Congruence between personality type and environment type as a predictor of stay in an environment

Following Holland's (Making Vocational Choices: A Theory of Careers. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1973) congruence hypothesis, the independent variable in this study is the level of congruence between the personality type of the subjects and the modal personality type in their environment. This variable is hypothesized to predict the two criteria of the study—the inclination to stay and the social acceptance of 71 couples from three settlements. Results show that (a) in each settlement the modal personality type of males is not similar to the modal personality type of females; (b) the correlation between congruence level and inclination to stay in the settlement is .44 (n = 142, p < .01); and (c) the correlations between congruence level and social acceptance are low and not significant. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Deconstructive aporias: quasi-transcendental and normative

This paper argues that Derrida’s aporetic conclusions regarding moral and political concepts, from hospitality to democracy, can only be understood and accepted if the notion of différance and similar infrastructures are taken into account. This is because it is the infrastructures that expose and commit moral and political practices to a double and conflictual (thus aporetic) future: the conditional future that projects horizonal limits and conditions upon the relation to others, and the unconditional future without horizons of anticipation. The argument thus turns against two kinds of interpretation: The first accepts normative unconditionality in ethics but misses its support by the infrastructures. The second rejects unconditionality as a normative commitment precisely because the infrastructural support for unconditionality seems to rule out that it is normatively required. In conclusion, the article thus reconsiders the relation between a quasi-transcendental argument and its normative implications, suggesting that Derrida avoids the naturalistic fallacy.     

Unconscious semantic activation depends on feature-specific attention allocation

We examined whether semantic activation by subliminally presented stimuli is dependent upon the extent to which participants assign attention to specific semantic stimulus features and stimulus dimensions. Participants pronounced visible target words that were preceded by briefly presented, masked prime words. Both affective and non-affective semantic congruence of the prime-target pairs were manipulated under conditions that either promoted selective attention for affective stimulus information or selective attention for non-affective semantic stimulus information. In line with our predictions, results showed that affective congruence had a clear impact on word pronunciation latencies only if participants were encouraged to assign attention to the affective stimulus dimension. In contrast, non-affective semantic relatedness of the prime-target pairs produced no priming at all. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that unconscious activation of (affective) semantic information is modulated by feature-specific attention allocation.     

The Development of Person–Vocation Fit: A Longitudinal Study Among Young Employees

This two-phase panel study examines the development of the congruence between vocational interests and perceived skill requirements. Participants were 492 Dutch men and women between 18 and 26 years old, with a paid job in both phases. Three hypotheses inspired by the theory of work adjustment (Dawis and Lofquist 1984) and congruence theory (Holland 1992) were tested, using a composite index of fit proposed by Cronbach and Gleser (1953). The first hypothesis proposing that participants experiencing incongruence between their vocational interests and their perceived skill requirements are dissatisfied with their job was supported. The hypothesis that incongruence has a positive relationship with job change and a negative relationship with tenure was not confirmed. The expectation that the congruence between vocational interests and perceived skill requirements increases over time was confirmed. Furthermore, exploring determinants of change in vocational interests and perceived skill requirements, it was found that change in these domains was predicted by different variables, educational level being the only common factor. It is concluded that this study supports the longitudinal propositions of prevailing work-related person-environment fit theories.     

Stimulus congruence and the Simon effect

Summary A standard experimental procedure was implemented with novel response requirements to assess the hypothesis that the Simon effect is attributable not to the irrelevant stimulus-response relationship, but to the congruence between stimulus attributes. The stimulus ensemble consisted of the words LEFT and RIGHT, one of which was presented on each trial to the left or right of a central fixation point. The distinctive feature of the task is that subjects were asked to respond, by laterally placed keys, whether or not the stimulus word was in accord (i. e., congruent) with its location on the display. Asking subjects to judge stimulus congruence directly enables the effect of congruence to be assessed, as well as independent estimates of the two irrelevant S-R relationships that apply in the task — that is, between the response location and (1) the stimulus location (the Simon effect) and (2) the stimulus word (the reverse Simon effect). Marked effects were obtained in all three cases. Stimulus congruence remains in contention as a factor in the explanation of the Simon effect, but the strong effects of irrelevant S-R factors suggest that a more comprehensive account of the Simon effect is needed. An explanation in terms of stimulus salience, based on an interactive activational model, is briefly discussed.     

Sex differences in communication skills as measured by a modified relationship inventory

Previous studies have provided some indication that females are more empathic than males and that individuals show greater empathy when relating to persons of the same sex. Because the research has been equivocal, the present study attempted to replicate these findings for not only empathy but also three other communication skills measured by the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory: congruence, regard, and unconditionality of regard. The subjects for this study were 20 male and 41 female students in an undergraduate experiential course in interpersonal relations. All students were placed in training groups, and the co-trainers for these groups completed ratings on a modified Relationship Inventory for each of their students. Reliability data on this inventory were satisfactory. Female students were given slightly higher ratings on all skills at both the beginning and end of the group experience, but none of the differences were significant. Male co-trainers rated the skills of male students higher than did female co-trainers, but a comparable same-sex effect for female students was not demonstrated. Thus, the experimental hypotheses were partially supported.     

