a rebel and a “man who has a dream”.

King, along with Thoreau nonviolently protested, exemplifying them of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”. In the eras in which Civil Disobedience and Letter from Birmingham Jail were written, nonviolent protesting was not seen as a fundamental approach to reforming the government. It was an action that required much independence and patience, but eventually would show to create significant progress. Plato’s literal concept is shown in the following quote: “…my opinion is that in the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effort; and, when seen, is also inferred to be the universal author of all things beautiful and right…the immediate source of reason and truth in the intellectual…this is the power upon which he who would act rationally either in public or private life must have his eye fixed.

I agree, he said, as far as I am able to understand you” (Jacobus 453). Thoreau applied this concept through his refusing to pay taxes, and, similarly to King, spending a night in jail. In his letter, King suggested an application of Plato’s allegory: “The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation” (Jacobus 216). As Plato suggested that others would agree with the activist as much as they can understand them, King is ensuring that the government will meet their demands as a result of evaluating the unusual situation, which requires use of conscience. It will, however, take time for the nonviolent protests to be considered successful, just as it would take time for one’s eyes to adjust to the light after dwelling in a cave for much of their life, as Plato described.

Agreeing with Thoreau, King recognized that a person’s perception of the government is likely to be biased in favor of the government itself. King believed that our individuality is what unites us as a society. If one citizen is given one less right than the rest of the society’s people have, then the society is not growing, no matter how stable things may seem for the majority. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (Jacobus 214). With a government that is powered by what represents less than a whole of society, there will always be a bias towards the majority. Bias leads to no favorability to those groups that are unbiased, resulting in very simple formation of unjust laws.

King not only asserted, but also showed the government itself the importance of society’s conscience. Rather than “fighting fire with fire”, King allowed himself to be burned after which he continued to stand at his position. Since the government was faced with an unfamiliar crisis, it was able to step out of its strict regulation and become more open-minded to King’s reasoning, magnifying the importance of conscience and the impact that it is meant to have. The reformation that resulted from the civil rights movement allowed society to grow, as it was run by the people, rather than running the people.

During the times of Paul, the early Christians had been persecuted and wrongfully treated because of their beliefs. The Roman officials would declare these life styles to be “unlawful” so many Christians were wrongfully imprisoned. In today’s times, injustices are still happening around the globe. In many countries, anyone who opposes the main ideology is silenced by imprisonment and even death.

In Paul’s time and present day, many people are still being treated unfairly because of their beliefs. In Sudan, marriage by cousin was practiced and 16 year old named Noura Hussein, was to be engaged to her cousin, Abdulrahman Mohamed Hammad. Noura did not want to be married, she wanted to continue her education. However, her father was afraid that she would get pregnant out of wedlock, which would mean she would become marginalized in her country, because this is seen as unacceptable. After she became engaged to her cousin, Noura had run away to stay with her aunt and had remained there for three years. Her family had tricked her into coming back home, and she was forced to marry him. Noura was not interested in spending any time with her husband. However, one day, he tried to pin her down and rape her. The next day, Hammad had tried again but this time, Noura defended herself and stabbed her husband in the assault. When she ran to her family and explained the situation, her father turned her into the police. In May 2018, she was sent to court and sentenced to her death. However, Noura’s imprisonment did not go silenced. There became an online campaign to demand Noura freedom, entitled.

In June 2018, the court overturned her death sentence, and Noura is currently serving five years. Many other women in different countries have been wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of a partner in relation to domestic violence. “. . imposing a death sentence amounts to an arbitrary killing when courts ignore essential facts of a defendant’s case such as a long history of domestic violence, including because of larger social patterns of gender inequality. ” In some countries the judicial systems are unable to handle situations like Noura’s, they can misuse or misunderstand information in terms of an abusive relationship. Ultimately, these factors led to Noura Hussein getting convicted. In modern times, Christianity has become one of the most the popular religions in the world. In certain issues, some Christians tend to be in conflict with the rules of civil authorities. In the different sects of Christianity, a majority do not permit same-sex marriage. Their reason claims to be that homosexuality is a sin. This idea goes against the law in the US which allow same-sex marriage to be legal and legitimate. In any case, no matter what the subject of the matter is, it is acceptable for a Christian person to act in violation of a law that goes against her conscience, only if her action hurts someone or a group of people. There should be limits to such actions because these actions should not put anyone in harm’s way or cause danger to anyone. Christians may have different opinions on certain issues, but these differences should never result in violence.

Overall, there are similarities in prisoners of conscience during Paul’s time and modern times. People such as Noura Hussein were wrongfully imprisoned in Sudan because of her actions of self defense. Paul and other Christians were persecuted for their beliefs and even martyred by the Romans. In today’s times and Paul’s times, people around the world are still being discriminated and treated unfairly because of their beliefs.

