Personality aspects of entrepreneurship: A look at five meta-analyses

Research on personality aspects of entrepreneurship, recently summarized in five meta-analyses, has intensified during the past two decades. Internationally, entrepreneurship has been recognized as highly important for socio-economic prosperity. After discussing a few basic concepts relating task and context of entrepreneurship to personality characteristics the main results of the meta-analyses are reported. In the system of the Big Five, personality traits make a difference when entrepreneurs are compared with managers (C+, O+, E+, N−, A−). They are also relevant in predicting entrepreneurial intention (C+, O+, N−, E+) and entrepreneurs’ performance (C+, O+, E+, N−). For other more specific scales that have frequently enough been used and could therefore be included in meta-analyses (e.g., readiness for innovation, proactive personality, generalized self-efficacy, stress tolerance, need for autonomy, locus of control) have also been reported significant correlations with business creation and business success. Risk propensity supports business foundation, but not necessarily business success. Achievement motivation is favourable both for business foundation and business success. The effect sizes are mostly small, some moderate. Complementing the results of the meta-analyses, some recent single studies on mediator or moderator effects are briefly reviewed.     

Assessing declarative memory in 12-month-old infants: A test – retest reliability study of the deferred imitation task

This study examined whether declarative memory in infants can be reliably assessed using the deferred imitation task. Twenty-four infants at the age of 12 months were given the same deferred imitation task twice within a short period of time (week-to-week assessment). Replicating the results of former studies the second memory test yielded better memory performances on the group level than the first one, indicating a memory benefit as is typically found in older children as well as in adults. Stability of memory performance level was analysed using two indicators, namely test – retest correlations assessing stability of individual memory performances for the whole sample, as well as corrected test – retest correlations using individual consistency scores. Test – retest reliability was highly significant (r = .52, p = .009), as well as corrected test – retest reliability (r = .62, p = .001), thus demonstrating that the individual memory performance level in infants can reliably be assessed using the deferred imitation task.     

Local and global aspects of biological motion perception in children born at very low birth weight

Biological motion perception can be assessed using a variety of tasks. In the present study, 8- to 11-year-old children born prematurely at very low birth weight (<1500 g) and matched, full-term controls completed tasks that required the extraction of local motion cues, the ability to perceptually group these cues to extract information about body structure, and the ability to carry out higher order processes required for action recognition and person identification. Preterm children exhibited difficulties in all 4 aspects of biological motion perception. However, intercorrelations between test scores were weak in both full-term and preterm children—a finding that supports the view that these processes are relatively independent. Preterm children also displayed more autistic-like traits than full-term peers. In preterm (but not full-term) children, these traits were negatively correlated with performance in the task requiring structure-from-motion processing, r(30) = ?.36, p < .05), but positively correlated with the ability to extract identity, r(30) = .45, p < .05). These findings extend previous reports of vulnerability in systems involved in processing dynamic cues in preterm children and suggest that a core deficit in social perception/cognition may contribute to the development of the social and behavioral difficulties even in members of this population who are functioning within the normal range intellectually. The results could inform the development of screening, diagnostic, and intervention tools.     

Preliminary Validity of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory With Filipino Immigrant Parents

Filipinos are an understudied minority affected by significant behavioral health disparities. We evaluate evidence for the reliability, construct validity, and convergent validity of the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI) in 6- to 12-year-old Filipino children (N = 23). ECBI scores demonstrated high internal consistency, supporting a single-factor model (preintervention α = .91; postintervention α = .95). Results document convergent validity with the Child Behavior Checklist Externalizing scale at pretest (r = .54, p < .01) and posttest (r = .71, p < .001). We conclude that the ECBI is a promising tool to measure behavior problems in Filipino children.     

Big Five facets' associations with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors

Climate change mandates us to understand why individuals do (not) behave pro-environmentally and personality traits are well suited for this purpose. Past research has mostly focused on how broad domain-level personality traits were associated with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. In two datasets (N = 501 and 287), we examined whether personality facets provided a more detailed picture of how personality traits were associated with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. It was found that some facets were the main drivers of domain-level associations. Furthermore, it was found that facets, collectively, predicted pro-environmental attitudes (r = .50 to .52) and behaviors (r = .29 to .42) in holdout datasets. This predictive ability was on par with the predictive ability of domains. Therefore, facets provided a greater understanding of how personality traits were associated with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Furthermore, facets provided a similar predictive ability of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors to that of domains.     

