Phobic tendency within the Five-Factor and HEXACO models of personality structure

Recent research has indicated that the various specific phobias are only modestly correlated with the personality dimensions of the Big Five or Five-Factor Model (B5/FFM). We tested the hypothesis that the specific phobias would be more strongly associated with the dimensions of an alternative framework, the HEXACO model of personality structure. Self-reports on the Phobic Stimuli Response Scales (PSRS) were obtained along with self- and peer reports on measures of the B5/FFM and HEXACO dimensions from a sample of 248 non-clinical participants. The PSRS variables assessing specific phobias showed stronger correlations with the HEXACO Emotionality factor than with any B5/FFM dimension, and a stronger multiple correlation with the HEXACO factors than with the B5/FFM dimensions. Findings were similar across self- and peer reports of the personality variables. The results suggest that phobic tendency can be understood in terms of normal personality variation as conceptualized in the HEXACO framework.     

The social behavior and reputation of the attributionally complex

Attributional complexity (AC, [Fletcher, G. J. O., Danilovics, P., Fernandez, G., Peterson, D., & Reeder, G. D. (1986). Attributional complexity: An individual differences measure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 875–884]) is a construct designed to describe individual differences in the motivation and preference for complex attributions for behavior. Scores on the Attributional Complexity Scale (ACS) have been found to be related to a lesser propensity to error and greater accuracy in social judgment. However, little is known concerning how people who score higher on this scale (the attributionally complex) actually behave or are viewed by others. Participants (n = 178) completed the ACS, their behavior as videotaped during a social interaction was rated by four observers, and they were described by two acquaintances along numerous personality characteristics. Behavior of individuals higher in AC was directly observed to be relatively open, positive, expressive, and socially skilled. Although AC was unrelated to academic achievement or SAT scores, those higher in AC tended to be described by peers as having social wisdom, thoughtfulness, empathy, and openness. The behaviors and personality characteristics associated with AC likely contribute to good social judgment.     

Integrating personality,context, relationship,and emotion type into a model of display rules

This research sets out to examine individual variations in perceptions of display rules. Based upon Mischel and Shoda’s [Mischel, W., & Shoda, Y. (1995). A cognitive-affective system theory of personality: Reconceptualizing situations, dispositions, dynamics, and invariance in personality structure. Psychological Review, 102, 246–268.] model of the Cognitive-Affective Personality System (CAPS), we proposed that extraversion and neuroticism would serve to explain within-cultural individual differences and within-individual differences in endorsement of display rules. To test this hypothesis, participants reported the expressivity level of the display rule they endorsed by responding to the revised version of the Display Rule Assessment Inventory. Multi-level analyses showed that compared to those of introverts, the display rules of extraverts tended to be more suppressive when the relationship was distant rather than close. Extraversion also enhanced a neurotic’s degree of suppression in public compared to private situations. Processes describing how personality interacts with situations in personalizing display rules were offered in light of the CAPS model to account for these interactions between personality and situation in the operation of display rules for emotional expression.     

The role of gratitude in the development of social support, stress, and depression: Two longitudinal studies

In two longitudinal studies, the authors examined the direction of the relationships between trait gratitude, perceived social support, stress, and depression during a life transition. Both studies used a full cross-lagged panel design, with participants completing all measures at the start and end of their first semester at college. Structural equation modeling was used to compare models of direct, reverse, and reciprocal models of directionality. Both studies supported a direct model whereby gratitude led to higher levels of perceived social support, and lower levels of stress and depression. In contrast, no variable led to gratitude, and most models of mediation were discounted. Study 2 additionally showed that gratitude leads to the other variables independently of the Big Five factors of personality. Overall gratitude seems to directly foster social support, and to protect people from stress and depression, which has implications for clinical interventions.     

