Exploring the utility of the CPAI-2 in a South African sample: Implications for the FFM

The Cross-Cultural Personality Assessment Inventory-2 (CPAI-2) was developed as an alternative instrument to measure personality in Asian cultures based on the argument that available instruments are largely based on the Five Factor Model of personality and may not adequately assess personality in Asian cultures. Research on the CPAI-2 was extended to non-Asian particularly Western cultures but not to African cultures. In this study a sample of 425 South African university students completed both the CPAI-2 and the NEO-PI-R to consider the utility of the CPAI-2 and the four factor model in which the instrument is located in an African context. The results were did not provide conclusive support for the four factor model as conceptualised in the CPAI-2. Support for the five factors of the FFM was evident but the results from both the four and five factor models indicated empirical support for a social relational aspect of personality. Based on these results, this paper argues for the necessity of incorporating social relational elements into the existing FFM and reflects on work done in the South African context which can inform this direction.     

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Children’s behavioral patterns, the Five-Factor model of personality, and risk behaviors

Although relations between children’s personality and health behaviors have been identified, previous research has relied primarily on survey assessments. The present study used behavioral observations to examine children’s (n = 94, mean age = 10.07 years) behavioral patterns in relation to their participation in risk behaviors 1 year later. Results contribute to previous reports linking specific personality traits to children’s likelihood of participation in risky behaviors. Specifically, girls’ participation in risky behavior was related to the expression of behavioral patterns associated with neuroticism, introversion, and disagreeableness, while boys participation in risk behaviors was related to behavioral patterns associated with extraversion and disagreeableness. Findings are discussed in terms of their potential for contributing to health promotion efforts aimed at identifying children most at risk for adopting unhealthy behaviors.     

Personality Profiles and Political Parties

This paper explores relationships between basic personality profiles of voters and their political party preferences. The Italian political system has moved recently from previously extreme, ideologically distinctive parties to form complex coalitions varying around more centrist orientations. Significant evidence was found for the utility of the Five-Factor Model of Personality in distinguishing between voters' expressed preferences, even given this greater subtlety in proposed values and agendas. More than 2,000 Italian voters who self-identified as having voted for new center-left or center-right political coalitions differed systematically in predicted directions on several personality dimensions measured by the Big Five Questionnaire. In the context of the model, center-right voters displayed more Energy and slightly more Conscientiousness than center-left voters, whose dominant personality characteristics were Agreeableness (Friendliness) and Openness; Emotional Stability was unrelated to either group. This relationship between individual differences in personality and political preferences was not influenced by the demographic variables of voters' gender, age, or education. Thus, personality dimensions proved to be stronger predictors of political preference than any of these standard predictor variables. Implications are discussed regarding links among personality, persuasion, power, and politics.     

中学生人格五因素问卷的编制

本研究在综述国内外有关研究文献的基础上,对中学生进行深入访谈,编制了中学生人格五因素问卷,并用此问卷施测于北京某普通中学148名男生和156名女生。研究结果表明:(1)自编中学生人格问卷可以提取出五个因子,分别命名为开放性、外向性、宜人性、谨慎性和情绪性。(2)问卷有较好的信度和效度。问卷的克伦巴赫α系数,维度与总分的相关以及分半信度都达到心理测量学要求的水平。该问卷与NEO人格问卷以及与父母评价量表的相关都达到显著水平。     

The relationship between personality traits and psychotic like experiences in a large non-clinical adolescent sample

ObjectiveThe relationship between personality and psychosis is well established. It has been suggested that this relationship may be partly accounted for by higher levels of depression in individuals with certain personality traits. We explored whether the link between personality and psychotic symptoms is already apparent in adolescence, and if this association would still hold when depression was controlled for.Method654 secondary school students were surveyed via self-report questionnaires measuring the Five-Factor model of personality (NEO-FFI), depression (CES-D) and psychotic-like experiences (CAPE).ResultsPositive associations were found between Neuroticism and all CAPE-subscales except Magical Thinking, which was in turn associated with all other personality traits when at high levels. Agreeableness was negatively associated with all CAPE-subscales, while Openness to Experience was only positively associated with Persecutory Ideas and Magical Thinking. After controlling for depression, many of the significant associations remained.ConclusionOur findings suggest that the chance of having psychotic like experiences is more likely for adolescents with certain personality traits. These associations are not fully explained by depression, especially when psychotic experiences are at higher levels. Future research is needed to investigate if these personality traits might put a person at risk for the development of full-blown psychosis.     

