Showing papers in "Journal of Individual Differences in 2011"
TL;DR: This article examined the relationship between extraversion, network size, and emotional closeness for 117 individuals and found that extraverts had larger networks at every layer (support clique, sympathy group, outer layer).
Abstract: Previous studies showed that extraversion influences social network size. However, it is unclear how extraversion affects the size of different layers of the network, and how extraversion relates to the emotional intensity of social relationships. We examined the relationships between extraversion, network size, and emotional closeness for 117 individuals. The results demonstrated that extraverts had larger networks at every layer (support clique, sympathy group, outer layer). The results were robust and were not attributable to potential confounds such as sex, though they were modest in size (raw correlations between extraversion and size of network layer, .20 < r < .23). However, extraverts were not emotionally closer to individuals in their network, even after controlling for network size. These results highlight the importance of considering not just social network size in relation to personality, but also the quality of relationships with network members.
159 citations
TL;DR: This paper used latent growth mixture modeling to identify specific patterns of individual variation in response to three major life events (bereavement, divorce, and marriage) and found that a four-class trajectory solution provided the best fit for bereavement and marriage.
Abstract: Theorists have long maintained that people react to major life events but then eventually return to a setpoint of subjective well-being. Yet prior research is inconclusive regarding the extent of interindividual variability. Recent theoretical models suggest that there should be heterogeneity in long-term stress responding (Bonanno, 2004; Muthen & Muthen, 2000). To test this idea, we used latent growth mixture modeling to identify specific patterns of individual variation in response to three major life events (bereavement, divorce, and marriage). A four-class trajectory solution provided the best fit for bereavement and marriage, while a three-class solution provided the best fit for divorce. Relevant covariates predicted trajectory class membership. The modal response across events was a relatively flat trajectory (i.e., no change). Nevertheless, some trajectories diverged sharply from the modal response. Despite the ten- dency to maintain preevent levels of SWB, there are multiple and often divergent trajectories in response to bereavement, divorce, and marriage, underscoring the essential role of individual differences.
119 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between affective experiences and weather variables using an experience-sampling method, and the moderating effects of personality and age on the relationship were also investigated.
Abstract: This study examined the relationship between affective experiences and weather variables using an experience-sampling method. The moderating effects of personality and age on the relationship were also investigated. Two age groups of participants (students and elderly people) recorded their moods when signalled during 14 consecutive days on 7 randomly determined occasions per day. Hourly weather data (temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, and luminance) for the same period were obtained from the local weather station. Previously participants had completed the Estonian versions of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (Kallasmaa, Allik, Realo, & McCrae, 2000) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Allik & Realo, 1997). Multilevel random coefficient modeling analyses showed that momentary ratings of positive and negative affect were weakly related to temperature, positive affect was also related to sunlight. However, momentary ratings of fatigue showed a distinct tendency for greater incidence of sleepiness in the cold and dark. Age group was one of the most important moderators of the weather-emotion models. The influence of weather on emotions interacted with being outdoors. Personality traits also explained a small portion of variance in the influence of weather on affective states.
88 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the psycho- metrics and validity of a proposed four-dimensional measure of procedural and distributive justice beliefs for self and others, and found evidence for idiosyncratic links between four-factor individual differences and measures of well-being and harsh social attitudes.
Abstract: Both theory and research suggest that beliefs about justice for the self are distinct from beliefs about justice for others. Self-other differences, however, have not yet intersected with research on procedural and distributive justice. We examined the psycho- metrics and validity of a proposed four-dimensional measure of procedural and distributive justice beliefs for self and others. Participants from three samples (total N = 1463) completed dispositional measures of beliefs about fair outcomes (distributive justice beliefs) and processes (procedural justice beliefs). These measures were modified and expanded to record beliefs about justice for the self and justice for others. We also administered measures of well-being and harsh social attitudes. Factor analyses strongly supported the proposed four-factor model. In addition, higher-order self-others and procedural-distributive factors were indicated by theoretically appropriate lower-level factors. Finally, multiple regression analyses provided evidence for idiosyncratic links between four-factor individual dif- ferences and measures of well-being and harsh social attitudes. The proposed four-factor operationalization can provide individual differences researchers with a useful tool for bridging two important areas of justice theory and research that previously have been linked to health behavior, well-being, and harsh social attitudes.
83 citations
TL;DR: Results indicate that the effect of working memory and experience on programming skill is mediated through programming knowledge, and programming knowledge was further found to explain individual differences in programming skill to a large extent.