The mediating role of values between personality and religiosity

The aim of this work was to examine the relationships between Eysenck’s personality traits (psychoticism, extraversion and neuroticism), Schwartz’s values, and religiosity. To this purpose a sample of Italian teenagers (N = 343; mean age 15.43, SD = 1.023) were asked to fill out a battery of questionnaires and, a structural equation model was tested, where the mediating role of Schwartz’s values between personality traits, and religiosity was accurately analysed. Results showed that all personality traits considered had relevant direct and/or indirect effects on religious experience, mediated by values.     

Predictors of adherence to aerobic exercise in rectal cancer patients during and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

This pilot study explored predictors of adherence to exercise during and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) in rectal cancer patients. Eighteen rectal cancer patients were prescribed three supervised aerobic exercise sessions/week during NACRT followed by ≥150 min/week of unsupervised aerobic exercise after NACRT. Although not statistically significant, adherence to supervised exercise during NACRT was meaningfully better for patients who were women (d = .82; P = .12), younger (d = ?.62; P = .30), married (d = .62; P = .42), with better mental health (r = .32; P = .21), fewer diarrhea symptoms (r = .48; P = .052), and higher anticipated enjoyment (r = .31; P = .23), support (r = .32; P = .22), and motivation (r = .31; P = .23). After NACRT, adherence was significantly better for patients who reported worse mental health (r = ?.56; P = .046) and meaningfully better for patients who were women (d = .54; P = .38), better educated (d = .77; P = .22), had no comorbidities (d = ?.63; P = .17), and exercised at baseline (d = 1.05; P = .12). Demographics, tumor side effects, and motivational variables may predict adherence to exercise during and after NACRT.     

The relationships of change in work climate with changes in burnout and depression: a 2-year longitudinal study of Chinese mental health care workers

Mental health care workers face heavy emotional demand and are prone to work burnout. Work burnout has been associated with poor mental health and work climate, which refers to individual perceptions about work setting. The purpose of this study was to examine whether intra-individual changes in work climate were associated with intra-individual changes in burnout and depression over two years. The present sample included Chinese mental health care workers (N = 312; mean age = 38.6, SD = 9.9) working in a psychosocial rehabilitation institution. The participants completed questionnaires on work climate, work burnout and depression at seven time points across two years. Parallel process latent growth modeling was used to analyze the associations of change between work climate and burnout and depression. Work climate displayed a logarithmic decreasing trend while burnout and depression displayed logarithmic increasing trends over two years. Baseline levels of work climate were negatively and moderately associated with baseline levels of burnout and depression (r = ?.44 to ?.60, p < .01). Changes in work climate were negatively and moderately associated with change in burnout (r = ?.43, p < .01) and change in depression (r = ?.31, p < .05). Change in burnout was positively and strongly associated (r = .58, p < .01) with change in depression. The current results support temporal relationships among changes in work climate, burnout and depression across time. Practical implications for future preventive work in burnout interventions were discussed within this population.     

Multidimensional Perfectionism and the Big Five Personality Traits: A Meta‐analysis

Multidimensional perfectionism includes the dimensions perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings. Many studies have investigated the nomological network of multidimensional perfectionism by relating perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings to the Big Five personality traits. Results from these studies were largely inconsistent. In the present study, we meta‐analytically integrated 672 effect sizes from 72 samples (N = 21 573) describing relations between multidimensional perfectionism and the Big Five personality traits. Perfectionistic concerns correlated positively with Neuroticism (r = 0.383) and negatively with Extraversion (r = ?0.198), Agreeableness (r = ?0.198), Conscientiousness (r = ?0.111), and Openness (r = ?0.087). Perfectionistic strivings correlated positively with Conscientiousness (r = 0.368), Openness (r = 0.121), Neuroticism (r = 0.090), and Extraversion (r = 0.067) and were unrelated to Agreeableness (r = 0.002). The measures of perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings moderated most of these relations. Meta‐analytic structural equation modelling allowed controlling each perfectionism dimension for the respective other. This partialling increased all correlations with the exception of the previously positive correlation between perfectionistic strivings and Neuroticism, which ceased to be significant. The findings support the distinction between perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns and demonstrate how multidimensional perfectionism is situated in the context of broader personality traits. © 2019 European Association of Personality Psychology     

