The NEO-PI-3: a more readable revised NEO Personality Inventory

Use of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992) in adolescent samples has shown that a few respondents have difficulty with a subset of items. We identified 30 items that were not understood by at least 2% of adolescent respondents and 18 additional items with low item-total correlations, and we wrote 2 trial replacement items for each. We used self-report and observer rating data from 500 respondents aged 14 to 20 to select replacement items. The modified instrument retained the intended factor structure and showed slightly better internal consistency, cross-observer agreement, and readability (Flesch-Kincaid grade level = 5.3). The NEO-PI-3 appears to be useful in high school and college samples and may have wider applicability to adults as well.     

大学生的性格优势及与主观幸福感的关系

性格优势与主观幸福感是积极心理学的两大核心研究领域,其中,关于性格优势的"价值实践分类体系"被认为是积极心理学发展至今最具影响的成就之一。研究招募115名在校大学生(69女,46男),分别完成优势价值实践调查、牛津幸福体验问卷,以及生活满意度量表。研究发现:(1)在24种优势中,大学生的五大"显著优势"依次为爱与被爱、正直诚实、感恩感激、美的领悟、善良慷慨;(2)希望乐观、爱与被爱、社交智慧、洞察悟性等性格优势与主观幸福感密切相关;(3)希望乐观、爱与被爱、谨慎审慎、洞察悟性对幸福体验的回归方程拟合程度最优,而希望乐观、宽容宽恕、社交智慧、创造才能对生活满意度的回归方程拟合程度最优。     

特质积极共情：一种高利他性的人格品质

特质积极共情是对他人积极情绪信息感受和分享的能力。目前对特质积极共情的研究刚刚起步,在相关概念内涵上还有待进一步丰富和检验。特质积极共情可以有效促进亲社会行为倾向和良好人际关系的形成,是一种高利他性的人格品质。未来研究中,需要在明确并丰富特质积极共情的内涵界定基础上,开发更为有效的测量工具,探讨其促进社会功能背后的作用机制,并开展提升积极共情能力的理论研究和教育实践。     

Character Strengths and PERMA: Investigating the Relationships of Character Strengths with a Multidimensional Framework of Well-Being

Character strengths are positively valued traits that are expected to contribute to the good life (Peterson and Seligman 2004). Numerous studies have confirmed their robust relationships with subjective or hedonic well-being. Seligman (2011) provided a new framework of well-being suggesting five dimensions that encompass both hedonic and eudemonic aspects of well-being: positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishment (forming the acronym PERMA). However, the role of character strengths has not been studied so far in this framework. Also, most studies on the relationships between character strengths and well-being only have only relied on self-reports. This set of two studies examines the relationships of character strengths and the orientations to well-being in two cross-sectional studies (Study 1: N = 5521), while also taking informant-reports into account and utilizing different questionnaires to control for a possible method bias (Study 2: N = 172). Participants completed validated assessments of character strengths and the PERMA dimensions (self-reports in Study 1, self- and informant-reports in Study 2). Results showed that in self-reports, all strengths were positively related to all PERMA dimensions, but there were differences in the size of the relationships. Accomplishment, for example, showed the strongest associations with strengths such as perspective, persistence, and zest, whereas for positive relationships, strengths such as teamwork, love, and kindness were the best predictors. These findings were largely confirmed by informant-reports in Study 2. The findings provide further support for the notion that character contributes to well-being and they could guide the development of strengths-based interventions tailored to individual needs.

     

Dynamic of Change in Pathological Personality Trait Dimensions: A Latent Change Analysis Among at-Risk Women

This study explores longitudinally a four-factor structure of pathological personality trait dimensions (PPTDs) to examine both its structural stability and intra-individual changes among PPTDs over time. Personality Disorder (PD) scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III were administered to 361 low-income women with various psychiatric conditions (drug dependence, depression), who were followed in a two-wave study over 5-years. Cross-sectional and longitudinal factor analyses outlined a robust factorial structure of PPTDs, extrinsically invariant over time, representing Negative Emotionality, Introversion, Antagonism and Impulsivity. Despite moderate rank-order stability in the PPTDs, results also indicated substantial intra-individual variability in the degree and direction of change, consistent with trajectories of change in participants’ clinical diagnoses. Results are discussed in light of current debates on the structure and dynamic of pathological personality.     

