Negative but productive: trait neuroticism, situation contingent emotionality and performance

Trait neuroticism has been associated with a variety of negative outcomes, including mental and physical illnesses, job dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and poor job performance, when tested at the between-person level of analysis. Impressions to the contrary, the observed effects of trait neuroticism and the associated negative emotionality are not uniformly negative. Trait neuroticism and negative emotionality are related to a range of psychological mechanisms, including goal prioritization, effort intensity, planning and detailed information processing, which enhance performance at the within-person level. We tested the effects for an integrated model including trait neuroticism and situation contingent negative emotionality on performance in an analytical engineering course with 84 first year students at a Chinese university. Situation contingent negative emotionality data were collected by ESM over a 3-week period. The criterion task was the final exam, completed 11 weeks later. Situation contingent negative emotionality positively predicted performance and this effect was moderated by trait neuroticism. Students with higher trait neuroticism were better able to channel their feelings of anger, frustration, tension and sadness in response to daily task challenges into more productive problem solving and learning on the course than their less neurotic colleagues. The paradox of the differential results for trait neuroticism at the within- and between-person levels of analyses and implications for research that integrates the two levels are discussed.