Person–city personality fit and entrepreneurial success: An explorative study in China

While the study of personality differences is a traditional psychological approach in entrepreneurship research, economic research directs attention towards the entrepreneurial ecosystems in which entrepreneurial activity are embedded. We combine both approaches and quantify the interplay between the individual personality make‐up of entrepreneurs and the local personality composition of ecosystems, with a special focus on person–city personality fit. Specifically, we analyse personality data from N = 26,405 Chinese residents across 42 major Chinese cities, including N = 1091 Chinese entrepreneurs. Multi‐level polynomial regression and response surface plots revealed that: (a) individual‐level conscientiousness had a positive effect and individual‐level agreeableness and neuroticism had a negative effect on entrepreneurial success, (b) city‐level conscientiousness had a positive, and city‐level neuroticism had a negative effect on entrepreneurial success, and (c) additional person–city personality fit effects existed for agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism. For example, entrepreneurs who are high in agreeableness and conduct their business in a city with a low agreeableness level show the lowest entrepreneurial success. In contrast, entrepreneurs who are low in agreeableness and conduct their business in a city with a high agreeableness level show relatively high entrepreneurial success. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Untangling Intelligence,Psychopathy, Antisocial Personality Disorder,and Conduct Problems: A Meta‐analytic Review

Substantial research has investigated the association between intelligence and psychopathic traits. The findings to date have been inconsistent and have not always considered the multidimensional nature of psychopathic traits. Moreover, there has been a tendency to confuse psychopathy with other closely related, clinically significant disorders. The current study represents a meta‐analysis conducted to evaluate the direction and magnitude of the association of intelligence with global psychopathy, as well as its factors and facets, and related disorders (i.e. antisocial personality disorder, conduct disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder). Our analyses revealed a small, significant, negative relationship between intelligence and total psychopathy (r = ?.07, p = .001). Analysis of factors and facets found differential associations, including both significant positive (e.g. interpersonal facet) and negative (e.g. affective facet) associations, further affirming that psychopathy is a multidimensional construct. Additionally, intelligence was negatively associated with antisocial personality disorder (r = ?.13, p = .001) and conduct disorder (r = ?.13, p = .001) but positively with oppositional defiant disorder (r = .06, p = .001). There was significant heterogeneity across studies for most effects, but the results of moderator analyses were inconsistent. Finally, bias analyses did not find significant evidence for publication bias or outsized effects of outliers. © 2019 European Association of Personality Psychology     

The physical postures of yoga practices may protect against depressive symptoms,even as life stressors increase: a moderation analysis

Yoga contains sub-components related to its physical postures (asana), breathing methods (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana). To test the hypothesis that specific yoga practices are associated with reduced psychological distress, 186 adults completed questionnaires assessing life stressors, symptom severity, and experience with each of these aspects of yoga. Each yoga sub-component was found to be negatively correlated with psychological distress indices. However, differing patterns of relationship to psychological distress symptoms were found for each yoga sub-component. Experience with asana was negatively correlated with global psychological distress (r = ?.21, p < .01), and symptoms of anxiety (r = ?.18, p = .01) and depression (r = ?.17, p = .02). These relationships remained statistically significant after accounting for variance attributable to Social Readjustment Rating Scale scores (GSI: r = ?.19, p = .01; BSI Anxiety: r = ?.16, p = .04; BSI Depression: r = ?.14, p = .05). By contrast, the correlations between other yoga sub-components and symptom subscales became non-significant after accounting for exposure to life stressors. Moreover, stressful life events moderated the predictive relationship between amount of asana experience and depressive symptoms. Asana was not related to depressive symptoms at low levels of life stressors, but became associated at mean (t[182] = ?2.73, p < .01) and high levels (t[182] = ?3.56, p < .001). Findings suggest asana may possess depressive symptom reduction benefits, particularly as life stressors increase. Additional research is needed to differentiate whether asana has an effect on psychological distress, and to better understand potential psychophysiological mechanisms of action.     

