Personality differences in high risk sports amateurs and instructors

This study investigated the personality differences of 21 amateurs and 20 instructors who participated in the high risk sports of skydiving, hang-gliding, paragliding, scuba diving, microlighting, and rock climbing, versus those who did not. 38 men and 28 women (M age=32.6 yr., SD= 10.0) were assessed using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised, the General Health Questionnaire, the Generalised Self-efficacy Scale, and a Type A/B personality measure. Instructors and Amateurs scored significantly higher on Extroversion and lower on Neuroticism than Nonparticipants; however, they differed from each other on the General Health Questionnaire and Type A/B personality scores. Amateurs scored significantly higher on Psychoticism and Self-efficacy than Instructors and Nonparticipants. In conclusion, these test scores suggest that people who are attracted to high risk sports tend to be at the extroverted and emotionally stable end of the scale, with a tendency to exhibit Type A characteristics; however, Instructors' scores on Psychoticism and Self-efficacy are more akin to those of Nonparticipants.     

Positive predictors of teacher effectiveness

Some teachers are dramatically more effective than others, but traditional indicators of competence (e.g., certification) explain minimal variance in performance. The rigors of teaching suggest that positive traits that buffer against adversity might contribute to teacher effectiveness. In this prospective longitudinal study, novice teachers (N = 390) placed in under-resourced public schools completed measures of optimistic explanatory style, grit, and life satisfaction prior to the school year. At the conclusion of the school year, teacher effectiveness was measured in terms of the academic gains of students. All three positive traits individually predicted teacher performance. When entered simultaneously, however, only grit and life satisfaction remained significant predictors. These findings suggest that positive traits should be considered in the selection and training of teachers.     

Personality and emotional intelligence in teacher burnout

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between teacher's personality types, emotional intelligence and burnout and to predict the burnout levels of 147 teachers in the city of Mashhad (Iran). To this end, we have used three inventories: Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-I). We used Homogeneity Analysis and Multiple Linear Regression to analyze the data. The results exhibited a significant relationship between personality types and emotional intelligence and the three dimensions of burnout. It was indicated that the best predictors for emotional exhaustion were neuroticism and extroversion, for depersonalization were intrapersonal scale of emotional intelligence and agreeableness, and for personal accomplishment were interpersonal scale and conscientiousness. Finally, the results were discussed in the context of teacher burnout.     

Personality characteristics and profiles of employed and outplaced executives using the 16PF

This article examines the psychological profiles of recently terminated executives. The 16PF was used to explore the personality characteristics of outplaced executives. It hypothesizes that recently terminated executives have fundamentally different personality profiles than those of employed executives. The personality profiles of recently terminated executives were compared to personality profiles of a normative group of employed business executives and the personality profiles of a group of executives terminated in 1982. Results indicated that recently terminated executives are identifiable as statistically different from employed executives on 4 of the 16 personality factors. There was no statistical difference between recently terminated executives and the 1982 sample, however, recently terminated executives demonstrated fewer discrepancies from employed executives. Outplacement firms and psychologists working with recently terminated executives need to assist their clients in exploring and modifying these personality profile differences.     

Personality characteristics of the crosscountry hitchhiker

This paper describes the first empirical analysis of the personalities of crosscountry hitchhikers. One hundred and four young adults were tested in 32 states using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as the measuring instrument. The results display the predominance of the intuitive and feeling functions among subjects, and also the utilization of the perceptual function in dealing with the environment. These findings suggest a personality which is impulsive and autonomous, having a high degree of tolerance for complexity and change, and strong interest in interpersonal relations. These young hitchhikers also differ on a number of personality dimensions from three comparison groups previously obtained by the Center for Applications of Psychological Type, but are most similar to students in psychological and counseling training services. Implications of the results in explaining this "nomadic behavior" are discussed.     

Higher Order Factor Convergence and Divergence of Two Distinct Personality Systems: Cattell's HSPQ And Jackson's PRF

The 14 scales of the HSPQ and 20 scales of the PRF were administered to 1,862 adolescents. Scales were intercorrelated, factored, and the factors rotated to simple structure solutions, separately for each instrument. Cross-instrument relationships were subsequently examined by: (a) Dwyer extension analysis procedure, and (b) estimating correlations of "true" factor scores between the two sets of factors. Results indicated both cross-instrument commonalities and specificities. Higher stratum dimensions (HSPQ-PRF) of Exvia-Ascendance, Superego Strength-Impulse Control, Cortertia-Aesthetic Intellectual Orientation, and Dependence-Social Contact were found to be closely related in the two instruments. Dimensions such as Aggression (PRF), Achievement (PRF), and Anxiety (HSPQ) were found to be instrument-specific. It was concluded that neither instrument provides for a comprehensive mapping of the personality domain, broadly defined. Implications of the levels of factor convergence and divergence obtained in relation to theory building and prediction are discussed.     

