Fatigue: relationships with basic personality and temperament dimensions

This study examined the relationships between the Five-Factor-Model (FFM) personality dimensions (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Openness/Autonomy), the Pavlovian temperament variables (Strength of Excitation, Strength of Inhibition, Mobility), and fatigue. We expected that all these person characteristics would be negatively associated with fatigue. In a survey among persons working at least 20 h a week (N=765), respondents completed a personality questionnaire (the Five-Factor Personality Inventory), a temperament scale (the Pavlov Temperament Survey), and two fatigue questionnaires (the Checklist Individual Strength-20 and the Emotional Exhaustion scale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory). Results indicated that high scores on Autonomy, and low scores on Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Strength of Excitation were, in various combinations, predictors of higher fatigue scores. Agreeableness, Strength of Inhibition, and Mobility did not play a role in the prediction of any fatigue score. In conclusion, personality and temperament dimensions explained significant proportions of the variance in fatigue. It is stated that there is an urgent need for longitudinal studies in order to examine the predictive value of the personality dimensions over time.     

A general factor of personality: Evidence for the Big One in the five-factor model

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using different personality measures in three samples confirmed the existence of general factor of personality (The Big One) within the five-factor model. The Big One is characterized by high versus low Emotional Stability, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Openness, and by high versus low higher-order factors of personality, Stability, and Plasticity. A comprehensive theoretical model of personality structure was therefore proposed with the Big One at the highest level of the hierarchy. The Big One was interpreted as a basic personality disposition that integrates the most general non-cognitive dimensions of personality. It is associated with social desirability, emotionality, motivation, well-being, satisfaction with life, and self-esteem. It also may have deep biological roots, evolutionary, genetic, and neurophysiological.     

Searching for the “Big Five” in a Greek context: the NEO-FFI under the microscope

The five-factor inventory (FFI) is a commonly used personality test based on the NEO-personality inventory revised. It has been translated into several languages and validated in a number of countries. Using a sample of 1204 individuals, the present study evaluates the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Greek FFI and provides normative information for its use with Greek populations. Convergent validity is also assessed by studying the relationship between the five scales of the FFI and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Results show that although the factor scales had acceptable internal consistency, they were highly intercorrelated. Exploratory factor analyses failed to reproduce the appropriate factor structure, yielding instead numerous fragments of the five dimensions. Confirmatory factor analyses also failed to lend support to the five factor model of personality as measured by this instrument. Based on these results, the use of the instrument is recommended only with serious caution in this cultural context. Further research ought to decipher whether the failures to reproduce the five factor model using the FFI in this and other cultures represents a challenge to the universality of the theory, or merely a shortcoming of the specific instrument.     

Psychometric properties of the Big Five Questionnaire for Children (BFQ-C) in a Dutch sample of young adolescents

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Big Five Questionnaire for Children (BFQ-C), a recently developed self-report measure for assessing the basic personality dimensions of energy/extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional instability, and intellect/openness in youths (Barbaranelli, Caprara, Rabasca, & Pastorelli, 2003). A sample of adolescents (N = 222) completed the BFQ-C, the Junior version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (JEPQ), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results showed that the BFQ-C had a clear-cut factor structure, good internal consistency, and sufficient validity as evidenced through its associations with the JEPQ and the measure of strengths and difficulties. An additional finding was that there was little overlap between children’s and parents’ Big Five personality.     

Big five domain and gender as determinants of rater agreement: a comparison based on self- and peer-rating on the Polish Adjective List

The study tested the hypothesis that with respect to the big five domains associated with temperament, agreement between self- and others' ratings is higher than with respect to other domains. The same was expected with respect to peer–peer agreement. There were two groups of subjects: self-raters (n=639) and peer-raters (n=1278). All subjects completed the Polish Adjective List (PAL), which consists of five scales: Dynamism, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Excitability and Intellect, which are Polish representations of the big five personality factors extracted in American lexical studies. Each target person completed one self-rating inventory and was assessed by two peer-raters. Domains associated with temperament (Dynamism and Excitability) elicited higher agreement between self-and peer-ratings than Agreeableness and Intellect, although in case of Conscientiousness judges appeared to be as accurate as in the case of Excitability. The pattern was even less clear with respect to the peer–peer comparison. The other finding shows that in case of female raters there was more agreement between self- and peer-rating, than in case of male raters.     

