Folk Concepts, Natural Language, and Psychological Constructs: The California Psychological Inventory and the Five-Factor Model

ABSTRACT Both the California Psychological Inventory (CPI; Gough, 1987) and the five-factor model of personality have roots in folk concepts of personality. The present article offers a conceptual analysis of CPI scales in terms of the five-factor model. In the first study, judges rated the item content of CPI scales in terms of the five factors. In the second, CPI scales were correlated with the factors as measured by the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI; Costa & McCrae, 1985b) in a sample of 348 men and women ages 19 to 92. Both studies showed meaningful links between CPI scales and four of the factors; Agreeableness appeared to be underrepresented in CPI scales. The utility of systematic rational item analysis in terms of the five factors and the evolving relation of folk concepts to psychological constructs are discussed.     

Emotional Experience and Its Relation to the Five-Factor Model in Estonian

ABSTRACT In this article we studied relations between self-rated emotional experience and the five-factor model of personality. Replicating previous findings we found that two dominant dimensions of emotional experience, Negative Affect and Positive Affect (that accounted for three to five times more total variance among Estonian emotion-related terms than any other factors) are selectively related to Neuroticism and Extraversion. Data supported the hierarchical taxonomy scheme proposed by Watson and Clark (1992) in which two broad higher order affective states were each composed of several correlated but still clearly distinguishable moods with their specific content. The content of specific emotions mapped systematically onto measures of personality: Affect scales explained 40% to 50% of the total variance of Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness, approximately 20% of the total variance of Agreeableness, and only 13% of Openness to Experience. Besides the replication of the hierarchical bipartite structure of emotion terms itself in a non-Indo-European language, our data demonstrated that the general pattern of associations between affect and personality domains is also generalizable across languages and cultures.     

Personality and training proficiency: Issues of bandwidth‐fidelity and curvilinearity

This study investigated linear and curvilinear relationships between performance at a US law enforcement training academy and both facet and factor personality scales linking to conscientiousness (i.e. dependability and achievement) and emotional stability (i.e. stress resistance and frustration tolerance). For both conscientiousness and emotional stability, the use of separate facet scales provided the best prediction of training grades when linear and quadratic effects were considered. In all cases, the curvilinear relationships indicated that differences in scores at the low end of the distribution were more predictive of training grades than were differences in scores at the high end of the distribution. Results are discussed in terms of the value of using facet scales to predict performance and the importance of considering curvilinear relationships between personality and specific criteria, such as training grades.     

Susceptibility to Affect: A Comparison of Three Personality Taxonomies

This study had three major goals: to clarify the relationships between Eysenck's, Gray's, and Cloninger's personality taxonomies, to show that traits from these taxonomies predict differential sensitivities to emotional states, and to explore the relationship between sensitivity to an emotional state and how much that state is actually experienced. A factor analysis of traits from Eysenck's, Gray's, and Cloninger's personality taxonomies resulted in three factors that were named reward sensitivity, impulsivity-thrill seeking, and punishment sensitivity. These factors predicted a global measure of affect, emotional reactions to a laboratory mood induction, and self-reported affect in daily life. Generally, reward sensitivity predicted positive, but not negative emotions, whereas punishment sensitivity predicted negative, but not positive emotions. Impulsivity-thrill seeking predicted few emotions in either context. Coherence among the relationships found across methodological contexts suggests that the traits that predict emotion susceptibilities in the laboratory similarly predict emotional experience in ongoing daily life.     

Emotional status and results of a psychological performance test

Relationships between cognitive and emotional factors were proved in numerous investigations. The aim of our study was to examine the quantitative influence of the emotional state on the results in psychological performance tests. We tested 38 healthy subjects and 38 neurotic subjects with two mood scales and five performance tests. The results show, that generally only the smallest relationship exists between the actual psychic state and the results in the performance tests. However, under test conditions, in the case of subjects with emotional disturbances (scores on the mood scales are placed below the normal range) there is a noticeable difference. The application of mood scales in the clinical diagnoses is to be recommended.     