Congruence of personality and life events in depression

Consistent with the personality-event congruence hypothesis, highly sociotropic depressed patients (n = 19) reported more recent negative interpersonal events than negative autonomy events and more negative interpersonal events than did highly autonomous depressed patients (n = 22), for whom the hypothesis was not supported. There was no evidence of such congruence among nondepressed schizophrenic patients (n = 44). In a second study, there was significant personality-event congruence in dysphoric students (n = 26) but not in nondysphoric students (n = 56). Both the high-sociotropy and high-autonomy dysphoric groups separately yielded nonsignificant trends consistent with congruence. These findings add to the growing support for the importance of the sociotropy construct in depression and weaker support for the autonomy construct or its measurement, and they suggest that the congruence effect does not generalize to all psychopathologies.     

A content analysis of person‐centered expressive therapy outcomes

Abstract

This study is a content analysis and follow‐up of thirty‐two former participants in multi‐modal expressive therapy training workshops conducted by the Person‐Centered Expressive Therapy Institute. The theoretical foundation of the study is based on Carl Rogers’ concept of the “significant learning” and Natalie Rogers’ concept of the “creative connection.” The expressive therapy applies core conditions of acceptance, empathic understanding, and congruence in a learning setting that uses writing, visual arts, drama, music and dance. Narratives of significant incidents were analyzed phenomenologically. Results revealed important learnings and shifts of self‐perceptions towards greater self‐awareness, improved self‐confidence, risk‐taking, deeper self‐exploration and appreciation for the process involved in the creative act. This qualitative study shows expressive therapy as making an important contribution to person‐centered theory and practice.     

Striving for unwanted goals: stress-dependent discrepancies between explicit and implicit achievement motives reduce subjective well-being and increase psychosomatic symptoms

Three studies investigated the relevance of affect regulation, stressful life events, and congruence between explicit achievement orientation and implicit achievement motive for subjective well-being and symptom formation. According to personality systems interactions (PSI) theory, stressful life events were expected to reduce motive congruence when the ability to self-regulate affect was impaired (i.e., state orientation). Consistent with expectations, the State Orientation x Stress interaction predicted incongruence in healthy participants (Studies 1 and 3) and in patients (Study 2). Furthermore, incongruence partially mediated the direct State Orientation x Stress effect on subjective well-being (Studies 1 and 3) and the course of psychosomatic complaints over 3 months (Study 2). In Study 3, the experimental induction of threat reduced motive congruence in state-oriented participants compared with an acceptance condition. Findings underscore the importance of assessing motive congruence as a "hidden stressor" and validate a new operant multi-motive test.     

The relationship between counsellor interpersonal skills and the core conditions of client-centred counselling

The present study aimed to determine whether there was a systematic relationship between Rogers'(1957) core conditions of empathy, acceptance and genuineness, and counsellors' use of specific behaviours or skills which have been isolated for training. Video recordings of 12 counsellors' performance in 'naturalistic' counselling interactions were analysed. Counsellor, client and judges' ratings of the core conditions were obtained. Skill assessment included molar ratings of eight skill areas and molecular measures of 29 behaviours. The results indicated that there were few significant relationships. It is concluded that there is a discrepancy between specification of the skills or behaviours which are thought to communicate the core conditions and those which have been empirically demonstrated to do so. Implications for counsellor training and proposals for future research are discussed.     

On the Integration of Need‐related Autobiographical Memories among Late Adolescents and Late Adults: The Role of Depressive Symptoms and Self‐congruence

Within self‐determination theory, integration denotes the process through which people accept past and present experiences and harmonize these experiences within their sense of self. We investigated associations between indicators of successful and poor integration of need‐related memories and memory‐related affect. We also examined the role of depressive symptoms and self‐congruence as antecedents of these indicators. Moreover, we investigated whether late adults, compared with late adolescents, were better capable of integrating need‐frustrating memories through higher levels of self‐congruence. Participants were 132 late adolescents (Mage = 17.83) and 147 late adults (Mage = 76.13), who reported on their level of depressive symptoms and self‐congruence. Next, participants generated a need‐satisfying and need‐frustrating memory and reported on the memories' integration (in terms of acceptance, connection and rumination) and associated affect. Whereas depressive symptoms related mainly to the poor integration of need‐frustrating memories, self‐congruence related positively to the integration of both need‐satisfying and need‐frustrating memories. In turn, integration was related to more positive and less negative affect. Late adults scored higher than late adolescents on the integration of need‐frustrating memories, an effect that was partly accounted for by late adults' elevated self‐congruence. Results suggest that self‐congruence, depressive symptoms and age play a role in the integration of need‐based autobiographical memories. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology     

Congruence and Career Change in Employed Adults

Holland's theory of congruence was applied to adults changing careers. Forty-two nontraditional students attending college to attain a new occupation were surveyed. The group's average experience in the work force was 14.5 years, and their average age was 34.4 years. Using theCindex (Brown & Gore, 1994) and Kwak and Pulvino's (1982) K-P index to measure congruence, data supported the hypothesis that employed adults in the process of changing their careers move in a direction of greater congruence. Further, job satisfaction was correlated significantly with congruence as operationalized by theCindex (r= .33,p< .03) and the K-P index (r= .32,p< .04).     