How Emotional Stability and Openness to Experience Support Invention: A Study with German Independent Inventors

How does invention depend on personality? Do inventors differ from noninventors? This study investigated the personal factors influencing a sample of independent inventors in Germany (N = 69). Standardized psychological questionnaires were employed to assess the Big Five personality dimensions, willingness to take risks, self-concept, and self-efficacy. For a comparison with noninventors, scores from reference samples were taken. Hypotheses were formulated based on research into creativity and entrepreneurship and the normative DABEI Stage Model of invention. As expected, the independent inventors showed higher levels of extraversion and openness to experience. In addition, independent inventors stood out in terms of emotional stability (low neuroticism scores). Surprisingly, in this sample success as an inventor correlated negatively with openness to experience. The interpretation is along the lines that inventors may work in a focused manner and technical implementation of an innovative idea may be optimized with great persistence. Discussion centers around the generalizability of the results.     

Tomorrow Is Another Day: How Motives of Entrepreneurship Relate to the Pursuit of Business Growth

Past research has suggested that small business growth plays an important role in economic growth. This paper presents three studies that examined the psychological process underlying the relationship between motives of entrepreneurship and business growth pursuit by focusing on the role of time perspective. The results from three studies (Study 1, N = 142, and Study 2, N = 181, mostly Western small-business owners; Study 3,N = 254, Indonesian small-business owners) demonstrated that opportunity-based entrepreneurship was positively associated with business growth pursuit through increased future time perspective (Studies 1 to 3), whereas necessity-based entrepreneurship was negatively associated with business growth pursuit through increased present time perspective and decreased future time perspective (Study 3). These findings help explain why some business owners avoid business growth by highlighting the vital role of time perspective in explaining why and how motives of entrepreneurship relate to the pursuit of business growth across social and cultural contexts.     

Loneliness and the Big Five Personality Traits: A Meta-analysis

This preregistered meta-analysis (k = 113, total n = 93 668) addressed how the Big Five dimensions of personality (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness) are related to loneliness. Robust variance estimation accounting for the dependency of effect sizes was used to compute meta-analytic bivariate correlations between loneliness and personality. Extraversion (r = −.370), agreeableness (r = −.243), conscientiousness (r = −.202), and openness (r = −.107) were negatively related to loneliness. Neuroticism (r = .358) was positively related to loneliness. These associations differed meaningfully in strength depending on how loneliness was assessed. Additionally, meta-analytic structural equation modelling was used to investigate the unique association between each personality trait and loneliness while controlling for the other four personality traits. All personality traits except openness remained statistically significantly associated with loneliness when controlling for the other personality traits. Our results show the importance of stable personality factors in explaining individual differences in loneliness. © 2020 The Authors. European Journal of Personality published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Association of Personality Psychology.     

Acute Stress,Depression, and Anxiety Symptoms Among English and Spanish Speaking Children with Recent Trauma Exposure

A growing literature suggests the clinical importance of acute stress disorder symptoms in youth following potentially traumatic events. A multisite sample of English and Spanish speaking children and adolescents (N = 479) between the ages of 8–17, along with their caregivers completed interviews and self-report questionnaires between 2 days and 1 month following the event. The results indicate that children with greater total acute stress symptoms reported greater depressive (r = .41, p < .01) and anxiety symptoms (r = .53, p < .01). Examining specific acute stress subscales, reexperiencing was correlated with anxiety (r = .47, p < .01) and arousal was correlated with depression (r = .50, p < .01) and anxiety (r = .55, p < .01). Age was inversely associated with total acute stress symptoms (r = ?.24, p < .01), reexperiencing (r = ?.17, p < .01), avoidance (r = ?.27, p < .01), and arousal (r = ?.19, p < .01) and gender was related to total anxiety symptoms (Spearman’s ρ = .17, p < .01). The current study supports the importance of screening acute stress symptoms and other mental health outcomes following a potentially traumatic event in children and adolescents. Early screening may enable clinicians to identify and acutely intervene to support children’s psychological and physical recovery.     

