Personality styles and suggestibility: A differential approach

This study addresses the relationship between personality styles measured with the Portuguese adaptation of the Millon Index of Personality Styles Revised – MIPS-R and interrogative suggestibility assessed by the Portuguese adaptation of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale – GSS1. Hypotheses predicted individual differences in suggestibility and that these differences correspond to differences in individuals’ personality styles. The study was conducted with a sample of 258 individuals (M_age = 31.8 years, SD = 12.0). Results showed that there were individual differences in suggestibility and that these differences corresponded to certain personality characteristics, mainly related to the Thinking Styles and some Behaving Styles.     

Age Differences in the Variance of Personality Characteristics

In contrast to mean‐level comparisons, age group differences in personality trait variance have received only passing research interest. This may seem surprising because individual differences in personality characteristics are exactly what most of personality psychology is about. Because different proposed mechanisms of personality development may entail either increases or decreases in variance over time, the current study is exploratory in nature. Age differences in variance were tested by comparing the standard deviations of the five‐factor model domain and facet scales across two age groups (20 to 30 years old versus 50 to 60 years old). Samples from three cultures (Estonia, the Czech Republic and Russia) were employed, and two methods (self‐reports and informant‐reports) were used. The results showed modest convergence across samples and methods. Age group differences were significant for 11 of 150 facet‐level comparisons but never consistently for the same facets. No significant age group differences were observed for the five‐factor model domain variance. Therefore, there is little evidence for individual differences in personality characteristics being systematically smaller or larger in older as opposed to younger people. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding personality development. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Personality Psychology     

Still cautious: Personality characteristics of extremely low birth weight adults in their early 30s

Extremely low birth weight survivors (ELBW; <1000 g) display a personality style characterized by cautiousness, shyness, and risk aversion in their 20s. We examined whether non-impaired ELBW survivors were still more cautious than their normal birth weight (NBW) peers at ages 30–35 and assessed the stability of this personality characteristic across approximately a decade in the oldest known cohort of ELBW survivors. Of the 154 participants tested at ages 22–26, 111 (i.e., 72%) of them returned approximately 10 years later [i.e., 69% (49/71) ELBW and 75% (62/83) NBW], and once again they completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R). We created the same theoretically and empirically derived composite measure of cautiousness at each visit by summing the EPQ-R psychoticism scale (reverse scored) and the EPQ-R lie scale. We found that ELBW adults reported higher cautiousness than their NBW counterparts at ages 30–35. We also found that levels of cautiousness remained stable over approximately 10 years in both groups. Our findings suggest that individuals born at ELBW were more cautious than NBW peers and that this personality characteristic remained stable into their early 30s. The present study appears to be the first empirical demonstration of personality stability among adult ELBW survivors.     

Situation and Personality Correlates of Psychological Well-Being: Social Activity and Personal Control

Two studies that examined the correlates of peoples′ reports of their own psychological well-being are reported (Ryff, 1989). In Study 1, extraverts reported better psychological adjustment than introverts, especially when they completed the questionnaires with no one else present. Need for social approval and the sex of the participant were unrelated to self-reports of well-being. Satisfaction with social activities, especially activities involving friends and parents, predicted psychological well-being but the frequency of social activity did not. Completing questionnaires in the presence of friends led to better self-assessments of well-being than completing them in the presence of strangers. In Study 2, internal locus of control, high desire for control, and being female, as well as perceived control over the testing situation, were found to predict reports of better psychological adjustment. It is suggested that future research on self-assessments of psychological well-being focus on: (a) the interaction effects of personality and situational variables; (b) the difference between seeking social interaction and seeking social approval: (c) the distinction between platonic and romantic relationships, and; (d) changes in the correlates of psychological well-being throughout the life-cycle.     

