Reanalysis of Eysenck’s,Gray’s,and Zuckerman’s structural trait models based on a new measure: The Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ)

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships of the dimensions and facets of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ) with other psychobiological personality measures: the EPQ-RS (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised, shortened version), I₇ (Impulsiveness Questionnaire) and SPSRQ-20 (Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire, 20-item version). It is intended to test if findings reported with Zuckerman’s previous instrument (ZK-PQ) about the relationships between the three biologic-factorial personality models are replicated, giving evidence about the validity of the ZKA-PQ. The sample analyzed was of 584 subjects (50.3% men and 49.7% women) from the Spanish general population. Correlational and factor analysis supported the expected relationships between similar constructs assessed by the ZKA-PQ and the other questionnaires based on Eysenck’s and Gray’s personality theories. On the other hand, the inclusion of the facets from the ZKA-PQ improved the validity of the questionnaire. Findings were discussed in the framework of the biological personality models, emphasizing the contribution of the ZKA-PQ to the psychobiological personality research.     

Editorial

Abstract

In recent years, the contribution of research in Neuroscience to Cognitive Psychology has broken new ground in Education, for the study, diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia, and has confirmed previous research studies. This article exposes some of the principal research conducted into the areas of the brain that is involved in learning the written language, and the effects of the application of psychopedagogical interventions in brain activity of children with dyslexia.     

The effects of gender on the retrieval of episodic and semantic components of autobiographical memory

Despite consistent evidence that women exhibit greater episodic memory specificity than men, little attention has been paid to gender differences in the production of episodic details during autobiographical recall under conditions of high and low retrieval support. Similarly the role of gender on the production of semantic details used to support autobiographical memory recollections of specific events has been largely unexplored. In the present study an undergraduate sample of 50 men and 50 women were assessed using the Autobiographical Interview (Levine, Svoboda, Hay, Winocur, & Moscovitch, 2002). Women recalled more episodic information compared to men in the high retrieval support condition, whereas no gender differences were found in the low retrieval support condition. In addition, women produced more repetitions compared to men in the high retrieval support condition. No gender differences were found in the production of semantic details. These results are interpreted in terms of gender differences in encoding and reminiscence practices. This research adds to the literature on gender differences in memory recall and suggests that gender is an important variable in explaining individual differences in AM recall.     

Processing of distractors inside and outside the attentional focus in a priming procedure

A priming procedure was used to study the processing of distractors located either inside (between the location of two targets) or outside (peripherally to the locations of the targets) the focus of attention. The stimuli were five-letter arrays, and participants had to decide whether two marked target letters were the same or different. In Experiments 1 and 2, positive priming was obtained both when targets and in-distractors in primes repeated as targets in probes; negative priming was found when out-distractor primes repeated as targets in probes. In Experiment 3, we also manipulated the match in letter case from primes to probes. In-distractors produced reliable positive priming, irrespective of whether the letters matched in case. In contrast out-distractors produced negative priming but only when the letters had the same case in primes and probes. These results are attributed to a spatial attention process operating (in this case) on low-level visual features, and an object-based selection process that enables more abstract information to be processed for selected stimuli.     

Adult Age Differences in Attention to Semantic Context

ABSTRACT

In three experiments age differences in attention to semantic context were examined. The performance of younger adults (ages 18–29 years) and older adults (ages 60–79 years) on a semantic priming task indicated that both age groups could use information regarding the probability that a prime and target would be related to flexibly anticipate the target category given the prime word (Experiment 1). The timing by which target expectancies were reflected in reaction time performance was delayed for older adults as compared to younger adults, but only when the target was expected to be semantically unrelated to the prime word (Experiment 2). When the target and prime were expected to be semantically related, the time course of priming effects was similar for younger and older adults (Experiment 3). Together the findings indicate that older adults are able to use semantic context and the probability of stimulus relatedness to anticipate target information. Although aging may be associated with a delay in the timing by which controlled expectancies are expressed, these findings argue against an age-related decline in the ability to represent contextual information.     

Event-sequence Analysis of Appraisals and Coping during Trapshooting Performance

This study describes appraisal and coping patterns of Portuguese trapshooters during competition, via post-performance retrospective verbal reports. Probabilities that an event (e.g., missed target) is followed by another event (e.g., negative appraisal) were calculated and state transitional diagrams were drawn. Event-sequences during critical and non-critical performance periods were compared. Negative appraisals were most likely before and after missed targets and hits with the second shot. Positive appraisals were most likely before problem-focused coping and after emotion-focused coping. These findings support the process view of coping by illustrating that athletes cope with a variety of situations via a complex set of appraisals.     

The Cross-Cultural Generalizability of Zuckerman's Alternative Five-Factor Model of Personality

Although theories of stress have emphasized the critical role of the appraisal process, the use of dispositional measures of appraisal have not been readily investigated. Using a large multiethnic sample, we examined the factorial validity and dimensionality of a dispositional version of the Stress Appraisal Measure (SAM; Peacock &; Wong, 1990). Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted in a 4-factor representation of dispositional appraisal fitting better than its originally proposed 6-factor representation. This 4-factor model was invariant across gender groups. Although the 6-factor model purported to measure 3 dimensions of primary appraisal and 3 dimensions of secondary appraisal, these factors were found to be highly unstable and had questionable internal consistency. In contrast, the more parsimonious 4-factor solution identified 4 relative distinct and reliable scales of appraisal: 3 primary (Challenge, Threat, and Centrality) and 1 secondary (Resources). These findings suggest that meaningful dispositional dimensions of appraisal can be derived and incorporated into trait–state models of the stress process.     

Is energy expenditure in emotion regulation dependent on individual differences and the specific emotion in question?

This study tested the hypothesis that the degree of self-control exerted in suppressing emotions would depend on the combination of personality (independence and dutifulness/self-discipline) and the specific type of emotion being suppressed (anger vs. appreciation). In a between-subjects design, 245 college students were induced to experience either anger or appreciation and were then instructed to suppress their emotional expression. Self-control strength was measured using a handgrip task. Exertion of self-control strength over two time points was differentially associated with levels of independence and dutifulness/self-discipline (conscientiousness) and emotion suppression condition. Specifically, individuals higher in dutifulness/self-discipline had a harder time if they were suppressing appreciation than if they were suppressing anger at others, whereas individuals higher in independence had a harder time if they were suppressing anger at others than if they were suppressing appreciation. Implications for understanding personality, self-control, and emotion regulation are discussed.     

Evolutionary Perspectives and Transdisciplinary Intersections: A Roadmap to Generative Areas of Overlap in Discussing Human Nature

This essay assesses a subset of approaches to the topic of human nature(s) and endeavors to identify generative areas of overlap for transdisciplinary conversation. Rather than pursue a resolution to the problem of potentially incompatible frameworks across perspectives, I seek to provide a template, or a roadmap, for a better conversation. My conclusions derive from a targeted literature assessment of subareas within the disciplines of philosophy, biology, anthropology, psychology, and theology, emphasizing those open to evolutionary contexts. I highlight eighteen core elements/themes and propose a few central thematic clusters as foci for moving the exchange on human nature between theology and science forward.