Abstract: This study investigates the role of working memory and experience in the development of programming knowledge and programming skill. An instrument for assessing programming skill – where skill is inferred from programming performance – was administered along with tests of working memory and programming knowledge. We recruited 65 professional software developers from nine companies in eight European countries to participate in a 2-day study. Results indicate that the effect of working memory and experience on programming skill is mediated through programming knowledge. Programming knowledge was further found to explain individual differences in programming skill to a large extent. The overall findings support Cattell’s investment theory. Further, we discuss how this study, which currently serves a pilot function, can be extended in future studies. Although low statistical power is a concern for some of the results reported, this work contributes to research on individual differences in high-realism work se...
65 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated whether the performance measure in the Tailorshop simulation is reliable and valid, and found that the trend of the company value provides a reliable performance indicator.
Abstract: The Tailorshop simulation is a computer-based dynamic decision-making task in which participants lead a fictional company for 12 simulated months. The present study investigated whether the performance measure in the Tailorshop simulation is reliable and valid. The participants were 158 employees from different companies. Structural equation models were used to test ! -equivalent mea- surement models. The results indicate that the trends of the company value between the second and the twelfth month are reliable variables. Furthermore, this measure predicted real-life job performance ratings by supervisors and was associated with the performance in another dynamic decision-making task. Thus, the trend of the company value provides a reliable and valid performance indicator for the Tailorshop simulation.
56 citations
TL;DR: This paper presented two studies done with the Anger-Related Reactions and Goals Inventory (ARGI) combining the assessment of functional and dysfunctional anger-related reactions with the goals that people pursue in regulating interpersonal anger.
Abstract: The article presents two studies done with the Anger-Related Reactions and Goals Inventory (ARGI) combining the assessment of functional and dysfunctional anger-related reactions with the goals that people pursue in regulating interpersonal anger. Study 1 (N = 756) corroborated the questionnaire’s psychometric properties and factorial structure. Correlations with indicators for psychosocial well-being, trait anger, and the Big Five dimensions were largely in line with our predictions. Study 2 documented the convergence between self-reports (N = 104) and reports of two knowledgeable informants (N = 188), in particular for the dysfunctional reactions. We conclude that the ARGI is a reliable and valid questionnaire that taps into facets of anger regulation that are of high relevance for research on the consequences of anger for health and well-being.
53 citations
TL;DR: In this article, age-related differentiation of cognitive abilities from age 2½ to age 7 was examined using data from the German standardization of the SON-R 2½-7 intelligence test.
Abstract: According to the age differentiation hypothesis, cognitive abilities become more differentiated with increasing age during childhood. Using data from the German standardization of the SON-R 2½-7 intelligence test, we examined age-related differentiation of cognitive abilities from age 2½ to age 7. The SON-R 2½-7 is a nonverbal intelligence test for children and consists of six subtests. SON-R 2½-7 supposedly has a two-factorial structure, with a reasoning and a performance factor. We used age-weighted measurement models to describe the age gradients of model parameter estimates. In line with the differentiation hypothesis, we observed a decrease in the correlation between both factors with increasing age. We tested the significance of this observed decrease using a permutation test. Participants were allocated age randomly in 1,000 datasets. Age-weighted measurement models were estimated to observe the age gradients of the correlation between the two factors in these datasets. The results of the permutation test show that the decrease in the correlation observed in the real dataset is significant but of small magnitude. The findings provide some support for intelligence differentiation with increasing childhood age.
42 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify whether men and women adopt different stress and coping processes when subjected to stress in a work context and find that both genders differ in their stress, forming two distinct groups and adopting specific process models.
Abstract: The increasing incidence of occupational stress is recognized as a global phenomenon that is having a detrimental impact on both individuals and organizations. This study aims to identify whether men and women adopt different stress and coping processes when subjected to stress in a work context. A total of 258 workers of various professions (males = 106, females = 152) participated in the study. Results indicated that men and women differ in their stress and coping processes, forming two very distinct groups and adopting specific process models when encountering a stressful situation at work. Limitations and implications from this study are discussed.
37 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a reliability generalization study of the Way of Coping Questionnaire (WAYS) was conducted, and the results indicated that the Confrontive Coping and Distancing subscales generate the most variable reliability coefficients across studies.
Abstract: One instrument cited in the literature as an effective measure of approaches to coping is the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WAYS; Folkman & Lazarus, 2005). This study is a reliability generalization (RG) study of the WAYS that strives to further distill psychometric properties of the scores generated by this measure. Results from this meta-analytic investigation of 130 previously published research studies indicate that the Confrontive Coping and Distancing subscales generate the most variable reliability coefficients across studies. Regression analyses suggest that the variables type of scoring, sample size, population type, sample source, gender homogeneity, and racial homogeneity were most important in determining reliability estimates on the Seeking Social Support, Escape-Avoidance, Planful Problem Solving, and Positive Reappraisal subscales. Implications for the use of the WAYS are offered.