Personality Correlates of Self-Injury in Adolescent Girls: Disentangling the Effects of Lifetime Psychopathology

Adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (aNSSI) is associated with abnormal scores on personality traits, such as high neuroticism. However, no studies to date have examined personality facets of self-injury in a cohort younger than college-age. Plus, adolescent psychopathologies, especially Depressive Disorders, are associated with a similar personality profile and are highly comorbid with aNSSI. Consequently, it remains unclear whether personality provides insights about aNSSI in youth beyond that due to underlying psychopathology. 550 community-dwelling 13- to 15-year-old never-depressed adolescent girls were interviewed for lifetime aNSSI and lifetime psychopathology. Personality traits, broad domains and specific facets, were assessed by self-report. Never-depressed adolescent girls who endorse aNSSI often met lifetime criteria for psychiatric disorders (NSSI: 20/43; 46.5% vs. non-aNSSI: 131/507; 26.1%). aNSSI and lifetime psychopathology were each independently associated with several traits (e.g., high neuroticism and conscientiousness), whereas some traits only discriminated aNSSI (e.g., high melancholia, a facet of neuroticism related to sadness and negative self-evaluation) or lifetime psychopathology independent of each other (e.g., low positive emotionality; low agreeableness). Furthermore, a multivariate model identified high melancholia, high openness to experience, and low conscientiousness as incrementally independent correlates of lifetime aNSSI over and above psychiatric illness. Proneness to melancholia, interest in new things, and poor self-control incrementally track aNSSI in never-depressed adolescent girls. Importantly, this emerges early in course (13–15 years of age) and is independent of lifetime psychiatric diagnosis. Implications for updating etiological models and clinical utility of personality assessment are discussed.     

Peer Sociometric Status and Personality Development from Middle Childhood to Preadolescence

Sociometric status, the regard that other group members confer to an individual, is one of the most ubiquitous and behaviourally relevant attributes assigned to the person by the social environment. Despite this, its contribution to personality development has received little attention. The present three‐wave longitudinal study, spanning the age range 7–13 years (n = 1222), sought to fill this gap by examining the transactional pathways between peer sociometric status (measured by peer nominations) and Five‐Factor personality traits (measured by self‐ratings and parent and teacher ratings). Sociometric status prospectively predicted the development of extraversion. By contrast, agreeableness and neuroticism prospectively predicted the development of sociometric status. Furthermore, individual‐level stability in extraversion was associated with individual‐level stability in sociometric status. The results were robust across different sources of personality ratings. We argue that peer sociometric status in the school classroom is the type of environmental effect that has potential to explain personality development. Because of its stability, broadness, and possible impact across a variety of personality processes, sociometric status can both repetitiously and simultaneously influence the network of multiple inter‐correlated micro‐level personality processes, potentially leading to a new network equilibrium that manifests in changes at the level of the broad personality trait. © 2019 European Association of Personality Psychology     

Personality and career success: Concurrent and longitudinal relations

The present research addresses the dynamic transaction between extrinsic (occupational prestige, income) and intrinsic (job satisfaction) career success and the Five‐Factor Model (FFM) of personality. Participants (N = 731) completed a comprehensive measure of personality and reported their job title, annual income and job satisfaction; a subset of these participants (n = 302) provided the same information approximately 10 years later. Measured concurrently, emotionally stable and conscientious participants reported higher incomes and job satisfaction. Longitudinal analyses revealed that, among younger participants, higher income at baseline predicted decreases in Neuroticism and baseline Extraversion predicted increases in income across the 10 years. Results suggest that the mutual influence of career success and personality is limited to income and occurs early in the career. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Personality development from late adolescence to young adulthood: differential stability, normative maturity, and evidence for the maturity-stability hypothesis

This investigation examined personality development during the transition from adolescence to adulthood using the brief form of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (Patrick, Curtin, & Tellegen, 2002). Parent and self-reports of personality were obtained in 1994 (average age=17.60 years), and self-reports were obtained in 2003 (average age=27.24 years). There was evidence of both differential stability and normative changes in the direction of increased functional maturity during this transition. Moreover, adolescents with more mature personalities in 1994 tended to show fewer personality changes from 1994 to 2003. These maturity-stability effects held when parent reports were used to assess personality. All told, there was evidence of both stability and change in personality during the transition to adulthood.     