To Kill A Mockingbird gives many important themes and lessons to ponder. There’s the theme of racism, sexism, and personal bias. But the most obvious was the theme of innocence to experience. Harper Lee explores this theme through the character of Scout Finch the things she does, the people she is surrounded by, and the events she witnesses. All of this culminates in Scout’s newly formed conscience at the end of the book. At the beginning of the book, Scout lives freely, never thinking before she acts. But that changes when she starts school and the events of the book unfold. An example of this is shown when Calpurnia lectures Scout for getting angry with Walter Cunningham and the way he chooses to put syrup all over his food. “There’s some folk who don’t eat like us,[…] but [Scout] ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table when they don’t” (Lee, 24). This conversation also comes into play further on in the story when aunt Alexandra tells Scout she is too good to socialize with Walter. Because of the conversation she had with Calpurnia, Scout is able to consider both sides and come to her own conclusion.

Another example of this is when Scout attempts to pick a fight with Walter, but Jem comes in and convinces Scout to let him go. After the altercation, Jem invites Walter over for lunch, knowing that otherwise he probably would end up eating nothing at all. Through these actions, Scout learns how to be charitable while also allowing the other person to keep their pride. Finally, Scout learns that violence is not the answer after beating up Cecil Jacobs when he calls her father a nigger lover. After this happens Atticus tells Scout to “hold [her] head up high and keep [her] fists down” (101). A lot of the lessons that Scout learns, she learns through her actions and the consequences to them. She learns to not judge, be charitable, and to not solve conflicts through violence. These lessons go on to shape the person she becomes at the end of the book. Scout’s conscience is also largely developed by the people she interacts with throughout the story.

The main character is surrounded by many people, some represented as good, and some as bad. Scout learns many lessons from each character, a primary example being Atticus. Atticus teaches Scout many lessons during their numerous conversations throughout the book. One example of a lesson he teaches her is empathy. After Scout’s first day of school, she tells Atticus about her bad day and that she doesn’t like her teacher because she said that Scout and Atticus cannot read together anymore. To which Atticus responds, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (30). Atticus helps Scout to understand that in their own minds, everyone thinks that they are right, and people have different opinions due to different upbringings. He helps Scout to understand that, as long as they are not hurting anyone, she must respect their opinion and move on. Jem also has a large but indirect influence on Scout. In the book, he functions somewhat like a teacher and someone that Scout looks up to.

Much of Jem’s contribution is showing Scout that it’s alright to grow up. By the end of the book, Jem has grown into a young man. In seeing this, Scout feels ready to grow up as well. Finally, Miss Maudie is another influential character in Scout’s life, teaching her many lessons throughout the book. One of her biggest lessons though is having strength and courage. After Miss Maudie’s house burns down, she doesn’t grieve. When Scout comments on this. Miss Maudie replies “ Grieving child? Why, I hated that old cow barn. Thought of settin’ fire to it a hundred times myself, except they’d lock me up” (73). Even when her possessions had been burned, Miss Maudie had a strength that amazed and confused Scout. Lastly, Scout develops her conscience through the events she experiences. Throughout the book, Scout witnesses’ events that change the way she looks at many things in life. These end up shaping what she defines as right and wrong.

The first event she experiences is Atticus shooting Harry Johnson’s dog. This teaches Scout humility because Atticus turns out to be the best shot in Maycomb county, but Scout never knew because Atticus never bragged about it. Jem and Scout talk to Miss Maudie who tells them that Atticus was “[…] the deadest shot in Maycomb County in his time” (98). Shortly after this, Calpurnia takes them to the Black church. There they learn about compassion through Reverend Sykes and his determination to collect ten dollars in order to help Tom Robinson’s wife look after the kids. Finally, the last and largest event that Scout witnesses is the Tom Robinson Trial. This is likely the largest event to take place in the entire book, stretching over many chapters. Through this trial, Scout learns about the many injustices towards people of colour, and the importance of equal rights. This is shown when Atticus is going over the evidence and Jem tells Scout “[…] we’re gonna win, Scout. I don’t see how we can’t. He’s been at it ‘bout five minutes. He made it as plain and easy as – […] You could’ve understood it, even” (202).

At this point in the trial, Jem, a kid, is easily able to understand that Tom Robinson is innocent. He even states that it is so clear that Scout should be able to understand it. But despite that, Tom Robinson is sent to jail, showing Scout how unjust the world can be. It is because of these actions, interactions, and events that Scout has a fully developed conscience at the end of the book. Through these points, Scout can go from innocence to experience, and Lee is able to show how much the environment that surrounds you affects that journey. Lee is able to show that it is because of Scout’s upbringings, and only Scout’s upbringings, that she can grow into the person she is at the end of the book.

