Factors in Graduate Student Performance

Critical incidents were used to collect faculty ratings of graduate student performance in departments of chemistry, English, and psychology. Separate factor analyses in each of three fields produced eight factors which were fairly consistent with respect to item loadings across fields. Factors were labeled independence and initiative, conscientiousness, critical facility, enthusiasm, research and experimentation, communication, teaching skills and persistence. In addition, faculty ratings of each incident with respect to its importance or relevance for success were obtained. Importance ratings were most similar for psychology and chemistry and least similar for chemistry and English.