Looking good versus doing good: which factors take precedence when children learn about new tools?

We present two experiments exploring whether individuals would be persuaded to imitate the intentional action of an adult model whose actions suggest that the correct way to complete a task is with an inefficient tool. In Experiment 1, children ages 5–10 years and a group of adults watched an adult model reject an efficient tool in favor of one that was inefficient, but claim it was “made for” the task. Results indicated low rates of imitation of the model’s intentional choice until 9 and 10 years of age. In Experiment 2, children ages 3–11 years again watched a model reject a functional tool in favor of a nonfunctional one. This time, the demonstration took place on video. For half of the participants, the model from the video was present to offer a choice between the two tools (high-pressure condition), and for the other half, she was absent (low-pressure condition). Children also completed a social desirability questionnaire to explore relationships between imitation choices and personality. Results indicated that rates of imitation were associated with higher scores on the social desirability scale among children ages 3–7 years. Among 8- to 11-year-olds – and especially among 9- and 10-year-olds – the decision to copy the model’s intentional choice was more likely when the model was present than when she was absent. The findings reveal the contributions of age, personality, and social pressure to differences in imitation.     

Seeing or smelling? Assessing personality on the basis of different stimuli

This study examines whether people can accurately assess personality on the basis of facial images and body odor and whether attractiveness influences these relationships. Three personality dimensions of target individuals – neuroticism, extraversion and dominance – were measured with the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, a one-item measure of dominance and the reports of close acquaintances. Naive observers assessed neuroticism and dominance at above-chance levels based on body odor, and they assessed extraversion (and in some cases, neuroticism) at above-chance levels based on either facial images alone or body odor and facial images presented together. The accuracy differed depending on the sex of the targets and the raters. In addition, facial and body odor attractiveness predicted the targets’ personalities and the assessments of their personalities. These results show that the accuracy of personality assessment changes when judges assess different types of stimuli.     

Personality and density distributions of behavior,emotions, and situations

Whole Trait Theory defines personality as a density distribution of one’s momentary behavior, complete with all of its parameters (e.g., mean, SD, skew, kurtosis). Two questions regarding these parameters remain largely unexamined: (1) are individual differences in these parameters stable? And (2) do scores on standard personality tests correspond to these parameters? The current study (N = 209) employed an experience sampling design (N_obs ≈ 8300) to examine the stability of density distribution parameters and the relationship between standard personality test scores and density distribution parameters of 10 behaviors/emotions and 8 situation characteristics. Results showed that, (a) individual differences in density distribution parameters are moderately stable and (b) at the bivariate level, personality was associated with numerous distribution parameters for a number of behaviors/emotions, and situations. However, when the appropriate statistical controls were taken into account, these associations diminished. While individual differences in density distribution parameters we moderately stable, standard personality measures rarely correspond to any other parameters of density distributions once the mean of the density distribution is known. Emotionality and eXtraversion appear as exceptions to this general pattern. These results imply that both theory and measurement in personality should be cognizant of within-person variability in behavior.     

3～6岁儿童人格发展的群组序列追踪研究

目的:运用自编幼儿人格发展教师评定问卷对幼儿人格进行追踪测量,探讨其年龄及性别发展特点。方法:用整群抽样法选取3~3.5岁、3.5~4岁、4~4.5岁3个年龄群组幼儿为被试,采用群组序列的追踪设计,进行为期1年半的追踪测量,结合潜变量增长曲线模型和多层线性模型处理数据,探讨幼儿在3~6岁间人格的发展特点。结果:(1)幼儿的智能特征、认真自控、外倾性、亲社会性、情绪稳定性5个人格维度在3~4岁发展最快,4~5岁持续增长但发展速度放缓,到5~6岁时趋于平稳;(2)女孩的认真自控和亲社会性在3岁时显著高于男孩,但在3~6岁间的增长率不存在差异,即女孩的认真自控和亲社会性在幼儿阶段发展水平始终高于男孩。结论:从家庭进入幼儿园的环境变迁促使了幼儿人格的进一步发展,5岁左右幼儿人格开始初步形成;女孩的认真自控和亲社会性水平在幼儿阶段始终高于男孩。     

