Personality and prejudice: from Big Five personality factors to facets

Extending our previous research on personality and prejudice, we tested the predictive power of Big Five facet compared with factor scores in three studies. Study 1 (N=170) examined the predictive power of factors and facets when explaining generalized prejudice, a composite of four prejudice types. Study 2 (N=158) focused on sexism and Study 3 (N=80) examined the impact of personality and experimentally manipulated social norm against expressing sexism. Multiple regression analyses showed the strongest facets (Tender-Mindedness and Values) to outperform the strongest factors (Agreeableness and Openness to Experience) in predicting prejudice in all three studies. We discuss the outcome against the background of previous empirical findings and the two major approaches - the personality and the social psychological - to explaining individual differences in prejudice.     

FIRO-B: factors and facets

10 FIRO-B intercorrelation matrices were factor analysed; one matrix was derived from new FIRO-B data, all the other matrices were found in the literature. The correlation matrices were also subjected to meta-analysis. The findings suggested that the four FIRO-B scales associated with Inclusion and Affection are facets of the ubiquitous interpersonal superfactor, Nurturance, but the two FIRO-B Control scales each express an orthogonal construct both of which relate to the super-factor, Dominance.     

The big five personality factors as predictors of changes across time in burnout and its facets

We tested the effects of Neuroticism and Conscientiousness on burnout across time, controlling for age, gender, work hours, and depressive symptoms. Our theoretical model included both global burnout and its physical, emotional, and cognitive facets, consistent with the bifactor approach to modeling second-order constructs in structural equation modeling. Data were gathered from 1,105 respondents (63% men) who completed questionnaires at Time 1 (T1) and approximately 24 months later at Time 2 (T2). Neuroticism positively predicted T1 global burnout and negatively predicted T1 and T2 emotional exhaustion. Conscientiousness negatively predicted T1 global burnout and T1 and T2 cognitive weariness, and positively predicted T1 and T2 emotional exhaustion. Our gender-specific exploratory analysis revealed that for each gender, Neuroticism and Conscientiousness predicted different facets of burnout at T1 and T2. We recommend that future research test the possibility that the associations of Neuroticism and Conscientiousness with global burnout and its facets may be gender specific.     

Between facets and domains: 10 aspects of the Big Five

Factor analyses of 75 facet scales from 2 major Big Five inventories, in the Eugene-Springfield community sample (N=481), produced a 2-factor solution for the 15 facets in each domain. These findings indicate the existence of 2 distinct (but correlated) aspects within each of the Big Five, representing an intermediate level of personality structure between facets and domains. The authors characterized these factors in detail at the item level by correlating factor scores with the International Personality Item Pool (L. R. Goldberg, 1999). These correlations allowed the construction of a 100-item measure of the 10 factors (the Big Five Aspect Scales [BFAS]), which was validated in a 2nd sample (N=480). Finally, the authors examined the correlations of the 10 factors with scores derived from 10 genetic factors that a previous study identified underlying the shared variance among the Revised NEO Personality Inventory facets (K. L. Jang et al., 2002). The correspondence was strong enough to suggest that the 10 aspects of the Big Five may have distinct biological substrates.     

Big Five factors of personality and replicated predictions of behavior

Measures of the Big Five factors of personality were used to predict a variety of criterion variables thought to represent behaviors of some social and cultural significance (e.g., alcohol consumption, grade point average). Analyses focused on replicated predictions across 2 independent samples of participants (Ns = 276 and 142) with 3 different measures of the Big Five (the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, and the Five-Factor Nonverbal Personality Questionnaire, the latter an experimental nonverbal personality inventory). The results indicated substantial consistency in behavior predictions across the different Big Five assessments. The data are interpreted as supporting both the construct validity of the personality measures used and the role of the Big Five factors as determinants of certain complex behaviors.     