Personality characteristics of smokers and ex-smokers

The present paper examines the relationship between personality and smoking status in a random sample of 1257 adults. A broad sample of personality constructs were assessed to cover the major dimensions of personality. These included the EPQ, MMPI MacAndrew and Ego Strength scales, the Vando augmenter-reducer scale, the trait subscale of the STAI and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Factor analysis suggested that trait anxiety, neuroticism, self-esteem and ego strength could be grouped into a construct analogous to Esysenck's notion of neuroticism. Extraversion, augmenting-reducing, and the MacAndrew scale were grouped into a construct called extraversion. Results showed that smokers were the most extraverted group. Gender differences in the relation between smoking and neuroticism were found. Male smokers were much more neurotic than non-smokers and men who quit smoking, whereas there were no group differences in neuroticism for women. Both male and female smokers were high on psychoticism.     

Personality characteristics of sheep and goats

A great deal of parapsychological research has investigated the effect, upon extrasensory perception (ESP), of the so-called ‘sheep-goat variable’ (SGV), that is, belief in the existence of ESP, either in the abstract or with respect to one's own psychic ability. However, very little purely psychological research has examined the question of possible personality differences between ‘sheep’ (the ‘believers’) and ‘goats’ (the ‘disbelievers’). Personality factors are important both as potentially confounding variables, and as independent predictors of psi-scoring which could be used in combination with the SGV.This paper reports two sets of experiments of the pilot-confirmation type: a grand total of 552 subjects were administered various personality tests plus one or other of two ‘sheep-goat scales’. Replicated results indicated that the SGV was related to extraversion-introversion and to conservatism-radicalism: sheep tend to be more extraverted and more conservative than goats, who tend towards introversion and intellectual skepticism.     

Personality structure of Mexican Americans using the Comrey Personality Scales

The Comrey Personality Scales (CPS) were used to examine the personality structure of 176 Mexican American college students. A majority of the eight factors maintained substantial loadings and corresponded closely with Comrey's normative sample as well as with Brazilian and New Zealand samples. Two factors, Conformity and Orderliness, showed the weakest fit across all four groups. Overall, the CPS shows adequate measurement properties for "normal" personality assessment among Mexican Americans and is preferable to instruments such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). However, the external validity of the CPS with clinical populations must first be determined prior to its use to assess psychopathology among Mexican Americans.     

Personality characteristics of the accident involved employee

The research relating personality traits to industrial and traffic accidents is reviewed. The research from the past 15 years is integrated with the multitude of studies preceding this period. All of the research is interpreted in terms of the differential accident liability concept, rather than the discredited accident proneness theory. The need to control for the confounding effects of age, experience, sex, and accident risk is discussed. It is concluded that the personality traits of extroversion, locus of control, impulsivity, aggression, social maladjustment, and some aspects of neurosis are related to the occurrence of accidents. Finally, the need to develop causal models of the personality-accident process and to identify causal influences through time series designs is proposed.     

Personality characteristics of opiate addicts

18 Ss dependent on opiate drugs completed three personality trait questionnaires, and were compared with 18 controls matched for demographic variables. The drug dependent sample were significantly higher than controls in psychoticism, but lower in extraversion and telic dominance. No difference between the groups was found in locus of control. These data are compared with existing research.     

Personality characteristics of delinquent subtypes

A group of juvenile delinquents, classified as neuroticdisturbed, unsocialized-psychopathic, and socializedsubcultural, were compared on the MMPI. The results provided support for the initial classification and yielded MMPI profiles suggestive of two personality types: a conflicted, weakego delinquent with considerable intrapsychic conflict, and a more traditional psychopathic type, with little apparent anxiety or neurotic symptomatology. These results were replicated with a crossvalidation sample.     

Personality characteristics of research volunteers

We evaluated Big Five personality factor differences between research volunteers and nonvolunteers. In the first study, 158 military officers were asked to participate in a mail survey. The personality scores of the officers were available from an archival data set. In our second study, adult siblings from large families were invited to participate in extensive clinical epidemiological evaluations. The personality scores of volunteers (N = 55) and nonvolunteers from the same families (N = 29) were estimated from sibling ratings made by those who participated in the study. In both studies, respondents, compared to nonrespondents, were found to be significantly lower in Neuroticism and higher in Conscientiousness. The second study further indicated respondents as being higher in Extraversion and Agreeableness. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Personality characteristics of Hare Krishnas

Personality characteristics of 132 males and 94 females of the Hare Krishna movement were assessed using the Comrey Personality Scales (CPS). Subjects were sampled from eight U.S. sites. Their age averaged about 30 years, and their time in the movement averaged 8.6 years. The most prominent and surprising finding is the hallmark characteristic of the Hare Krishna personality, a strong compulsivity trait common to both genders, which is slightly stronger in males. Reduced trust in society was exhibited by both gender averages, with slightly less trust among females. Both these averages, however, were within the normal range for individuals. With the exception of compulsivity, average male CPS scores were within the normal psychological range but differed significantly from the normative male group indicating idiosyncratic traits. Average female CPS scores did not differ significantly from the normative female group except for compulsivity and trust. Study of CPS score distributions about group means supported these findings.