Factor structure of the MCMI basic personality scales and common-item artifact

The eight basic personality scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) were derived from Millon's theory of personality, but the adequacy of the MCMI for measuring Millon's personality constructs has never been assessed. One major problem with using factor analysis to illuminate the structure of the MCMI personality scales is that artifactual structure may result from item overlap among the scales. To analyze this, item-overlap coefficients were factored and compared to the factor structures of five subject samples. For the eight basic personality scales, three factors emerged for the overlap matrix and each of the five sample matrices: Aloof-Social, Aggressive-Submissive, and Lability-Restraint. It was concluded that these three factors are inconsistent with Millon's theory and that they will be found artifactually across a wide variety of populations due to overlapping items.     

Personality and mood correlates of avoidant personality disorder

Avoidant personality disorder (APD) has been recognized as prevalent and clinically important; however, it is not clear how APD maps onto established personality and mood dimensions. In this cross-sectional survey study, 365 college students completed questionnaires assessing APD features and theoretically relevant personality and mood dimensions. Based on these self-report data, 6.6% may meet DSM-IV criteria for APD. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that APD features were associated with introversion, neuroticism, low self-esteem, and pessimistic expectancies. Additionally, APD features were linked with self-reports of elevated emotional responsiveness to threats and reduced emotional responsiveness to incentives (the behavioral inhibition system and behavioral activation system scales). After controlling for the effects of other personality, temperament, and cognitive measures, affective distress (i.e., anger, anxiety, and depression) was no longer related to APD. Results are consistent with APD models that emphasize the joint influences of emotional vulnerability and social-cognitive triggering and sustaining factors.     

Factor Structure of the MCMI Basic Personality Scales and Common-Item Artifact

The eight basic personality scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial inventory (MCMI) were derived from Millon's theory of personality, but the adequacy of the MCMI for measuring Millon's personality constructs has never been assessed. One major problem with using factor analysis to illuminate the structure of the MCMI personality scales is that artifactual structure may result from item overlap among the scales. To analyze this, item-overlap coefficients were factored and compared to the factor structures of five subject samples. For the eight basic personality scales, three factors emerged for the overlap matrix and each of the five sample matrices: Aloof-Social, Aggressive-Submissive, and Lability-Restraint. It was concluded that these three factors are inconsistent with Millon's theory and that they will be found artifactually across a wide variety of populations due to overlapping items.     

Emotional range and value orientation: toward a cognitive view of emotionality

This study focused on emotional range--a personality variable introduced to the study of emotion. It is argued that individual differences in emotional responsiveness need to be described and analyzed not only in terms of emotional intensity but also in terms of emotional range. What are some of the factors that influence an individual's range of emotional experiences? Do cognitive factors play a significant role? Questions such as these were central to the present investigation. In accordance with recent cognitive formulations of emotion, we hypothesized that individual differences on the emotional range variable would be associated with differences in value orientations. Lending support to this proposition, the results revealed a pattern of emotional range--value associations that challenge the prevailing view of emotionality as intimately linked with primitivism and impulsivity. At the same time, the findings strongly suggest that emotionality cannot be understood as divorced from a person's mental life. Implications of the findings for the development of a cognitively oriented approach to the study of individual differences in emotional dispositions are discussed.     

An extension of construct validity for personality scales using twin-based criteria

A twin-based analysis of personality inventory scales yields information relevant to construct validity. If scales validly measure dimensions influenced developmentally either by environmental factors common to cotwins or by genetic similarities, these influences should be apparent in patterns of intraclass correlations and within-pair variance ratios for monozygotic and dizygotic pairs. Criteria for construct validity derived from adolescent twin statistics are illustrated with Wiggins' MMPI Content Scales. A type of discriminant validity indicates that some scales are not distinct in terms of the influences of familial similarity. Sex differences are examined.     

Are curmudgeon personality scales resistant to response distortion?