Effects of personality and threat of evaluation on divergent and convergent thinking

This study explores the effects of the Big Five personality traits and threat of evaluation on divergent and convergent thinking in a sample of 82 UK students. Results showed that Openness and Extraversion predicted divergent thinking under both threat of evaluation and no evaluation, whilst Neuroticism correlated significantly with divergent thinking (negatively) only under threat of evaluation. However, mediational analysis showed that the effects of Neuroticism on divergent thinking under threat of evaluation were fully accounted for by Extraversion. Thus neurotics’ divergent thinking was significantly more impaired because they were more introverted. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Core,animal reminder,and contamination disgust: Three kinds of disgust with distinct personality,behavioral, physiological,and clinical correlates

We examined the relationships between sensitivity to three kinds of disgust (core, animal-reminder, and contamination) and personality traits, behavioral avoidance, physiological responding, and anxiety disorder symptoms. Study 1 revealed that these disgusts are particularly associated with neuroticism and behavioral inhibition. Moreover, the three disgusts showed a theoretically consistent pattern of relations on four disgust-relevant behavioral avoidance tasks in Study 2. Similar results were found in Study 3 such that core disgust was significantly related to increased physiological responding during exposure to vomit, while animal-reminder disgust was specifically related to physiological responding during exposure to blood. Lastly, Study 4 revealed that each of the three disgusts showed a different pattern of relations with fear of contamination, fear of animals, and fear of blood–injury relevant stimuli. These findings provide support for the convergent and divergent validity of core, animal-reminder, and contamination disgust. These findings also highlight the possibility that the three kinds of disgust may manifest as a function of different psychological mechanisms (i.e., oral incorporation, mortality defense, disease avoidance) that may give rise to different clinical conditions. However, empirical examination of the mechanisms that underlie the three disgusts will require further refinement of the psychometric properties of the disgust scale.     

Does personality moderate the relationship between stress and health behavior? Expanding the nomological network of the five-factor model

The present study tested the hypothesis that personality would moderate the stress to health behavior relationship. Using a community sample, 706 adults (Mean age = 37 years) were administered a set of five-factor model adjective rating scales, measures of stress and distress (i.e., negative life stress, physical symptom intensity, negative mood), health behaviors, as well as a demographic questionnaire. Using hierarchical multiple regression, Openness to Experience, Extraversion, and Neuroticism were found to moderate the stress to health behavior relationship. Supplementary analyses were conducted to determine if the five-factors would also moderate a life event to distress relationship. While several main effects were found, Conscientiousness was found to buffer the stress to distress connection. The factors that may influence both moderator models, suggestions for integration, and future research are discussed.     

Cognitive ability, personality, and academic performance in adolescence

Does positive thinking predict variance in school grades over and above that predicted by cognitive ability? Six hundred and thirty nine high school students participated in a three-year longitudinal study that predicted grades using cognitive ability and three positive thinking variables – self-esteem, hope, and attributional style. Hope, positive attributional style and cognitive ability predicted higher grades, whilst self-esteem was a less consistent predictor of academic performance. Structural equation modelling revealed significant paths from cognitive ability, gender, and a second order positive thinking factor to grades. The results suggest that intelligence, gender, and positive thinking each play a unique role in predicting academic performance in youth. Some suggestions for further research are made.     

Five-factor personality correlates of perceptions of women’s body sizes

This study examined the association between observers’ personalities and body size perceptions. In total, 1119 participants from an international sample completed a five-factor personality inventory and the female Photographic Figure Rating Scale (PFRS). Results showed that Openness to Experience was correlated with the idealisation of a heavier body size among women, as well as the perception of a wider range of body sizes as attractive among both women and men. In addition, Agreeableness was associated with the perception of a wider range of body sizes as attractive among men. Personality factors explained only a small proportion of the variance in body size perceptions, although present results were consistent with a previous proposal on the role played by observers’ personalities in attractiveness judgements     

Testing and validating the trait emotional intelligence questionnaire (TEIQue) in a German-speaking sample

The trait emotional intelligence questionnaire (TEIQue) was tested and validated using a sample of 352 German-speaking participants. A detailed psychometric analysis provided evidence in support of the reliability of the TEIQue (at the facet, factor and global levels) and the robustness of its proposed four-factor structure. Using a subsample of 150 participants, the associations between the TEIQue and a series of relevant constructs (Big Five, life satisfaction, somatic complaints) were examined, which also included data on other trait EI measures. Overall, the TEIQue showed theoretically expected relationships to all other constructs and incremental validity in the prediction of life satisfaction and somatic complaints over and above the Big Five as well as all other trait EI measures combined.