Our conscience works as a voice in our minds that makes judgments on the moral stance of our actions, and creates our differentiation of good and evil. Through the psychoanalytical perspective, the conscience is known as a representation of your superego. This is because it is formed through a number of factors while an individual is growing up. These factors are religion, culture, environment, education, and norms which affect your morals and play an active role in the formation of the conscience. Ultimately, your conscience uses your discovered morals as a guide in order to form reasoning, to make your own individual opinions and moral decisions. This leads to my point that Scriptures and the Catholic Tradition inform conscience and moral decision making in a positive light in order to make good decisions and avoid evil. I think this because conscience can be both good and bad, but the Holy Spirit allows for the individual to gain a good conscience through following the teachings and belief of God in order to make good moral choices. An example of this is the Ten Commandments given by God. This teaching forms a guideline for people to follow in order to be making the right moral decisions.

If a child is taught the Catholic Tradition at a young age they will also be able to learn about: “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” It also teaches children very good life lessons early in their life in order to continue doing so in the future. and promote the: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

The meaning behind the Scripture passage which i have chosen is that we should treat one another the same way which we would like for other people to be treating us. Ultimately through doing so we will be able to be kind to others. It is calling us to human happiness and freedom because the way which we want to be treated by others is kindly and respectfully therefore if we are able to treat others this way it will allow for a mutual happiness to occur. Also, there are no words saying that we must follow this, rather this is a good thing to do.

Through following this scripture passage throughout my daily life I always think of myself in the opposite position before acting. Before doing something or saying something to someone else I put myself in their position and imagine what it would feel like if someone said or did this to me, from there on my conscience makes the decisions whether it is appropriate or not to act.

Through following this I believe that my life has become much more positive for not only be but also the people around be, I try to be kind to others to the best of my abilities. However I’d say that the only downfall to this is that sometimes I get too worried about the impact of my words to other people that I don’t talk as much.

The paintings being compared and contrasted within this essay include Ophelia and The Awakening Conscience, both of which can be found in the Tate Modern Museum, located in London, UK. Ophelia was created by Sir John Everett Millais, Bt between 1851-1852 using oil paint on canvas, with the dimensions coming in at around 30in x 44in. The Awakening Conscience was created by William Holman Hunt in 1853, who also used oil paint on canvas to create his masterpiece with dimensions of 30in x 22in. The shared theme among these two works of art is that of storytelling, where each illustrates a particular story that is well known to many. The primary contrast between these two artworks is the content within them. The Awakening Conscience’s story deals with a spiritual revelation of the woman depicted, while Ophelia is illustrating a scene from Shakespeare’s Hamlet that involves the near-death of Lady Ophelia.

The subject matter of Ophelia is that of Lady Ophelia floating in the river where she was once picking flowers after being driving to madness when her lover, Hamlet, murders her father. It is within this stream that she will drown. This is a well-known illustration of Ophelia’s death in Shakespeare’s Hamlet in Act IV, Scene vii. The form within this work is especially intriguing, as there is a variety of color within the plants that surround the streamside. The stream, in particular, is rather narrow and leaves viewers wondering exactly how Ophelia was able to drown herself in such a small space. There is a great contrast between the color of the woman’s face and the darkness of the waters she resides in. This is an obvious additive that enables the viewer’s eyes to be immediately drawn to Ophelia’s face and the emotion that is held there. She appears to be at peace, but at the same time, one can see the pain behind her eyes over the fact that she has lost both her lover and her father. The plant life within this painting is almost hyperrealistic, which makes sense as most have symbolic significance and are depicted with painstaking botanical detail. The style of this work is representational realism, as it applies most of its attention to the details of the structures within the work. As previously stated, the artist took the time to put in a great amount of botanical detail into the plants surrounding the scene. He also took the time to apply a noticeable texturization to Ophelia’s dress to make it seem more realistic to a viewer. The colors that are used are not otherworldly, rather they set the tone for a tragic scene, such as the one being shown, by being more faded thanks to the dimmer lighting of the sun, which only reinforces the realistic aspect of this work. This intense attention to natural details draws in viewers to the solemn sight of a young woman’s death. The media of this work is oil paint on canvas, the canvas being the support of the artwork. Oil paint is a non-aqueous media, meaning it requires some other diluent like turpentine or mineral spirits. Pigments are compounded together with the binder to create a variety of oil paint colors, with the binder typically being Linseed oil. Millais bought two pieces of canvas for the creation of Ophelia, which is known as a double canvas. He placed one behind the other to protect the back of the painting. Both of the canvases were primed with a glue solution, as well as a ground made of lead white paint. Millais painted on a layer of zinc white to make the canvas appear brighter.