Equivalence of Narcissistic Personality Inventory constructs and correlates across scoring approaches and response formats

The prevalent scoring practice for the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) ignores the forced-choice nature of the items. The aim of this study was to investigate whether findings based on NPI scores reported in previous research can be confirmed when the forced-choice nature of the NPI’s original response format is appropriately modeled, and when NPI items are presented in different response formats (true/false or rating scale). The relationships between NPI facets and various criteria were robust across scoring approaches (mean score vs. model-based), but were only partly robust across response formats. In addition, the scoring approaches and response formats achieved equivalent measurements of the vanity facet and in part of the leadership facet, but differed with respect to the entitlement facet.     

Five-Factor Model and alcohol outcomes: Mediating and moderating role of alcohol expectancies

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between the Five-Factor Model of personality and alcohol expectancies (AEs) with different alcohol outcomes. The sample was composed of 738 participants (63.7% females). Path and regression analyses were performed to test the mediation and moderation effects. The results indicated that Neuroticism was related to alcohol consumption through Positive Alcohol Expectancies, and that Negative Alcohol Expectancies, but also Positive Alcohol Expectancies, partially mediated the relationship of Neuroticism to alcohol-related problems. In addition, Positive Alcohol Expectancies partially mediated the associations of extraversion and low conscientiousness with weekend Standard Drink Units (SDUs), and they completely mediated the associations of these personality variables with alcohol-related problems. Additional direct paths were found from low agreeableness to weekly SDUs and alcohol-related problems; and from low openness to weekend SDUs. Moderation effects of alcohol expectancies on personality and both alcohol use and alcohol-related problems were also found. The present research contributes new evidence on the influence of the five factors of personality on alcohol outcomes, and the mediation/moderation role of alcohol expectancies. These findings can be useful to develop prevention/intervention programmes.     

Hardiness as a moderator variable between the Big-Five Model and work effort

The aim of the present study is to analyse hardiness as a moderator variable among personality traits, assessed using the Big-Five or Five Factor Model (FFM) and responses in work effort of workers confronted with stress. Using a multi-occupational sample of 403 subjects, statistically significant correlations between the factors of the FFM and work effort were found, as well as between hardiness and effort, as predicted by the theoretical model. Finally, empirical evidence indicates that hardiness performs a moderating role between the factors of FFM and effort displayed, in the sense that hardiness (understood as a quantitative variable) affects the intensity of the relationship between the structure of personality (predictor variable) and work effort (criterion variable), that is, even taking into account that personality structure affects work effort, people who score high in hardiness will show more effort.     

Are indigenous personality dimensions culture-specific? Mexican inventories and the Five-Factor Model

The universality versus cultural specificity of Mexican personality dimensions was investigated by examining: (a) the replicability of Mexican personality dimensions assessed by indigenous inventories; and (b) the extent to which Mexican dimensions are encompassed by the Five-Factor Model (FFM), one hypothesized universal model of personality structure. Mexican university students (N = 794) completed nine indigenous inventories and the Spanish version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. The FFM replicated well, although reliability was poor for a few facet scales. Reliability was acceptable for the indigenous Mexican scales. However, for most indigenous instruments, a cross-sample replication criterion suggested alternative structures of fewer, more replicable dimensions. Multiple regression and joint factor analyses revealed that most of the Mexican dimensions were well subsumed by the FFM. Thus, cultural differences did not involve clearly culture-specific dimensions, but more subtle differences in the salience or cultural flavor of particular traits.     

Personality, values and belief in a just world

This study investigated the relationship between general belief in a just world (BJW) and different values (conformity, security, self-direction) as well as personality traits (Five-Factor-Model of personality) among 104 college students and 108 professionals. Previous findings have shown that BJW is positively related to the value domains conformity and security as well as to extraversion and negatively to neuroticism and openness. In this study, a negative correlation between BJW and openness to new experience was found. Furthermore BJW correlated positively with security and conformity. A cluster analysis on BJW and the value domains revealed three types: value-conscious (high in all values and low in BJW), dependent-just (high in BJW, security and conformity, low in self-direction) and self-directed (only high in self-direction). Value-conscious and dependent-just participants showed higher scores on conscientiousness, whereas self-directed participants scored higher in openness. Further research should take into account the individual function of BJW and values for personality functioning.     