Incremental criterion prediction of personality facets over factors: Obtaining unbiased estimates and confidence intervals

Many researchers have argued that higher order models of personality such as the Five Factor Model are insufficient, and that facet-level analysis is required to better understand criteria such as well-being, job performance, and personality disorders. However, common methods in the extant literature used to estimate the incremental prediction of facets over factors have several shortcomings. This paper delineates these shortcomings by evaluating alternative methods using statistical theory, simulation, and an empirical example. We recommend using differences between Olkin–Pratt adjusted r-squared for factor versus facet regression models to estimate the incremental prediction of facets and present a method for obtaining confidence intervals for such estimates using double adjusted-r-squared bootstrapping. We also provide an R package that implements the proposed methods.     

Vulnerability factors in depression: The facets of sociotropy and autonomy

Sociotropy-autonomy (Beck, 1983) describes a set of personality dimensions that relate to an individual's vulnerability to depression. Two recently developed scales, the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (Clark & Beck, 1991) and the Personal Style Inventory (Robinset al., 1994), have been developed in order to assess these personality dimensions. Typically, these measures are used in isolation and little published information is available concerning their interrelationship. The present study examined the relationship between the two scales and specified the various factors that emerge when the items of the two scales are integrated. Six hundred fifty-two participants responded to the Personal Style Inventory (Robinset al, 1994) and the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale (Clark & Beck, 1991). A factor analysis on all of the items of the two scales revealed a five-factor structure (two sociotropy, two autonomy, and one achievement factor). The relationships among depression, the five derived factors, and the original scales developed by Clark and Beck (1991) and Robinset al. (1994) were critically examined. The results are discussed in the context of vulnerability to depression.     

Human values: Genetic and environmental effects on five lexically derived domains and their facets

Whereas a substantial genetic component of Conservatism and Religiosity is well documented, there is little evidence with respect to the behavior genetics of other aspects of human values. A sample of 157 monozygotic and 74 dizygotic twins reared together received the Austrian Value Questionnaire (AVQ), which measures a broad variety of value domains and their facets, found by the lexical approach in the German language. Family resemblance of Intellectualism, Harmony, Materialism, and Conservatism was best explained by additive or dominance genetic and non-shared environmental effects, whereas the influence of the environment shared by twins was negligible. In contrast, Religiosity was transmitted by additive genetic, shared and non-shared environmental influences. At the level of facets, the Intellectualism and Harmony showed a homogenous etiology while Religiosity, Materialism, and Conservatism were etiologically heterogeneous.     

Nonverbal assessment of the Big Five personality factors

The Nonverbal Personality Questionnaire (NPQ) is an experimental, structured, nonverbal measure of 16 personality traits. Its items lack verbal content and, therefore, the inventory is useful for cross‐cultural research. Our goal is this research was to select a subset of the NPQ items to form a new nonverbal questionnaire based on the Five‐Factor Model of personality. We describe the construction of the Five‐Factor Nonverbal Personality Questionnaire (FF‐NPQ), and present data on its psychometric properties. These data include scale internal consistencies, intercorrelations, convergences with verbal measures of the Big Five factors, discriminant validity correlations, correlations with peer ratings, and ability to predict socially important behaviour criteria such as smoking and alcohol consumption. In a second study, we report on the psychometric properties of the FF‐NPQ in an independent sample of respondents from seven different countries. The utility of the new nonverbal inventory for cross‐cultural research is discussed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Substance and artifact in the higher-order factors of the Big Five

J. M. Digman (1997) proposed that the Big Five personality traits showed a higher-order structure with 2 factors he labeled alpha and beta. These factors have been alternatively interpreted as heritable components of personality or as artifacts of evaluative bias. Using structural equation modeling, the authors reanalyzed data from a cross-national twin study and from American cross-observer studies and analyzed new multimethod data from a German twin study. In all analyses, artifact models outperformed substance models by root-mean-square error of approximation criteria, but models combining both artifact and substance were slightly better. These findings suggest that the search for the biological basis of personality traits may be more profitably focused on the 5 factors themselves and their specific facets, especially in monomethod studies.     

