Self-concealers: Do they conceal what we always assumed they do?

The present investigation empirically examined the relation between self-concealment and three secret typologies reported in the literature. For this aim a general population sample of 221 participants completed an online questionnaire that included the Self-concealment Scale (Larson & Chastain, 1990). Respondents also wrote down their most important secret. It was found that SC is positively associated with keeping secrets that concern convictions of personal inadequacy, sorrows, and worries that relate to oneself. In addition, it is concluded that self-concealed information refers in particular to secrets regarding personal inadequacy, sorrow, and worry. Implications for secrecy research are discussed and suggestions for future research are made.     

Dimensionality Analysis of the Thought Suppression Inventory: Combining EFA, MSA, and CFA

The Thought Suppression Inventory (TSI; Rassin, European Journal of Personality 17: 285-298, 2003) was designed to measure thought intrusion, thought suppression and successful thought suppression. Given the importance to distinguish between these three aspects of thought control, the aim of this study was to scrutinize the dimensionality of the TSI. In a sample of 333 Dutch senior citizins, we examined (1) the dimensionality of the TSI using various procedures such as PAF, Mokken scale analysis (MSA) and CFA, and (2) the scale properties of the TSI. PAF favored a two factor solution, however, MSA and CFA suggested that three dimensions most adequately capture the structure of the TSI. Although all scales obtained at least medium scalability coefficients, several items were identified that are psychometrically unsound and may benefit from rewording or replacement. The findings suggest that the TSI is a three-dimensional questionnaire as originally proposed by Rassin (European Journal of Personality 17: 285-298, 2003) measuring thought intrusion, thought suppression, and successful thought suppression.     

Lifeguards and Physically Risky Prosocial Groups: A comparison based on personality theory

The goal of this study is to explore the personality of experienced professional lifeguards in terms of Eysenck and Eysenck's PEN model of personality and Zuckerman's sensation seeking trait. A sample of 144 male professional lifeguards were contrasted with three different samples: (1) a general population sample; (2) a sample of individuals engaged in physically risky sports; and (3) a sample of prosocial physically risky professionals. It was found that lifeguards resembled most closely the prosocials followed by the sportsmen and finally the general population. The most frequent and largest differences between lifeguards and the comparison groups were found on extraversion, experience seeking, and neuroticism. The implications for lifeguard selection procedures and future research are discussed.     

The Relations Between Secrecy,Rejection Sensitivity and Autonomy-Connectedness

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of two attachment-related variables on secrecy: rejection sensitivity and autonomy-connectedness. We hypothesized that rejection sensitivity is positively associated with secrecy, and autonomy-connectedness negatively with rejection sensitivity and secrecy. These hypotheses were generally corroborated in a sample of 303 university students. Moreover, we found that autonomy-connectedness at least partly explained the association between rejection sensitivity and secrecy. Self-awareness was negatively related to secrecy, suggesting that being aware of what one needs and thinks and being able to realize one's needs in social interactions reduce the tendency to keep secrets. In addition, interesting gender effects were found suggesting that men have a higher tendency to have secrets than women after controlling for the effects of autonomy-connectedness and rejection sensitivity. Our findings deepen the insight into possible reasons behind established associations between rejection sensitivity and secrecy, and may have clinical implications.     

Consensual validity parameters of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman personality questionnaire: evidence from self-reports and spouse reports

One way of validating questionnaire responses is correlating them with ratings made by external assessors who know the ratee well: This is known as consensual validity. In this study, we assessed the consensual validity of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ; Zuckerman, 2002; Zuckerman, Kuhlman, Joireman, Teta, & Kraft, 1993). A multitrait-multimethod matrix of self-reported and spouse reported personality ratings was used to establish convergent and discriminant validity by means of Campbell and Fiske's (1959) evaluative criteria. Self-reports of 86 men and 85 women were correlated with their spouses' reports. Intraclass correlations ranged from .47 to .63 for the 5 dimensions, providing strong evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The results obtained favor the use of the ZKPQ as a valid self-report measure of personality traits.     

A comparative study of the dimensionality of the self-concealment scale using principal components analysis and Mokken scale analysis

We discuss and contrast 2 methods for investigating the dimensionality of data from tests and questionnaires: the popular principal components analysis (PCA) and the more recent Mokken scale analysis (MSA; Mokken, 1971). First, we discuss the theoretical similarities and differences between both methods. Then, we use both methods to analyze data collected by means of Larson and Chastain's (1990) Self-Concealment Scale (SCS). We present the different results and highlight the instances in which the methods complement one another so as to obtain a stronger result than would be obtained using only 1 method. Finally, we discuss the implications of the results for the dimensionality of the SCS and provide recommendations for both the further development of the SCS and the future use of PCA and MSA in personality research.