Perceptual and linguistic interactions in speeded classification: tests of the semantic coding hypothesis

We tested the semantic coding hypothesis, which states that cross-modal interactions observed in speeded classification tasks arise after perceptual information is recoded into an abstract format common to perceptual and linguistic systems. Using a speeded classification task, we first confirmed the presence of congruence interactions between auditory pitch and visual lightness and observed Garner-type interference with nonlinguistic (perceptual) stimuli (low-frequency and high-frequency tones, black and white squares). Subsequently, we found that modifying the visual stimuli by (a) making them lexical (related words) or (b) reducing their compactness or figural 'goodness' altered congruence effects and Garner interference. The results are consistent with the semantic coding hypothesis, but only in part, and suggest the need for additional assumptions regarding the role of perceptual organization in cross-modal dimensional interactions.     

Experiential congruence: Qualitative analysis of client and counsellor narrative accounts of significant events in time‐limited person‐centred therapy

The concept of congruence represents a core theoretical construct in the development of client‐centred therapy, and remains fundamental to the practice of experiential approaches to psychotherapy. This study explores the ways in which congruence is experienced during significant moments of therapy. Client and counsellor accounts of moments of congruence/incongruence were collected from six cases of person‐centred counselling, and were analysed using a method of narrative analysis. It was found that participants experienced congruence in a variety of ways, suggesting that the construct does not describe a unitary phenomenon. Congruence was experienced as simultaneously intrapsychic and relational. The effective negotiation of episodes of incongruence comprised a necessary element of effective therapy. Further research into the nature of congruence may be valuable in contributing to new understandings of how therapeutic alliances are made, broken and repaired.     

Inventory responding as a model of people's acceptance of personality interpretations

The hypothesis was tested that inventory responding modeled the acceptance of personality feedback. A barnum group (n=40) was asked to rate the personal accuracies of a list of personality inventory items and then an equivalent list of bogus personality feedback. The two lines of evidence which supported the model were (a) that the correlation between their inventory ratings and their feedback ratings was not only Significant (p < .001) but achieved a ceiling magnitude, as evidenced by a control group's (n = 40) data; and (b) that the variables influencing, inventory responding exerted an equal influence upon feedback acceptance, Contrary to the model, it was found that feedback was accepted more highly than were the inventory items. Conclusions were that inventory responding, as a model of feedback acceptance, is accurate with respect to individual differences but somewhat inaccurate with respect to overall levels of acceptance due to the additional influences of persuasion. It was also concluded that clients' acceptance or rejection of personality feedback is not evidence of the validity or invalidity, respectively, of assessment devices. A reformulated model of personality feedback acceptance was proposed.     

Occupational specialty congruence: New data and future directions

The present research examined the relationship between within-occupational congruence and satisfaction, and attempted to integrate hypotheses and findings of prior studies with the conceptual implications of occupational specialty congruence. Correspondence between vocational interests within occupations and specialty choice has shown higher correlations with satisfaction than with congruence (Assouline & Meir, 1987). Occupational specialty congruence was derived by comparing preferred functions with the actual functions characterizing a given occupational specialty. In the present study, involving 120 computer software professionals, occupational specialty congruence correlated approximately .45 with satisfaction, using core job function dimensions. Specialty change within occupation, rather than occupational change, may help in cases of poor occupational choice, burnout, or a change in health. Further research should explore the generalizability of the function dimensions employed herein. Identifying core dimensions can aid in designing both career tracks and certification exams.     

Inventory Responding as a Model of People's Acceptance of Personality Interpretations

The hypothesis was tested that inventory responding modeled the acceptance of personality feedback. A barnum group (n=40) was asked to rate the personal accuracies of a list of personality inventory items and then an equivalent list of bogus personality feedback. The two lines of evidence which supported the model were (a) that the correlation between their inventory ratings and their feedback ratings was not only Significant (p < .001) but achieved a ceiling magnitude, as evidenced by a control group's (n = 40) data; and (b) that the variables influencing, inventory responding exerted an equal influence upon feedback acceptance, Contrary to the model, it was found that feedback was accepted more highly than were the inventory items. Conclusions were that inventory responding, as a model of feedback acceptance, is accurate with respect to individual differences but somewhat inaccurate with respect to overall levels of acceptance due to the additional influences of persuasion. It was also concluded that clients' acceptance or rejection of personality feedback is not evidence of the validity or invalidity, respectively, of assessment devices. A reformulated model of personality feedback acceptance was proposed.