The effect of inpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy for eating disorders on temperament and character

Personality traits seem to have an important role in the development, clinical expression, course, and treatment response in eating disorders (EDs). We investigated the effects of an inpatient cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) on the measures of temperament and character (Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI)) in 149 consecutive patients with EDs. Baseline assessment included anthropometry, the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the TCI. Treatment was based on the transdiagnostic cognitive behavior theory and treatment of ED, adapted for an inpatient setting. Treatment effects were tested by paired ANOVA, adjusted for covariates. No effects were found on Novelty Seeking, Reward Dependence, and Cooperativeness. Harm Avoidance (F=18.17, p<0.001), Persistence (F=7.71, p=0.006), Self-Directedness (F=27.55, p<0.001), and Self Transcendence (F=16.38, p<0.001) significantly changed after treatment. Changes in TCI scores were wholly dependent on the changes in BDI and EDE, and independent of ED diagnosis and behavior and of BMI changes. We conclude that in ED, a few scales of both temperament and character are significantly modified by CBT, in relation to changes in psychopathology and depression, independently of nutrition. These results are relevant for future studies based on TCI.     

A multigroup multitrait-multimethod study in two countries supports the validity of a two-factor higher order model of personality

This study examined the factor structure of the Big Five Inventory and tested the hypothesis that the five personality dimensions could be summarized by two higher order factors, namely, plasticity and stability, using multigroup multitrait-multimethod confirmatory factor analyses. We tested the higher order model in two young adult samples drawn from Germany and Turkey. Adequate inter-rater agreement between self- and informant reports was obtained. Among the models tested, a two-factor model was the most parsimonious model in which the first factor included Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and low Neuroticism; and the second factor included Extraversion and Openness to Experience. Invariance of this model was supported by multiple-group analyses, suggesting a lack of variability across samples.     

The genetic and environmental relationship between Cloninger's dimensions of temperament and character

The purpose of this study was to determine whether Cloninger's revised 7-factor model of personality showed incremental validity over his four dimensions of temperament. A sample of 2517 Australian twins aged over 50 between 1993 and 1995 returned completed self-reported measures of Self-directedness, Cooperativeness, and Self-transcendence from Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory. Many of these twins had participated in a 1988 study containing Cloninger's temperament measures of Harm Avoidance, Novelty Seeking, Reward Dependence and Persistence. Contrary to theoretical expectations, univariate analyses revealed that familial aggregation for the character dimensions could be entirely explained by additive gene action alone. Although temperament explained 26, 37 and 10% of additive genetic variance in Self-directedness, Cooperativeness and Self-transcendence, respectively, seven genetic factors were required to explain the genetic variance among the TPQ dimensions, and almost all of the non-shared environmental variance was unique to each dimension of character. Our results indicate that the inclusion of all seven dimensions in a taxonomy of personality is warranted.     

The location of three dispositions towards ridicule in the five-factor personality model in the population of Slovak adults

The aim of the present study is the location of gelotophobia (fear of being laughed at), gelotophilia (the joy of being laughed at) and katagelasticism (joy of laughing at others) in the five-factor personality model. In the sample of 425 Slovak adults, gelotophobes can be described as introverted neurotics with lower inclination to openness. Personality factors explained 46.7% of the variance in gelotophobia. Gelotophilia is related to extraversion, low neuroticism and low conscientiousness. The personality predictors accounted for 21.3% of the variance in gelotophilia. Katagelasticists could be described by extraversion and low agreeableness and conscientiousness. The explained proportion of the variance in katagelasticism is 37.3%. The explained variance of gelotophobia and gelotophilia is comparable to previous German and Taiwanese findings. However, there is a higher explained variance in katagelasticism in Slovakia than in the samples of Germans and samples of Taiwanese. Suggestions for future research are given.     

No evidence for a General Factor of Personality in the HEXACO Personality Inventory

There have been an increasing number of articles that have speculated on the existence of a General Factor of Personality (GFP) similar to ‘g’ in intelligence research. In this study, I provide evidence that this general factor may be an artifact of the personality instrument used. Specifically, in two samples I show that depending on the type of analysis used there is either no evidence for a GFP in the HEXACO Personality Inventory or the GFP is found to be uncorrelated to GFPs based on Big Five or FFM instruments.     

If it walks like a duck: Construct validation of proverb-based personality dimensions

Previous research has investigated the personality-relevance of proverb endorsement. In this previous research, however, participants were provided with additional information to aid them in their interpretations of the proverbial phrases. Although seven proverb-based personality dimensions were revealed, it is not entirely clear whether these dimensions truly reflect dimensions encoded in the proverb domain itself, or whether they reflect, instead, meanings imposed by the definitional context. In this study, college-student participants relied on their own interpretations of proverbial wisdom to guide their endorsements. Significantly, two of the previously reported dimensions - the two that had previously seemed to be the most novel - did not replicate. Five proverb-based dimensions were replicated, however, and the relationships between these dimensions and dimensions assessed by more established personality inventories were explored. This study thus confirms that proverbial wisdom does indeed advocate behavior and beliefs relevant to important dimensions of individual difference.     