The subject matter of The Awakening Conscience is the moment the young woman in the painting has a spiritual revelation while at her lover’s house. The reflection in the mirror behind the couple represents the woman’s lost innocence due to her role as a mistress to the man, but redemption is possible and is shown by rays of light shining through the open window into the parlor. This work of art is full of symbolic elements, such as the cat toying with a bird who seems to have a broken wing, which represents the woman’s plight to enlightenment, and the discarded glove on the floor, which represents the likely fate of a cast-off mistress, that being prostitution. The woman is ensnared in a destructive web of her own making, which is symbolized through the yarn strewn about on the floor, and this moment is when she will decide whether she will continue on her given path, or if she will branch out to better ways of living. The form of this artwork is interesting in the fact that it is rich with various color and is given the illusion of space thanks to the open window which allows for a viewer to see the world beyond the given room. The variety of colors is a shared aspect of form amongst the two given works and makes the art seem all that more alive to a viewer. The Awakening Conscience most certainly has more color options available to a viewer, such as the blue walls, red carpet, brown piano, etc., but Ophelia offers various shades of green thanks to the set location of the scene. Both of the paintings involve depictions of nature, although Ophelia is actually located outdoors by a stream, surrounded by nature, while The Awakening Conscience only allows a slight glimpse of the outside world from inside a parlor room via a mirror. The style of both works also contrasts with one another slightly. As previously stated, Ophelia’s style is more geared towards representational realism due to its attention to detail and realistic appearance. The Awakening Conscience is also representational, but not as realistic as Ophelia. It has a slight idealization of the form, most likely stemming from the religious aspect of the work. Awakening shares the same media as Ophelia, that being oil paint on canvas.

For a painting’s story to be told, there needs to be visual elements that allow for such unfolding. These elements guide the viewer’s eye to the most significant portions of the work that allow for a better understanding of what is going on. Shared visual elements between the two given works include line, shape/mass, light, color, and time/motion, although both individual artworks exhibit other elements apart from each other. To start with, line is not as prominent of a visual element in comparison to the others. But there are particular sets of line arrangements in both artworks that are rather significant to the overall stories of the pieces. An onlooking viewer may notice the odd way that Lady Ophelia is floating in the water, horizontally with her arms somewhat outstretched beside her and her gaze aimed skyward. This particular pose resembles the way artists would depict saints or martyrs, which allows for an emphasis to be placed on the innocence of Ophelia. In The Awakening Conscience, there is a great amount of vertical lines shown, but these are not as important as the line of sight coming from the man in the painting. His eyes are set on his mistress, which leads a person’s eyes to the face of the mistress, which are full of wonder from the revelation she is experiencing. A viewer can then follow her line of sight to what lays beyond the open window, which is noticeable through the mirror behind her. Shape and mass are also important in directing a viewer’s attention to the most crucial parts of the paintings. In Ophelia, the shape of her body floating in the water is the most evident aspect of the work. Although the plant life surrounding her takes up more space in the painting, it is the different shape of her body within the water that draws the attention of a person first. Her figure is seen as the positive shape, while the plants in the background are the negative shapes. It is the same concept in the other painting. The difference of shapes causes a person’s eyes to be immediately directed in that direction. The two people in the middle of the painting take up a majority of space, and therefore that allows a viewer to deem them as significant to the overall telling of the story. The color choices in both artworks allows the scenes to become more vibrant and lively, more so in Awakening than Ophelia. The difference in colors corresponds to the style in which they were painting. Because Ophelia is more realistic, the color choices were more earthy and toned down to show the lack of sunlight during that particular time. This lack of light also sets the tone of the scene as more somber, due to the darker setting. It also helps viewers who do not know the story of Ophelia to understand that what is about to happen is not a joyful thing. Because the scene is outside surrounded by nature, a majority of color would be green. Millais made this lack of variety still lively by providing different shades of greens, making the plants look all the more realistic. It is the rich blue that Millais put as the water and the greyish silver color of the dress that offset the explosion of green occurring. These different hues draw in the focus of a viewer to the death of Lady Ophelia in the water. On the other hand, Awakening is full of vibrant color arrays thanks to the idealization of the scene. The blue walls, red carpet, and reddish-brown furniture all add to the spirited nature of the piece. In this particular work, light/color function very close together to create the wanted effect. It is the pure color of the light outside that is seen through the window that attracts the attention of the viewer to what is stirring up the emotions within the woman. The scene outside is idealized, but this is because of its religious message that it is trying to convey alongside the story. Both pieces are frozen in time, each person within them unable to complete whatever movement they were performing before. In Ophelia, the flow of the stream is stopped, and a person can notice that her midsection is now slowly being pulled down by the weight of her dress in the water. Her hair is spread out in the ripples of the water, as well as the hem of her dress, though that part is more submerged. The leaves in the water are halted in their movement, and the reeds to the side of the stream are slightly bent, most likely due to a breeze. In Awakening, the movement is evident in the pose of the woman and man. The woman is attempting to stand, while the man has his hand outstretched to her, almost as if he is trying to stop her from leaving. The cat in the bottom portion has stopped toying with its bird and is now raising its head to the scene that is occurring above it. There must be a slight breeze coming from the open window, as the nearby curtains are billowing, and the woman’s hair is positioned in a way that resembles air being blown across it. Because these are both depictions of well-known scenes from stories, it makes sense that the artists would want to exhibit time and motion within them and make it seem like they froze these particular scenes in time. Each of these visual elements allow for the stories of these two artworks to be more understandable to a viewer, and for more insight on other factors of the story to be evident.