从人格特质角度看管理人员应付组织变革

人们常常从宏观角度看待组织变革,但证据和经验均显示,组织管理者个人的个性特质对组织变革有着不同的反应,从而亦对组织变革带来程度不等的影响。因此,以个体为主要对象的人格心理学在组织变革中发挥着重要作用。研究揭示,能够成功应对组织变革的管理人员应具有这样的人格特质他们的自我认识和自我评价是积极、正面的,对世界保持一种开放的心态,对新鲜事物及其所蕴涵着的风险有足够的容纳和忍受能力。并且勇于承担责任,使自己的思想影响周围的人,从而进一步提升组织效能,以适应环境的新变化。     

Character Strengths and Life Satisfaction in Later Life: an Analysis of Different Living Conditions

The aim of this study was to explore the role of character strengths and their associations to life satisfaction in older people. We were interested in studying several transitions that are specific for older people: aging, retirement, living alone, and being widowed. We examined the relationships of these demographic characteristics and living conditions with character strengths and studied their effects on the association of character strengths with life satisfaction. In a cross-sectional analysis, 15,598 older adults (aged 46–93 years) who had completed measures on character strengths, life satisfaction, and demographic characteristics and living conditions were selected from an existing database. Overall, analyses revealed positive associations of most character strengths with age, and higher scores in most character strengths for the employed (vs. the retired) and those living with a partner (vs. those living alone), while only few relationships with being widowed (vs. being married) were observed. Further, the contribution of character strengths to life satisfaction generally decreased slightly with age, but increased for certain character strengths, such as modesty or prudence. Also, stronger relationships between several character strengths and life satisfaction were found for retired people and those living alone, while being widowed did not affect these relationships. The results demonstrate how character strengths might contribute to the life satisfaction of older adults in various living conditions and thereby offer a starting point for strengths-based programs in later life.

     

The General Factor of Personality and Character: A Reanalysis

Using data from the Texas Twin Project, it was recently reported that 7 measures of character covaried to the extent that they formed a general factor of character (Tucker-Drob, Briley, Engelhardt, Mann, &; Harden, 2016 Tucker-Drob, E. M., Briley, D. A., Engelhardt, L. E., Mann, F. D., &; Harden, K. P. (2016). Genetically-mediated associations between measures of childhood character and academic achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 111, 790–815. doi:10.1037/pspp0000098.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). In turn the relationship between the general factor of character and the Big Five personality traits were examined. It was found that personality was associated with the general factor of character primarily through the traits of conscientiousness and openness. For several reasons we propose that a more accurate interpretation of the data is that a Big Five personality traits form a general factor of personality, and that the relationship between the general character factor and personality is primarily through the general factor of personality. The results lend some support to this contention and are discussed in relation to the growing interest in covariation among multiple personality traits.     

Strengths of Character and Happiness: Introduction to Special Issue

This special issue examines strengths of moral character and their relationship to happiness. Six papers are included that address this topic using a variety of samples and methods. The value of positive psychology in encouraging the juxtaposition of typically separate lines of research is underscored.     

Personality Strengths as Resilience: A One‐Year Multiwave Study

We examined how personality strengths prospectively predict reactions to negative life events. Participants were 797 community adults from 42 countries. At five points over the course of 1 year, participants completed a series of questionnaires measuring seven personality strengths (hope, grit, meaning in life, curiosity, gratitude, control beliefs, and use of strengths), subjective well‐being, and frequency and severity of negative life events. Using hierarchical linear modeling with assessment periods nested within participants, results from lagged analyses found that only hope emerged as a resilience factor. To illustrate the importance of using appropriate lagged analyses in resilience research, we ran nonlagged analyses; these results suggest that all seven personality strengths moderated the effect of negative life events on subjective well‐being, with greater strengths associated with healthier outcomes. To provide evidence that personality strengths confer resilience, a prospective examination is needed with the inclusion of events and responses to them. The use of concurrent methodologies and analyses, which is the norm in psychology, often leads to erroneous conclusions. Hope, the ability to generate routes to reach goals and the motivation to use those routes, was shown to be particularly important in promoting resilience.     