A Big Five model of disposition and situation interaction: why a “helpful” person may not always behave helpfully

A “bottom-up” Big Five disposition-situation interaction model is introduced that highlights the interactive relation between an individual's behavioral trait tendencies and the different facets of a situation to which he or she may respond. In the proposed model, personality traits are considered markers for how an individual might interpret and respond to different facets of a situation. Given a complex situation with multiple response options, a person will respond to the part of the situation most salient to him or her at that time. The presented model illustrates how interactions between the trait dimensions of the Big Five model with the different facets of a situational context, as well as the intra-individual interactions between the different trait dimensions themselves, determine which facet of a situation will be salient. The model is expected to improve prediction of specific behaviors in specific situations using personality traits. Results from an illustrative study are presented.     

Your personality on a good day: How trait and state personality predict daily well-being

The dynamic mediation model (Wilt, Noftle, Fleeson, & Spain, 2012) explains the associations between personality traits and happiness through links between personality states and daily well-being. To test this model, and the mediators of these relations, we examined if between- and within-person variation in personality was associated with daily well-being for undergraduates (N = 133) and US adults (N = 117). The model explained the trait neuroticism and daily well-being association. Also, after controlling for traits, people were happier on days in which they were extraverted, agreeable, conscientious, emotionally stable, and open to experience. Finally, these associations were partially mediated by the satisfaction of daily psychological needs. We discuss how the operationalization of state extraversion might impact its relation with daily well-being.     

Perceiving others is so simple: Implicit simplicity of personality perceptions in a dyadic design

People judge others on simplified trait structures when evaluating the Big Five, which is referred to as implicit simplicity (IS: Beer & Watson, 2008). The present study investigated IS in minimally acquainted informal dyads. Hundred and eighty-six participants interacted for a short time on a task, and then provided self- and peer-ratings on the IASR-B5 (Trapnell & Wiggins, 1990). IS manifested in a global evaluative “halo-factor” with some accuracy and was related to perceivers’ interpersonal attraction ratings and personality traits. The driving forces behind IS are discussed.     

A General Factor of Personality (GFP) from two meta-analyses of the Big Five: and

In two studies, we used structural equation models to test the hypothesis that a General Factor of Personality (GFP) occupies the apex of the hierarchy of personality. In Study 1, we found a GFP that explained 45% of the reliable variance in a model that went from the Big Five to the Big Two to the Big One in the 14 studies of inter-scale correlations (N = 4496) assembled by Digman (1997). A higher order factor of Alpha/Stability was defined by Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Agreeableness, with loadings of from 0.61 to 0.70, while Beta/Plasticity was defined by Openness and Extraversion with loadings of 0.55 and 0.77. In turn, the GFP was defined by Alpha and Beta with loadings of 0.67. In Study 2, a GFP explained 44% of the reliable variance in a similar model using data from a published meta-analysis of the Big Five (N = 4000) by Mount, Barrick, Scullen, and Rounds (2005). Strong general factors such as these, based on large data sets with good model fits that cross validate perfectly, are unlikely to be due to artifacts and response sets.     

Personality and self-esteem in newlyweds

The current study investigated the relationships between several dimensions of self-esteem and the “Big Five” personality dimensions. Using a sample of 107 newlywed couples, we investigated whether the relationships identified in previous research replicated in this novel sample and whether the relationships between different dimensions of self-esteem (general, physical, social, and intellectual) and standings on the Big Five personality dimensions might be sex-differentiated. The results replicate many of the relationships between different dimensions of self-esteem and standings on the Big Five personality dimensions for both men and women. Previous work indicates that differences in personality between men and women may shape interactions with the environment differently and these different interactions may then shape self-esteem. None of these relationships was reliably sex-differentiated in the current research. Discussion addresses several limitations of this research and highlights directions for future research on the personality-self-esteem interface.     

Exploring the relationship between the Five-Factor Model of personality,social factors and self-reported delinquency

The ‘Big Five’ is one of the predominant models of personality structure but relatively little research has focussed on how the five factors might be related to self reported offending separately for males and females. This is problematic for understanding the relationship between personality and offending as females and males typically have different personality profiles and differ considerably in self-reported offending. In this research 720 adolescents (376 males and 344 females) completed a Big Five personality measure along with measures of self-reported offending, socioeconomic status and family structure. The results suggested that low agreeableness and low conscientiousness were independently related to the prevalence of self-reported offending for males and that low agreeableness was independently related to frequent male offending. Low conscientiousness was independently related to female offending, but so too were interactions between disrupted family and extraversion and disrupted family and openness. The interaction between extraversion and a disrupted family was also independently related to frequent female offending. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.