Visual elements are not the only things needed to enhance the storytelling aspect of the paintings. Design principles also play a crucial role in this task. Shared design principles between the two artworks include visual and conceptual unity and variety, balance, and emphasis and subordination. There is a great deal of conceptual unity between the two pieces in terms of their overall theme, but not when it comes to their content. Both artworks share the theme of storytelling, though their stories both come from different places. In Awakening, there is a great deal of variety going on, especially in the lower half of the work. It almost seems chaotic due to the messy appearance. The usage of different colors to create the interior of the parlor also adds to the chaotic energy of the art, which is ironic because some of the colors aid the viewer in discovering the true content and meaning of the piece, those being more geared towards a religious discovery. In Ophelia, unity is evident in the placement of similar flowers together and the coherent color of green used throughout. The variety comes in through the different shades of green used and the different colors of the water and Ophelia’s dress compared to the nature around them. The various colored pansies within Ophelia’s hand, which are symbolic of love in vain, also emphasize the variety within the work. Both pieces share an asymmetrical balance to them, where one side does not “mirror” the other, but rather expresses an entirely new and different set of colors, lines, etc. This allows for both artworks to become more dramatic while trying to convey what they mean and may allow for the onlooker to feel energized or possible anxious in the case of Ophelia. For Awakening, the left side of the painting appears darker than the right due to the light from the window only being able to spread on the right side, and thus causes a greater weight to be held on the left. The visual element of light aids in this distortion and allows for further interpretation of whether the intentions of the man on the left and darker side are as pure as he may make them out to be to the woman, who is basking in light on the right. But just because a work is asymmetrical does not mean it is not balanced. Although the left side of Awakening is darker, more objects appear heavier on the right, which evens everything out again. In Ophelia, the plant life above her body holds a great amount of weight compared to her, but it is because of her different shape in comparison to the leaves and grasses that draws a viewer’s eye to her. Ophelia’s dress is texturized due to the silver beading of it, making it appear heavier than the dark blue waters it resides in. This texturization also allows for the balance to be a little more evened out between the plants and the stream. Emphasis and subordination play major roles within both artworks and are the most significant of design principles in telling the story of these two women. For Awakening, major emphasis is placed on the things with lighter colors, as light colors are often associated with purity. The woman’s dress to start with is completely white and stands out amongst the darker colors of the parlor. With that being said, subordination is placed on the man, who is shrowded in dark from his suit to the walls that surround him. There is also an emphasis on the mirror behind the two which reveals the woman’s idealized world outside the parlor that is filled with light and forgiveness for her sins. The size of the woman also adds to her emphasis. Because the man is sitting down and is laying back in his chair, he appears smaller in comparison to the woman almost standing. Both of their bodies take up a majority of canvas space, making that portion of the painting more important to the rest. They are both in the foreground with nothing blocking their way, which allows for a spectator to see them first before anything else. A great amount of focus is put onto the woman’s left hand, which is clutched in her right, which appears to be without a ring, aiding a person in assuming she is the man’s mistress. In Ophelia, the emphasis is also placed on those things with a lighter color, as the natural light from the sun appears dim. Ophelia’s skin and dress are much lighter in comparison to the rich blue water and greenery that engulfs them. This draws people to observe her facial expression as she is beginning to sink into the water and drown. The background, especially the top left corner is put into a subordinate position, as there is little to nothing occurring in that space, whereas in the top right corner there are at least some white flowers to draw in the eyes of onlookers. The emphasis in both of these artworks is essential in revealing the hidden and not so hidden meanings of the pieces.

The historical period in which both of these paintings were made was in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Both Hunt and Millais were famous members of this brotherhood who opposed the Royal Academy’s promotion of Raphael, a Renaissance master. They disliked the narrow range of idealized or moral subjects offered by the academy, as well as the conventional definitions of beauty that was sought by its members. They also revolted against genre paintings which were very prevalent during that time. Members of this brotherhood preferred art and human form in their most natural state. Although their initial themes were those of religion, they also dabbled in subjects of love and death in poetry and literature, as seen in both of the provided artworks. They also enjoyed exploring modern social problems, such as infidelity as seen in The Awakening Conscience. The members of this brotherhood sought to express a new moral seriousness and sincerity in their works. Ophelia is a single scene from the well-known Shakespearean play Hamlet and was painted in a way that was not idealized but served to tell the story of tragic love. Millais does this by remaining true to the realistic aspect of his brotherhood’s paintings, but by still making the scene simultaneously romantic and dramatic. The Awakening Conscience deals with a mistress and her lover, and the mistress discovers spiritual enlightenment during their encounter. This particular painting almost serves as a moral lesson to those who wish to change their ways like the woman does, and offers the notion that redemption is possible to anyone. There is only a slight degree of idealization in this work, but other than that, it sticks to the typical Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood ways of capturing a moment in its most natural form. In The Awakening Conscience, Hunt subtly challenges the basic tenents of Victorian morality by portraying an unmarried woman in the arms of a man. He provides a controversial insight into prostitution in England at this time.