Development of big five domains and facets in adulthood: mean-level age trends and broadly versus narrowly acting mechanisms

Data from a cross‐sectional sample (N = 601 men and women) and a longitudinal sample (N = 125 women) were used to test hypotheses about the development of Big Five domains and facets from early adulthood through middle age. Analyses of mean‐level age trends indicated that overall Agreeableness and Conscientiousness increased with age and that several facets showed distinctive trends that replicated across the samples. Cross‐sectional analyses of trait intercorrelations and covariances indicated that interrelations between the Big Five domains, and between their more specific facets, were quite similar at older versus younger ages. Finally, longitudinal analyses of individual‐level changes indicated that (a) different people's personalities changed in markedly different ways; (b) these changes were predominantly independent, rather than correlated, across Big Five domains; and (c) the pattern of change correlations between Big Five facets could be explained by the facets’ interrelations at the first assessment time. Taken together, these results suggest that a complete understanding of personality development requires consideration of facet‐level traits and that adult personality development is predominantly influenced by narrowly acting mechanisms that each affect a single Big Five domain, or a small cluster of related facets, rather than by broadly acting mechanisms that simultaneously affect previously independent traits.     

Suicidal behavior in borderline personality disorder: prevalence, risk factors, prediction, and prevention

Suicidal behavior is frequent in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD); at least three-quarters of these patients attempt suicide and approximately 10% eventually complete suicide. Borderline patients at greatest risk for suicidal behavior include those with prior attempts, comorbid major depressive disorder, or a substance use disorder. Comorbidity with major depression serves to increase both the number and seriousness of the suicide attempts. Hopelessness and impulsivity independently increase the risk of suicidal behavior, as does a turbulent early life and the presence of antisocial traits. In summary, because BPD is frequently complicated by suicidal behavior, clinicians must avoid the mistake of thinking that a pattern of repeated attempts indicates little desire to die. Clinicians have an important role in preventing suicide attempts and completed suicides by understanding the risk factors.     

A micro-level simulation for the prediction of intention and behavior

In this contribution we aim at anchoring Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) simulations in actual models of human psychology. More specifically, we apply unidirectional ABM to social psychological models using low level agents (i.e., intra-individual) to examine whether they generate better predictions, in comparison to standard statistical approaches, concerning the intentions of performing a behavior and the behavior. Moreover, this contribution tests to what extent the predictive validity of models of attitude such as the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) or Model of Goal-directed Behavior (MGB) depends on the assumption that peoples’ decisions and actions are purely rational. Simulations were therefore run by considering different deviations from rationality of the agents with a trembling hand method. Two data sets concerning respectively the consumption of soft drinks and physical activity were used. Three key findings emerged from the simulations. First, compared to standard statistical approach the agent-based simulation generally improves the prediction of behavior from intention. Second, the improvement in prediction is inversely proportional to the complexity of the underlying theoretical model. Finally, the introduction of varying degrees of deviation from rationality in agents’ behavior can lead to an improvement in the goodness of fit of the simulations. By demonstrating the potential of ABM as a complementary perspective to evaluating social psychological models, this contribution underlines the necessity of better defining agents in terms of psychological processes before examining higher levels such as the interactions between individuals.     

On the rectilinear prediction of oblique factors

The general problem of estimating correlated or uncorrelated factors is treated. It is specifically indicated wherein the prediction of oblique factors differs from that of orthogonal factors. A shortened method of estimation of correlated factors is developed.     

Preliminary investigation of computer stress and the big five personality factors

This study investigated correlates of personality factors, measured with the Big Five Inventory, with computer users' stress, measured with the Computer Hassles Scale. Based on an analysis of the responses of 95 college students using computers, there was a significant correlation between the computer users' stress and Openness, one of the Big Five personality factors. There was a significant correlation between the Computer Hassles Scale and the somatic complaints and anxiety reactions, typical responses to stress. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that Neuroticism and Extraversion had a "buffering effect" between computer stressors and typical stress responses. The significant correlation between scores on the Computer Hassles Scale and on Openness was a surprising finding and suggested that additional research was needed to clarify the nature of this relationship.