Intervention gains in conscientiousness were generally maintained at follow-up, but mediation was never tested and only one intervention examined moderation¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Among the 55% of studies with follow-up measures, increases in conscientiousness were maintained post-intervention. → Melanie Turner 2025 q2 i? None of the reviewed articles conducted mediation analyses, and only one examined a moderator (awareness of the intervention's target, which did not moderate effects). → Melanie Turner 2025 (2)

Evidence¶

Melanie Turner 2025¶

Melanie Turner, Flaviu A. Hodis. (2025). Strengthening Conscientiousness by Means of Interventions: A Systematic Review. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10016-4

q2 · i? · review · r3

Review synthesis (RQ4) of the six studies with follow-ups ranging from two weeks to one year. The review reports increases "were maintained post-intervention"; only one article discussed maintenance mechanisms.

"Overall, the findings from these studies indicate that increases in conscientiousness resulting from the interventions were maintained post-intervention."

Melanie Turner 2025 (2)¶

Melanie Turner, Flaviu A. Hodis. (2025). Strengthening Conscientiousness by Means of Interventions: A Systematic Review. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10016-4

q2 · i? · review · r3

Review synthesis (RQ5): the review reports no mediation analyses across the 11 studies and a single moderation test, which found awareness of the intervention target did not moderate effectiveness.

"Only one of the interventions we reviewed examined moderation effects. Specifically, Hudson (2021a) reported that the effectiveness of the behavior activation intervention used was not moderated by whether participants were aware that the intervention they received targeted conscientiousness. None of the articles conducted mediation analyses."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Personality Traits — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Digital coaching increased the organization and productiveness facets of conscientiousness but not responsibility, with no observer-reported facet changes — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Most recent interventions to strengthen conscientiousness significantly increased it at the trait, facet, or state level, with small-to-moderate effect sizes — a broader claim this one bears on
• Digital coaching significantly increased trait conscientiousness, with effects stable one year after the intervention ended — a narrower finding that bears on this claim