As stated in the thesis, the main contrasting element between Ophelia and The Awakening Conscience is that of their content. Both are narrative arts that tell the story of those within the painting, but the meanings hidden behind them are very different. Ophelia revolves around the heartbreak and downfall of Shakespeare’s heroine Lady Ophelia, as well as her suicide after discovering that her lover Hamlet killed her father. The scene shown is Ophelia allowing herself to drown in the stream after picking flowers. The contrasting artwork, The Awakening Conscience, shows a young woman and man together inside what appears to be a parlor room. The woman is assumed to be the man’s mistress due to the absence of a wedding ring on her left hand. As stated by the title of the work, the scene revolves around the awakening of this young woman’s conscience after some time as the man’s mistress. She appears to be gazing outside the open window to a world full of light and forgiveness, while the man attempts to keep her with him. The message behind this artwork is more of a moral one, unlike Ophelia who’s message is centered around tragic love. In both of these paintings, critics constantly wanted to view them as equals in both theme and content by focusing more on the sensual aspects of both of them. They failed to see the moral message hidden behind Awakening and the tragic heartbreak of Ophelia, and how the artists were able to portray these messages through their agenda as a brotherhood.

Either way, both Hunt and Millais were able to weave two incredible stories into their artworks through more natural approaches to their painting and unconventional means of beauty.

Introduction

A recurrent concern amongst institutions of higher learning is attracting and selecting the best and brightest students. No two learners are the same and they often differ across an array of factors including, age, gender, personality traits, family backgrounds (Hakimi, Hejazi and Lavasani, 2011), intelligence, socioeconomic status (Hakimi, Hejazi and Lavasani, 2011), pre–university education and training. Consequently, there exists no fixed approach for determining the characteristics of a good student. While previous studies that attempted to determine predictors of academic success have generated disparate results, one area they have commonly agreed upon is the importance of personality traits (Hakimi, Hejazi and Lavasani, 2011). Research into academic performance to date has demonstrated that even in situations where cognitive capability and intelligence are controlled for, the predictive capacity of personality traits of an individual remains undiminished (Duckworth & Seligman, 2005; Hakimi, Hejazi and Lavasani, 2011; Wagerman and Funder, 2007).

Much of the research into relationship between personality and academic outcomes has centred around the Big Five taxonomy – an empirically validated five dimensional model of human personality traits often utilised to predict success in a variety of domains (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly, 2007; Rimfeld, Kovas, Dale and Plomin, 2016). Factors included in the framework are Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, Openness and Neuroticism (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly, 2007). Despite the strength of the Big Five nomenclature, Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly (2007) contended that the list of facets is somewhat restrictive. Several studies have indicated that less expansive aspects of personality often not included in the Big Five also possess the capacity to efficaciously predict academic achievement (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly, 2007; Rimfeld, Kovas, Dale and Plomin, 2016). These can include grit (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly, 2007) and intrinsic motivation (Lepper, Corpus and Iyengar, 2005).

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness reflects the responsibility of an individual, their capacity to systematise data, and academic tenacity (Hakimi, Hejazi and Lavasani, 2011). Of the five personality characteristics included in the model, conscientiousness has emerged as the most potent prognosticator of academic achievement (Hakimi, Hejazi and Lavasani, 2011; Noftle and Robins, 2007; Rimfeld, Kovas, Dale and Plomin, 2016; Wagerman and Funder, 2007).

Noftle and Robins (2007) examined the relationship between the Big Five and SAT and GPA in samples of ethnically diverse college students. The authors found that conscientiousness was the most robust predictor of GPA with correlations ranging from .18 to .26. Furthermore, conscientiousness emerged as a robust predictor of college GPA even after high school GPA and SAT scores were controlled for. Correspondingly, in a sample of 131 undergraduate students, GPA correlated strongest with conscientiousness (Wagerman and Funder, 2006). In 2007, Trapmann, Hell, Hirn and Schuler published a meta–analysis examining the association between the Big Five and academic success at the university level. As with previous studies, they found that conscientiousness correlated strongest with GPA with a mean observed correlation of .216 based on 41 studies. Several other studies reported similar results (Barchard, 2003; Furnham, Chamorro–Premuzic and McDougall, 2003; Gray and Watson, 2002).

Grit

Grit is an important non–cognitive construct in determining success in academics (Almlund, Duckworth, Heckman and Kautz, 2011; Borghans, Duckworth, Heckman, and ter Weel, 2008). Grit, according to Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly (2007), is a desire and persistence for realising long–term aspirations. Grit is strongly correlated with conscientiousness (r = .77, p < .001; Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews & Kelly, 2007) and lies parallel to several aspects of this variable including industriousness and perseverance (Rimfeld, Kovas, Dale and Plomin, 2016). Unlike conscientiousness, however, where the focus is on achieving transient objectives, grit places emphasis on steadfastness (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly, 2007). A person high in grit is willing to persist at a task for several years even in the presence of failure or boredom (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly, 2007; Gutman and Schoon, 2013).