Does Symptom Type Moderate the Relationship Between Insight and Outcome in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis? A Preliminary Investigation

Insight has emerged as a potential predictor variable in cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp). However, previous research has produced mixed results. The present study aimed to clarify whether symptom type is a moderating variable. A group of psychotic patients (n = 44) were assessed through pre- and post-treatment in a CBTp specialty track in a partial hospital-based program in the USA. The Insight Scale was used to measure insight, and psychotic symptomatology was assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and the Behavior and Symptom Identification Scale. Patients showed a significant decrease in psychotic symptom scores over the course of treatment [t(43) = 3.59, p < .001, Cohen's d = .64]. Furthermore, illness awareness was specifically associated with a decrease in psychotic symptoms for patients who endorsed visual hallucinations (r = ? .68, p < .01), auditory hallucinations (r = ? .49, p = .01), and/or ideas of reference (r = ? .66, p < .01). Insight did not confer additional benefit for patients with paranoid delusions, mind reading, or thought insertion symptoms. These results are discussed in relation to treatment implications within the current US health care delivery system.     

Knocking on the Outgroup's Door: Seeking Outgroup Help Under Conditions of Task or Relational Conflict

Three studies investigated the willingness to seek help from another group in situations where collaborative goals are undermined by task or relational conflicts between the groups. Compared to task conflict, relational conflict was argued to trigger a striving for more autonomy. The results from three experiments (N = 82, N = 65, and N = 62) supported the prediction that relational conflict, compared to task conflict, promotes more help avoidance, in particular avoidance of dependency-oriented help (a full solution). As expected, no difference was found for the willingness to seek autonomy-oriented help (a hint) from the other group.     

Playing for the thrill and skill. Quiz games as means for mood and competence repair

ABSTRACT

Recent studies have found that digital games can be used to improve the players’ mood, especially after emotionally unpleasant experiences. We introduce competence repair as an extension of previous work on mood repair. To investigate the effects of digital games on both mood and competence repair, we conducted 3 studies using quiz games. In the quasi-experimental Study 1 (N = 143), we manipulated the necessity for repair via a false feedback task (positive vs. negative), and looked at the impact of in-game success (victory vs. defeat). In the experimental Studies 2 (N = 91) and 3 (N = 109), we aimed at conceptually replicating and extending the findings on the impact of in-game success by varying participants’ success over a series of 4 matches (Study 2: close game outcomes, Study 3: clear victory/defeat). The results of these studies indicate that the efficacy of digital games for mood repair, as well as competence repair, depends on the necessity for repair, as well as success in the game. However, competence repair occurred even after participants were defeated repeatedly in a series of close matches. These results are discussed in light of the potential of digital games for fulfilling (previously thwarted) psychological needs.     

Unconventionality and Originality: Does Self-Assessed Unconventionality Increase Original Achievement?

Creativity is negatively associated with certain personality traits (e.g., conformity) and social influences (e.g., group pressure). In this study, creativity was examined in relation to unconventionality, which was expected to correlate positively with creativity, especially originality. This hypothesis was based on the theory that unconventional people hold uncommon views and attitudes and develop more diverging concepts and associations, which build the foundation for creative thinking. To examine the hypothesis, an online study with N = 90 participants was conducted. Unconventionality was measured with a new self-rating questionnaire, and creativity was measured with unusual uses, consequences, and explanations measures, which assessed both originality (rarity and uniqueness) and flexibility (diversity). The association of unconventionality with originality, after controlling for flexibility, was compared to other constructs (openness, conservatism, education). Path analysis revealed strong effects of unconventionality on originality (latent β = .58, r = .64). Unconventionality continued to predict originality after controlling for openness, which was weakly related to originality (β = .08, r = .49). Unconventionality weakly predicted flexibility (β = .09, r = .26). Supplemental analyses indicated that the effects of unconventionality on originality were not attributable to confounds (e.g., conservatism or education). The results indicate that the effects of unconventionality are positive, specific, substantial, and independent of related constructs (e.g., openness).