The Nexus of Academic Intelligence and Academic Achievement: A Comprehensive Study of Cognitive Potential, Personality Traits, and Behavioural Strategies as Determinants of Student Outcomes

Abstract

The study explores the multifaceted relationship between intellectual capacity and scholastic success. Academic intelligence has long been recognized as a strong predictor of achievement; however, growing evidence suggests that cognitive ability alone does not fully account for the variations observed in student performance. Instead, a more holistic explanation emerges when intelligence is examined in conjunction with personality traits and behavioural strategies that either facilitate or hinder learning. The study is grounded in a theoretical framework that integrates cognitive, psychological, and behavioural perspectives. Academic intelligence, operationalized through measures of reasoning, abstraction, and problem-solving, is conceptualized as the cognitive foundation upon which learning rests. Personality traits such as conscientiousness, emotional stability, and self-efficacy represent the psychological dimension that influences consistency, persistence, and confidence in learning contexts. Behavioural strategies—including self-regulated learning, time management, and avoidance tendencies like procrastination—form the third dimension, reflecting how students transform intellectual potential into actual academic outcomes. Together, these domains provide a comprehensive model for understanding achievement as a product of interacting factors rather than a singular determinant. The theoretical assumption guiding this work is that academic intelligence exerts both direct and indirect effects on achievement. While higher intelligence correlates with better performance, its impact is moderated and mediated by non-cognitive variables. For instance, conscientious students with strong regulatory strategies are more likely to translate cognitive potential into high performance, whereas intelligent students prone to procrastination or low emotional stability may underperform despite their ability. The interplay of these factors underscores the dialectical tension between potential and practice, highlighting that intelligence must be activated through disciplined behaviours and adaptive personality orientations. By positioning academic achievement within the nexus of cognition, personality, and behavior, this study contributes to the broader discourse on educational psychology. It moves beyond a narrow understanding of intelligence as a sole predictor and instead emphasizes academic success as a multidimensional construct. The findings are expected to enrich theoretical perspectives by demonstrating how intellectual capacity interacts with personal dispositions and behavioural strategies to shape student outcomes. Ultimately, this comprehensive approach redefines achievement not as the linear outcome of intelligence but as the dynamic product of interrelated cognitive, psychological, and behavioural systems.