Grit has been found to be related to numerous positive outcomes including completing high school and academic achievement across the lifespan of individuals (Eskreis–Winkler, Shulman, Beal and Duckworth, 2014). In 2007, Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly conducted several studies examining the relationship between grit and academic success. In a group of 139 undergraduate University of Pennsylvania students, the authors found that students higher in grit had higher GPAs (r = .25, p < .01). It is interesting to note that grit was linked to lower SAT scores (r = –.20, p < .001). Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly (2007) pointed out, however, that the average SAT scores of the students in their study was 1415 which placed them in the top 4% of students that took the exam. Whether this relationship remains in different student populations has yet to be explored. Additionally, students disclosed their GPAs and SATs simultaneously (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly, 2007). Nevertheless, they concluded that amongst comparatively intelligent students, the less smart ones tend to make up by working harder and with more tenacity than their peers.

Another study by the aforementioned authors investigated the relationship between the grit of 1218 military recruits measured on entrance at West Point, USA and their Academic GPA one year later. As in the previous study, they found that grit was associated with higher grades (r = .06, p < .05). The strength of this association here, however, was weaker than in the university undergraduates. The authors explained that the difference in correlation between this and the previous study may be a result of the fact that grit may relate stronger with current grades and a weak predictor of future achievement.

Intrinsic Motivation

Ryan and Deci (2000) described intrinsic motivation as an innate predilection of an individual to pursue challenges and novel situations with the aim of enhancing and exerting their capabilities. Intrinsic motivation is manifested in a drive to immerse oneself in activities purely for the utter gratification, challenge, enjoyment or interest (Lepper, Corpus and Iyengar, 2005), to understand and to become competent (Ryan and Deci, 2000). Research has highlighted a positive correlation between intrinsic motivation and scholastic success (Lepper, Corpus and Iyengar, 2005). For example, a study by Otis, Grouzet and Pelletier (2005) found that students higher in intrinsic motivation typically completed their homework more often, possessed greater scholastic ambitions and were less likely to miss school. Lepper, Corpus and Iyengar (2005) also found a robust correlation between intrinsic and overall GPA (r = .34, p < .001) in an ethnically varied sample of third to eight grade pupils.

Methods

Participants

A convenient sample of 59 students enrolled in their first term of a Certificate, and Bachelor of Sport Studies programme at a university in Trinidad and Tobago participated in the study. All students possessed at least 5 subjects including grades I to III in English, and one Science subject including Physical Education (PE) at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exam. Students were mostly from Afro-Trinidadian, Indo-Trinidadian and Mixed descent backgrounds. Thirty-six students were males, while 23 were females. Students were mainly between 18 and 30 years old including 43 between 18-20 years, and 14 between 21-29 years of age.

Procedure

The researchers received permission to conduct the study via the IRB of UTT. Open access was provided to use the questionnaires in the study including IMS of SMS- II (Pelletier, Rocchi, Vallerand, Deci, and Ryan, 2013); Grit (Duckworth and Quinn, 2009); and Conscientiousness from NEO-FFI-R (McCrae and Costa, 2004). The three questionnaires together with the other survey questions were uploaded onto survey monkey (Survey Monkey Inc. 2016). One hundred and twenty students at the university were sent an email which invited them to complete the survey questions. Via Survey Monkey’s email link, students were told that participation was voluntary and that their responses would be treated with confidence. Of the 120 students emailed, 50% returned data.

Measurement

Grit: Grit was assessed using Duckworth and Quinn (2009) 8-item Short Grit Scale. Grit measures the capacity to maintain effort, and to remain interested in long term goals. The scales are measured on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 = not at all like me, to 5 = very much like me (Duckwort and Quinn, 2009). Grit has shown to be predictive of Academic success at the university level .

Intrinsic Motivation: Intrinsic Motivation Sub-Scale (IMS) of the Sport-Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II; Pelletier, Rocchi, Vallerand, Deci and Ryan, 2013) was used to measure student’s intrinsic motivation (IM) for academic achievement. Item stems, “I study my work at college,” from SMS-II were reworded to elicit information regarding students’ academic achievement. The scale uses a 5-point Likert system 5 = strongly agree, to 1 = strongly disagree (Pelletier et al., 2013) to measure students IM. A higher score suggests higher IM for academic achievement.

Conscientiousness: Four items of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory-Revised (NEO-FFI-R; McCrae and Costa, 2004) were used to measure students conscientiousness. Conscientiousness (CON) is a multi-disciplinary construct that measures student’s self-discipline, persistence, diligence, and dutifulness for success (Dumfart and Neubauer, 2016). Dumfart and Neubauer (2016) found it to be the best predictor in academic success across several personality and motivational constructs. Conscientiousness uses a 5-point Likert scale to measure the non-cognitive construct for example construct for example “I order in doing things;” 5 = agree; 1 = strongly disagree.

Previous Academic Achievement: Three criterion grades achieved at CSEC including Maths, English, and a Science including Physical Education acted as criterion variables in the study.