It takes two: Honesty–Humility and Agreeableness differentially predict active versus reactive cooperation

Recently, similar six-factor solutions have emerged in lexical studies across languages, giving rise to the HEXACO model of personality. As a core extension of its most well-known predecessor, the five-factor model, the HEXACO model distinguishes between two factors predicting complimentary aspects of prosocial behavior or, more specifically, reciprocal altruism: Honesty–Humility (the tendency toward active cooperation, i.e. non-exploitation) and Agreeableness (the tendency toward reactive cooperation, i.e. non-retaliation). However, this dissociation has not yet been tested to its full extent. To this end, we herein present re-analyses of published studies (N = 1090), showing that Honesty–Humility, but not Agreeableness, indeed predicts active cooperation. More importantly, in a new experiment (N = 410), we found a pattern of two concurrent selective associations, supporting the theoretical distinction between the two factors: Honesty–Humility (but not Agreeableness) predicted active cooperation (non-exploitation in the dictator game), whereas Agreeableness (but not Honesty–Humility) was linked to reactive cooperation (non-retaliation in the ultimatum game).     

Personality Traits as Potential Susceptibility Markers: Differential Susceptibility to Support Among Parents

In this study, we examined whether parents are differentially susceptible to support from their spouse and adolescent child depending on their personality traits, and whether differences in susceptibility to support among parents, in turn, are linked to the quality of support parents give to their children. Participants in this three‐wave longitudinal study were 288 two‐parent Dutch families with an adolescent child. Fathers were on average 43.9 years old (SD = 3.7 years), mothers were 41.7 years old (SD = 3.3 years), and adolescents (50% girls) were 14.5 years old (SD = 0.8 years). We found that the association between support from children toward their parents and subsequent support from parents toward their children was more pronounced for parents high on Openness, for better and for worse. Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Stability did not emerge as markers of differences in susceptibility. Also, parents did not differ in their susceptibility to support from their spouse, nor were differences in susceptibility found a year later when using data from a third wave. We found very modest support for differential susceptibility, only for Openness, and depending on the source of perceived support and on the timing of measurement.     

Relationship between clinician assessment and self-assessment of personality disorders using the SWAP-200 and PAI

The relation between self- and peer-informant reports of personality using psychometric instruments has been the focus of considerable research. The quantified judgments of clinically experienced observers such as treating clinicians have also been studied. The focus of the present article is on the measurement of 3 personality disorders (borderline, antisocial, and obsessive-compulsive) using the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-200), an instrument designed to quantify personality ratings made by clinically experienced informants, and the self-report Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). SWAP-200 personality disorder scales showed small to medium correlations with borderline and antisocial personality disorder scales from the PAI. As predicted, SWAP-200 obsessive-compulsive personality disorder correlated negatively with these scales, suggesting discriminant validity.     

Personality Characteristics Associated with Persistent ADHD in Late Adolescence

This study focused on the personality characteristics associated with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a longitudinal sample of youth, with a particular focus on differences between those with and without persisting ADHD symptoms. Participants with ADHD (n = 90) were initially evaluated when they were 7–11 years old, and re-assessed at 16–22 years of age. Matched control subjects (n = 80) were recruited at the time of the follow-up evaluation. At follow-up, the Kiddie-SADS-PL, a semi-structured psychiatric interview, and the NEO-PI, a self-report personality inventory, were administered. Data were analyzed using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA). Results indicate that childhood ADHD is associated with lower scores on the NEO Conscientiousness subscale in adolescents/young adults—irrespective of the degree of ADHD persistence. In contrast, ratings of Neuroticism and Agreeableness appear to be more closely linked to adolescent status; those with persisting symptoms only exhibited increased Neuroticism and decreased Agreeableness. These results suggest that ADHD, and the degree to which symptoms persist into adolescence, may be closely linked to personality structure.     

