Implicit Candidate‐Trait Associations in Political Campaigns

While the study of political attitudes has incorporated implicit processes in its theoretical models, the predominant approach to candidate‐trait perception focuses exclusively on explicit processes. Our novel, dual‐process approach to candidate perception sees voters as holding both conscious, explicit impressions of candidate traits and automatic, implicit candidate‐trait associations that cannot be measured using traditional self‐report techniques. We examine implicit candidate‐trait associations for the first time using data from a three‐wave online panel conducted in the last month of the 2012 U.S. presidential election. First, we demonstrate that implicit candidate‐trait associations exist. Second, we show that implicit associations of warmth and competence with the candidates predict explicit candidate evaluations, economic evaluations, and vote choice, above and beyond conventional political science controls and explicit trait perceptions. Finally, we find that these effects are strongest among nonpartisans and partisans with conflicted feelings about their party's nominee. We suggest future directions for implicit political cognition research, including trait perception.     

Age differences in life stories and neuroticism mediate age differences in subjective well-being

We examined whether age differences in life stories and personality traits mediated age differences in subjective well-being. One hundred one young, 77 middle-aged, and 81 older participants completed measures of subjective well-being and personality traits. They described chapters and specific memories in their life stories and rated these on emotional tone and positive and negative self-event connections. Older participants scored higher on subjective well-being, rated their life stories as more positive, and scored lower on neuroticism compared with both young and middle-aged participants. Age differences in subjective well-being were mediated by life stories and neuroticism, with neuroticism being the strongest mediator. We suggest that changes in personality may enable older individuals to interpret events and themselves in a positive light, which help enhance their subjective well-being.     

Traits,states, situations,and uncertainty

The shift of paradigm from psychodynamic therapy to behavior modification has changed the views of assessment and challenged traditional broad trait concepts. Behavioral assessment has used narrow, situation-specific trait tests, state self-report tests given in situations, and behavioral observations and performance ratings. Comparison of these types of measures are reported from a study of fear reactions in three situations. Narrow trait measures are generally more predictive of behavior than broad trait measures. State measures are even more predictive when given just before the performance. But only a sampling of such state measures can be used to define a trait because of the lower reliability of states. It is argued that behavior in situations is only predictable when an adequate number of behavioral samples is used.     

癌症患者家属人格特征、应对方式与消极情绪的关系

为探讨癌症患者家属人格特征、应对方式与消极情绪的关系,对128例癌症患者家属进行调查。结果显示,神经质、消极应对方式、癌症危险认知与消极情绪呈显著正相关;积极应对方式、外向与消极情绪呈显著负相关;外向、神经质、癌症危险认知、消极应对方式均影响癌症患者家属的消极情绪,而消极应对方式为神经质人格特征、癌症危险认知和消极情绪的中间变量。     

Assessing personality at risk in personnel selection and development

This paper demonstrates the validity and usefulness of a count technique to screen for potential personality dysfunctioning in NEO‐PI‐R ratings obtained in selection and professional development assessments. The usefulness of this screening technique for Industrial, Work and Organizational (IWO) psychologists is demonstrated in five different samples that were administered the NEO‐PI‐R for selection or development purposes. Three additional samples served as normative data to compute FFM PD count cut‐offs that can be used for selection and career development decisions. Evidence for the construct validity of 6 out of 10 FFM PD counts was provided, and all FFM PD compound scales were significantly related to important criteria, including the final selection decision, the results of a behaviourally oriented selection interview and self‐rated work competencies. The practical utility and limitations of this count technique for personnel selection and development are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

人格特质对个体心理性应激反应的调节作用

心理性应激是个体的内稳态受到社会心理威胁时候的状态。面对急性心理性应激源, 有机体的各大机能系统, 包括神经内分泌系统、免疫系统以及自主神经系统等, 会出现一系列生物功能的改变。已有研究表明人格特质(如自尊、特质焦虑和大五人格)会影响个体在心理性应激情境中的反应差异且影响方式尚不统一, 并且不同文化环境下人格特质影响心理性应激反应的方式是不一样的, 然而这种结果的差异有可能是生物标记物的不一致造成的, 也有可能是心理性应激任务的不一致造成的, 不能直接进行比较。未来研究应该在控制这些无关变量的基础上, 从跨文化的角度去考察人格特质对个体心理性应激反应差异的影响。     

The Five Factor Model of personality and social support: A meta-analysis

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to evaluate the relation between the Big Five personality traits and social support.MethodData for the meta-analysis were collected from 72 studies, which included 84 independent samples, 624 effect sizes, and 37 678 participants.ResultsLower neuroticism and higher extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were associated with greater perceived availability of social support. Higher extraversion was related to greater perceived received social support. The personality traits-social support relationship was stronger for samples reporting perceived availability of social support from many people than it was for samples reporting perceived availability of social support from concrete people.ConclusionThe study extends current knowledge on the associations between personality traits and social support.     

What do others feel? Cognitive empathy deficits explain the association between callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems among preschool children

Abstract

Callous-unemotional traits (CU) are a risk factor for antisocial behavior, although it is unclear whether deficits in affective or cognitive empathy explain this association. Using a multi-informant approach involving data collection from parents and teachers (N = 167, M age = 4.7 years), the current study aimed to test whether cognitive or affective empathy deficits account for the association between CU traits and antisocial behavior among preschool children. Results revealed that cognitive, but not affective, empathy was associated with both CU and conduct problems, and also mediated the relationship between CU traits and conduct problems. These findings were not replicated for overt and relational aggressive behavior. Our findings suggest that cognitive empathy deficits may be more important than affective empathy in explaining antisocial behavior in preschool children. As a result, interventions aiming to reduce conduct problems early in development may need to target difficulties in understanding what others are thinking or feeling.