Not only assholes drive Mercedes. Besides disagreeable men,also conscientious people drive high-status cars

In a representative sample of Finnish car owners (N = 1892) we connected the Five-Factor Model personality dimensions to driving a high-status car. Regardless of whether income was included in the logistic model, disagreeable men and conscientious people in general were particularly likely to drive high-status cars. The results regarding agreeableness are consistent with prior work that has argued for the role of narcissism in status consumption. Regarding conscientiousness, the results can be interpreted from the perspective of self-congruity theory, according to which consumers purchase brands that best reflect their actual or ideal personalities. An important implication is that the association between driving a high-status car and unethical driving behaviour may not, as is commonly argued, be due to the corruptive effects of wealth. Rather, certain personality traits, such as low agreeableness, may be associated with both unethical driving behaviour and with driving a high-status car.     

Unsubstantiated beliefs and values flaw the Five-Factor Model of Personality

The Five-Factor Model of Personality was empirically derived and is now ubiquitous in research and applied personality psychology. However it is presented in current textbooks as including an un-evidenced component: the judgement that, while the five traits are socially desirable qualities (except socially undesirable Neuroticism), low scorers are characterised by their deficiency in essential social skills, displaying unattractive undesirable personalities. This judgement is verbally reinforced by the value-laden designations of the five traits (excepting Extraversion). Thus the model ignores evidence for cognate but contrasting personality factors that are also desirable in individuals and for society. It is proposed that traits are better understood as coming in pairs, thus resembling allelic variant expressions of genes. Extraversion and Introversion would then each reference a quality with both positive and negative potential. The traits Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness could become respectively Imaginative/Practical, Empathic/Rational and Purposeful/Relaxed. It is argued that the proposed revision would yield a model more consistent with experienced, and hopefully ontological, reality than the current formulation.     

Facets of the NEO-PI-R and smoking cessation

Knowing more about the personality of smokers may help to increase the effectiveness of smoking cessation treatments and can contribute to relapse prevention. The aim of the present study was to analyze the influence of 30 specific facets of the Five-Factor Model of personality on the outcomes at the end of treatment and at 12-month follow-up, in a sample of 281 smokers seeking psychological treatment to stop smoking. Personality facets were assessed with the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R). Results showed that nicotine dependence and several facets of personality (Self-discipline, Depression, Aesthetics, Trust, and Modesty) contribute to explain short- and long-term outcomes after smoking cessation. These findings support the need of integrate information about individual smoker’s personality facets into smoking cessation programs.     

Measuring thirty facets of the Five Factor Model with a 120-item public domain inventory: Development of the IPIP-NEO-120

The IPIP-NEO (Goldberg, 1999) is a 300-item inventory that measures constructs similar to those in the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992). Despite evidence for its reliability and validity, the IPIP-NEO is even longer than the original 240-item NEO PI-R. This article details the development of a 120-item version of the IPIP-NEO from an Internet sample (N = 21,588) and the subsequent testing of its psychometric properties in Goldberg’s (2008) Eugene-Springfield community sample (N = 481), two additional large Internet samples (Ns = 307,313 and 619,150) and a local sample (N = 160). Results indicate that the psychometric properties of the 120-item IPIP-NEO compare favorably to the properties of the longer form.     

Optimism and the Big Five factors of personality: Beyond Neuroticism and Extraversion

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the Big Five factors of personality and dispositional optimism. Data from five samples were collected (Total N = 4332) using three different measures of optimism and five different measures of the Big Five. Results indicated strong positive relationships between optimism and four of the Big Five factors: Emotional Stability, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Agreeableness and Conscientiousness explained additional variance in dispositional optimism over and above Neuroticism and Extraversion, providing evidence for the complexity of optimism. The position of optimism in the larger web of human personality constructs is discussed.     

The General Factor of Personality: The “Big One,” a self-evaluative trait,or a methodological gnat that won’t go away?

Though recent research indicates that the Big Five can be subsumed under a “General Factor of Personality” (GFP), considerable dissention remains about whether the GFP is a substantive trait (either a “mega”-trait or simply, positive self-evaluation), or a response artifact. To disentangle these potential explanations, we estimated GFP saturation based on scales within a single inventory (which may share response artifacts) versus between different inventories (wherein the GFP would be more substantive). Drawing on meta-analytic findings across 370 independent samples of 155,781 individuals, GFP saturation was reduced substantially when based on between inventory data (26%) compared to within inventory data (50%). These results indicate that the GFP functions as a response artifact that may be reduced by administering scales from different inventories. However, some GFP variance also appears to represent stable tendencies that span across inventories. Overall, the GFP appears to be partly a stable, self-evaluative trait and partly a set of response tendencies specific to a particular personality inventory. We discuss the implications of these results for academic and applied personality measurement.