Personality traits in old age: measurement and rank-order stability and some mean-level change

Lothian Birth Cohorts, 1936 and 1921 were used to study the longitudinal comparability of Five-Factor Model (McCrae & John, 1992) personality traits from ages 69 to 72 years and from ages 81 to 87 years, and cross-cohort comparability between ages 69 and 81 years. Personality was measured using the 50-item International Personality Item Pool (Goldberg, 1999). Satisfactory measurement invariance was established across time and cohorts. High rank-order stability was observed in both cohorts. Almost no mean-level change was observed in the younger cohort, whereas Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Intellect declined significantly in the older cohort. The older cohort scored higher on Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. In these cohorts, individual differences in personality traits continued to be stable even in very old age, mean-level changes accelerated.     

Personality and frailty: Evidence from four samples

Frailty is a prevalent geriatric syndrome. Little is known about the psychological factors associated with this syndrome. Based on four large samples of older adults aged from 65 to 104 years old, the present study examined whether personality traits are related to frailty. High neuroticism, low conscientiousness, low extraversion, low openness and low agreeableness were related to higher frailty across samples. Longitudinal analysis conducted in one sample revealed that high neuroticism was associated with worsening frailty over an 8-year period. Higher frailty at baseline and over time was related to maladaptive personality changes. This study extends existing knowledge on the link between personality and health in older adults, by identifying the personality traits associated with frailty, a complex geriatric syndrome.     

Orderliness as a Major Dimension of Personality: from 3DPT to 4DPT

Based on our previous criticisms of Eysenck's Psychoticism model (Van Kampen, 1993) a (Dutch) questionnaire is presented to measure the personality dimensions S (Insensitivity), E (Extraversion), N (Neuroticism), and G (Orderliness). In this questionnaire, the 4DPT or Four-Dimensional Personality Test, the dimensions S and G take the place of Eysenck's unidimensional P concept. It could be demonstrated that the four factors are highly invariant with respect to several sample parameters, including the measured dimensions themselves. Moreover, the scales for the measurement of these factors are practically uncorrelated and sufficiently reliable (Cronbach's α). The relationship between the 4DPT dimensions and the Big-Five model is examined to test the idea that the factors S, E, N, and G are at least variants of the Big-Five dimensions Agreeableness, Surgency, Emotional Stability, and Conscientiousness. The results, obtained by correlating the 4DPT with both the NEO-PI of Costa and McCrae and a set of unipolar factor markers developed by Goldberg, confirm our expectations. The findings are presented in the context of the present-day discussion between Eysenck and the proponents of the Big-Five model about the nature and number of basic personality factors. Some comments are also made on the possibility of extending the 4DPT with a fifth scale for the measurement of the remaining Big-Five factor, Intellect or Openness to Experience. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two Approaches for Identifying Shared Personality Dimensions Across Methods

Two approaches are illustrated, one exploratory and one confirmatory, or determining the extent to which personality dimensions are invariant across different methods of measurement. Using the interbattery factor model (Browne, 1979, 1980; Tucker, 1958), Study 1 explores the links between the Five-Factor Model of Personality, as assessed by the NEO-PI (Costa & McCrae, 1985), and the Needs system of Murray, as assessed by the Personality Research Form (Jackson, 1984). Study 2 uses an interbattery approach to examine the common structure underlying two widely used coping measures: the revised Ways of Coping Cchecklis (Folkman, Lazarus, Dunkel-Schetter, Delongis, & Gruen, 1986) and the COPE Inventory (Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub, 1989). The two studies illustrate the use of interbattery factor analysis as a means of separating battery-specific (method) factors from interbattery (trait) factors, in contrast to traditional factor analysis that describes underlying structure without regard to method of measurement. By maintaining the distinction between variability that is method-specific and variability that is common across methods, the interbattery factor model allows the common trait structure underlying multiple measures to be described more accurately.