Curmudgeon personality, which is assessed by having participants evaluate a heterogeneous set of attitude objects, provides an applied value beyond that of more established personality traits. Recent research, for instance, suggests that curmudgeon personality is distinct from the Five Factor Model personality traits and that it predicts unique variance in important criteria, such as job attitudes and well-being. In the current paper we contribute to this literature by testing an explanation of how curmudgeon personality is distinct from other traits—their potential resistance to response distortion. We estimated response distortion for scales of curmudgeon personality and FFM traits across two quasi-experimental studies. As expected, the score shifts between nonapplicant and applicant conditions were smaller for scales of curmudgeon personality compared to scales of emotional stability and conscientiousness. We argue that curmudgeon personality scales may be more resistant to response distortion than are measures of other traits because curmudgeon personality items are semi-implicit and lack an obvious desirable response. The resistance to response distortion should serve as a call to future researchers to test the criterion validity of curmudgeon personality in regard to performance criteria.     

Personality and Emotional Intelligence in Older Adults: A Predictive Model Based on Structural Equations Modeling

Recent research on emotions in aging points to emotional intelligence (EI) as a factor that plays an important role in this process, and different conceptualizations of EI show that this construct is closely linked to personality in the general population. The main purpose of this study was to find out whether findings obtained in the general population indicating a predictive relationship between personality and EI are also confirmed during the aging process. A sample of 233 healthy older subjects between 60 and 90?years old was used. Participants answered two self-report scales on EI and personality, respectively. Structural equation modeling was used to test the predictive role of personality in EI. Personality was found to be a predictor of EI in older people, and the weight of the prediction was significant in all the dimensions of the big five personality factors, except the dimension of neuroticism, which is known to vary greatly during the aging process. These results indicate that personality influences EI differently in the older adult population, compared to the general population. This is a relevant finding that should be examined further in order to better understand the influence of personality on positive emotional development in this population.     

A general factor of personality,social desirability,cognitive ability,and the survey of work styles in an employment selection setting

How a general factor of personality (GFP) correlated with employment screening measures in an applied setting was examined. Participants were 540 adult insurance sales job applicants who completed scales from two personality measures, the five scales from the Survey of Work Styles (SWS), an intelligence measure, and a social desirability scale. A joint factor analysis of the personality questionnaires produced four first order factors. A single GFP was also extracted. Strong correlations were found between some of the personality factors and the SWS scales. Strong significant correlations were found between the GFP and three of the four personality factors with social desirability. Neither the GFP nor the personality factors correlated significantly with cognitive abilities.     

Early manifestations of personality and adult emotional functioning

Developmental antecedents to adult emotional functioning were investigated in an epidemiologic study using theories of personality and emotion. The authors tested whether different types of adult emotional distress can be linked to childhood personality attributes. Using data from 3,138 children at age 7, measures of 4 childhood personality attributes were developed and validated: Behavioral Inhibition, Distress Proneness, Attention, and Inappropriate Interpersonal Self-Regulation. Sound psychometric properties of these scales are demonstrated by considering the measures across multiple samples and in comparison with established child behavior measures. Emotional distress measures were obtained for 694 of these individuals at age 35. Of the personality attributes, 3 of 4 (except behavioral inhibition) predicted general levels of distress as well as specific aspects of adult emotional functioning.     

A construct validation of the Objective-Analytic Test Battery (OATB)

The scales of Cattell's Objective–Analytic Test Battery (OATB) and the factors derived from the factor analysis of the subtests of the OATB were located with respect to a wide range of ability and personality variables, including the 16PF and Cattell's Comprehensive Ability Battery. The expected relationships between the OATB scales and the personality measures did not emerge. However, it was found that many of the OATB scales were highly correlated with ability factors. It is concluded that in Britain, and in its present form, the OATB is not a viable instrument for measuring personality traits.     

Personality disorder correspondence between the million behavioral health inventory (MBHI) and the minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI)

The MBHI and MMPI personality disorder scales were analyzed for convergent and discriminant validity. Correlational data demonstrated that six of the eight scales were significantly related, while the remaining two scales approached significance. Further analyses of these data, however, demonstrated that none of the scales correlated significantly better with its convergent scale compared to nonconvergent scales. The MBHI classified significantly more of the sample as personality disordered (93%) compared to the MMPI personality disorder scales (17%). Furthermore, the MBHI tended to describe the sample as falling within the Anxious cluster of personality disorders, whereas the MMPI described them within the Dramatic cluster. Single scale codetype correspondence was found to be 15%, while two-point concordance was 12.5%, indicating very low congruence between personality style codetypes. These two measures do not appear to be measuring the same personality style constructs.