GPA at College: GPA students achieved in their first year in the Certificate and Bachelors programme at the university was used as the other criterion variable in the study.

Analysis

The Statistical package for social sciences was used to analyse the data (Field, 2013). Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the strength of the relationship among the variables (Fields 2009). Mukaka (2012) indicated .90 to 1.00 as being a very high correlation; 50 to .70 as moderate correlation; and .00 to .30 as negligible correlation.

Multiple regression analysis (Field, 2009) was used to investigate whether IM, Grit and Conscientiousness predicted student’s academic achievements prior to entering school and college. A 2 X 2 ANOVA was used to investigate whether gender and student type interacted to cause an effect in the dependent variables in the study.

Results

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between IM (Pelletier et al. 2013); Grit (Duckworth and Quinn 2009); and Conscientiousness (McCrae and Costa 2004) and academic scores of students prior to entering university; and during their first semester of a Certificate and Bachelor in Sport Studies programme at the university. Missing values were negligible. Pairwise deletion was used to treat with the missing values (Fields 2009). No outliers were observed. The researchers tested for normality as required for parametric data (Fields 2009). The IM data were slightly skewed, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was .17, p = .00. According to Fields (2009), slight deviation from normality doesn’t invalidate the test; therefore, no adjustments were made to the data. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for Grit and Conscientiousness was above the p > .05 threshold. Cronbach reliability statistic for IM, Conscientiousness and Grit was .54, .57 and .62 respectively. These values question the uni-dimentionality of the underlying constructs. Kline (1999) indicated that above.7 and .8 are acceptable values for Cronbach alpha reliability (Cronbach, 1951).

A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was conducted to investigate the relationship between the variables. Of the variables investigated, only Grit and Conscientiousness correlated significantly r = .387, p = .003. Grit explained 15% of the variance in conscientiousness R2 = 0.15. Even though IM motivation didn’t correlate significantly with the other two variables, its indicators interrelated more highly than Grit and Conscientiousness.

We conducted a 2 X 2 ANOVA to see if there was a significant interaction effect between gender and student types (Certificate and Undergraduate) on the non-cognitive attributes of the students; and a multiple regression analysis to determine if Grit, IM and Conscientiousness were significant predictors of the achievement variables. An inverse relationship was expected because of how Grade I and Grade V were coded in this study (Prime 2000). We found that none of the analyses rose to the significant levels; however, when we ran a simple regression analysis was run, IM was able to significantly predict CSEC science R2 = 15%; p = .00.

Discussion

Understanding the relationship between Conscientiousness, Grit and Intrinsic Motivation especially in a new sample in Trinidad and Tobago is a valuable endeavour. Indeed, the results can provide information about the validity and reliability of the various constructs, and whether the constructs can predict academic achievement in a diverse population in Trinidad at the UTT. Additionally, it could assist the faculty at the UTT in student selection, and to extend the knowledge as it relates to the variables.

The researchers hypothesized that Grit and Conscientiousness would be significantly related. This result was substantiated. A major aspect of grit is the ability to persevere despite onerous challenges, and a desire to achieve long term goals (Duckworth and Quinn, 2009). Therefore, it was not surprising that students who were grittier, were also orderly and discipline, a key tenet of conscientiousness (McCrae and Costa 2004). Unexpectedly, however, the variables correlated weakly between themselves. Many reasons could be hypothesized for this poor relationship; the main being cultural understanding of the indicators, which may also be the reason that Cronbach Alpha for the variables was poorly recorded (Cronbach, 1951). Performing a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; Decoster, 1998) could assist in destructing the stability of the indicators in the new sample in Trinidad and Tobago. Further, the results of the CFA may also explain why gender differences were not found for Conscientiousness and Grit.

In contrast to the non-significance recorded for Gender by Conscientiousness and Grit, a significant difference was found for intrinsic motivation. Females scored significantly higher than males for their academic achievement. This result may help explain why girls have been outperforming males at all levels of the education system in Trinidad and Tobago (Avery and Walker, 1993; Hyde, Fennema and Lamon, 1990; Pomerantz, Altermatt and Saxon, 2002). A point discussed in 1997 by Reddock at a conference of the Association of Caribbean Higher Education Administrators (ACHEA) in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Reddock provided statistics showing that females were outperforming their male counterparts at Tertiary Education Facilities in the Caribbean. Reddock theorized on several reasons for this trend, this study supports intrinsic motivation as a causation factor.

Admittedly, intrinsic motivation was the most stable factor in the sample surveyed in this study; it was the only predictor of previous academic achievements. Even though it predicted academic achievement, it only explained 12% in CSEC Maths, 16% in CSEC Science, and 3% in CSEC English. These results were not totally incomprehensible since using prospective personality recordings to predict past academic achievement can be confounding. A better research design would be to use proximal variables and reduce the time between achievement and personality variables. Consequently, the researchers proposed to use the said variables to predict the GPA scores of the students synchronously.

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