人格特质与行为绩效关系研究

人格特质理论产生的目的就是要找到行为产生的根源,并用于解释和预测人的行为。这就注定了人格特质理论在解释和预测人的行为绩效以及人才选拔中的影响力。但许多研究结果表明,人格特质与行为绩效的相关系数并不是很高(0．15——0．25)。这与特质理论所持假设的片面及其在测验上存在的问题有关。     

National Valuing of Character Strengths and Indicators of National Development: A Pilot Study

Character strengths are personal qualities that have communal value and have been linked to personal happiness and well-being. Little research has investigated the degree to which strengths are valued across nations. Similarly, while certain strengths have been associated with indicators of well-being on an individual level, it is yet to be explored which strengths are associated with indicators of national development and well-being. The present study examined the relationship between perceived national valuing of character strengths and key national indicators. A sample of 2119 adults from 84 countries were asked to rate the extent to which each of 24 character strengths is valued by their country. Strength ratings were then compared to indices of national functioning: happiness, freedom, corruption, and gross domestic product per capita measured at purchasing power parity (GDP). The strengths the participants perceived as valued by their countries differed from their self-evaluations of their character strengths. Bravery was the most valued strength across all geographic regions and countries, and humility was the least. Valuing of humor was most consistently and strongly related to happiness. GDP was associated with less prudence, kindness, fairness, and honesty, and more bravery, perseverance, and spirituality. Greater honesty was reflective of less corruption. Freedom was inconsistently related to valuations of strengths. This study should be considered a pilot given its limitations, but it suggests the degree to which a society values certain socially important person variables does not appear to affect individual expression of character strengths, but may be related to national functioning.

     

冷酷无情特质：一种易于暴力犯罪的人格倾向

冷酷无情特质(callous unemotional trait, CU)是指对他人冷漠、缺乏罪责感、低共情的一种人格倾向, 伴随有高频率和高破坏性的反社会行为甚至暴力犯罪。CU特质者在情感上表现为对负性情绪加工不敏感, 缺乏共情; 在认知上表现出追求奖赏、忽视惩罚; 在生物学方面, CU特质者生理唤醒水平低、皮质醇水平低、杏仁核和腹内侧前额叶活动异常。未来研究的方向是修订发展本土化CU特质量表、探析CU特质者的性别差异、梳理CU与品行障碍等其他精神障碍的关系、为暴力犯循证矫正的方案设计提供科学依据。     

From the Equator to the North Pole: A Study of Character Strengths

Recently, psychologists have begun to shift their research attention to positive topics historically overlooked by the profession. The study of character strengths is a major research interest of positive psychologists. A classification of 24 character strengths, called the Values in Action (VIA) Classification, has recently been developed, and the current study evaluates these character strengths across cultures. Among 123 members of the Kenyan Maasai, 71 Inughuit in Northern Greenland, and 519 University of Illinois students, we found high rates of agreement about the existence, desirability, and development of these strengths of character. Despite these strong similarities, there were differences between and within cultures in terms of gender, the perceived importance of specific strengths (such as modesty), and the existence of cultural institutions that promote each strength.     

Personality Trait Development and Social Investment in Work

A longitudinal study of employed individuals was used to test the relationship between social investment at work—the act of cognitively and emotionally committing to one’s job—and longitudinal and cross-sectional personality trait development. Participants provided ratings of personality traits and social investment at work at two time-points, separated by approximately 3 years. Data were analyzed using latent change models. Cross-sectional results showed that extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability were related to social investment at work. Additionally, a positive association was found between longitudinal change in social investment in work and change in personality traits—especially conscientiousness. Finally, the correlated changes in social investment and personality traits were invariant across age groups, suggesting that personality traits remain malleable across the lifespan.