37 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the convergent and discriminant validity of two approaches, multitrait-multimethod matrices and multi-informant design, for opinion leadership.
Abstract: Influential individuals who shape the attitudes and behaviors of their peers are termed opinion leaders. The interpretability of research on opinion leadership, however, has frequently been hampered by the use of divergent instruments that follow either a domain-specific view of opinion leadership or a more domain-independent trait conceptualization. In two studies, multitrait-multimethod matrices are analyzed regarding the convergent and discriminant validity of both approaches. Study I (N = 407) demonstrates the stability of the opinion leadership scales over time and their discriminant validity to established measures in personality (e.g., extraversion) and attitudinal research (e.g., involvement). Study II (N = 185) replicates these results in the form of a multitrait-multiinformant design, demonstrating high convergence of self- and peer-assessments. However, different operationalizations of domain-independent opinion leadership displayed limited convergent validity, indicating that they capture diff...
TL;DR: The authors examined whether sexism is best explained by personality (Big-Five factors, social dominance orientation, and right-wing authoritarianism) or by social-psychological (group membership and group identification) variables -or by a combination of both approaches.
Abstract: Previous research has almost exclusively examined sexism (negative attitudes toward women) from either a personality or a social-psychology perspective. In two studies (N = 379 and 182, respectively), we combine these perspectives and examine whether sexism is best explained by personality (Big-Five factors, social dominance orientation, and right-wing authoritarianism) or by social-psychological (group membership and group identification) variables - or by a combination of both approaches. Causal modeling and multiple regression analyses showed that, with the present set of variables, sexism was best explained by considering the combined influence of both personality- and social-psychology constructs. The findings imply that it is necessary to integrate various approaches to explain prejudice.
TL;DR: This work investigated the associations between an individual's perceived vulnerability to disease, whether they own any animals, and whether they carry out behavioral tactics to avoid parasite transmission and discussed the results, further taking into account both the model of natural selection and the coevolutionary arms race model.
Abstract: The evolutionary history of humans has always been influenced by pathogens because of their ability to cause both morbidity and mortality. Natural selection should favor behavioral strategies that minimize disease transmission and consequently increase human survival. Collectively such strategies are referred to as the behavioral immune system, which is thought to be more often activated in individuals with an impaired immune system who are most vulnerable to pathogens and infectious diseases. We investigated the associations between an individual's perceived vulnerability to disease, whether they own any animals, and whether they carry out behavioral tactics to avoid parasite transmission. A sample of 285 Slovakian students participated in a questionnaire study. As predicted, antipathogen behavior was activated in individuals with a high perceived vulnerability to disease. Females showed higher antiparasitic scores than males especially when behaviors were most likely to transmit disease. Individuals who owned animals perceived themselves as less vulnerable to disease as well as less vulnerable to the perceptions of those who did not own any animals. Moreover, among animal owners scores for parasite-avoiding behaviors relevant to being in close contact with an animal (such as removing animal feces and worming animals) were higher than for parasite-transmitting behaviors relevant to being in close contact with an animal (such as allowing animals to lick). We discuss the results, further taking into account both the model of natural selection and the coevolutionary arms race model.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide evidence for a stable baseline level of association between one individual difference index of prejudice proneness, that of social dominance orientation (SDO), and generalized racist attitudes.
Abstract: There has been considerable debate regarding the extent to which prejudice results from individual differences versus situ- ational factors affecting self-categorization. We provide evidence for a stable baseline level of association between one individual difference index of prejudice proneness, that of social dominance orientation (SDO), and generalized racist attitudes. Consistent with an individual difference perspective, SDO retained a baseline level of association with racism across conditions invoking ethnic versus personal identity (N = 179 European/white undergraduates). Consistent with a self-categorization theory perspective, however, this association was heightened when ethnic (vs. personal) identity was made salient prior to (but not after) the assessment of SDO. Although the salience of different social identities moderated the association between SDO and prejudice, manipulating identity salience did not entirely remove or alter the direction of the effect. This supports our argument that there exists a baseline level or individual difference component of SDO that predicts prejudice and that cannot be accounted for by the manipulation of social identification as an individual versus a member of the ethnic majority in New Zealand.
TL;DR: In this article, the relationship between psychometric intelligence and temporal information processing can be also observed in the visual modality, where performance on four visual psychophysical timing tasks (duration discrimination with filled and empty intervals, temporal generalization, and rhythm perception) was examined and related to performance on a psychometric test of intelligence.
Abstract: According to previous studies there is a well-established functional relationship between temporal resolution power (TRP), assessed by auditory psychophysical timing tasks, and psychometric intelligence. Here we investigated whether the relationship between psychometric intelligence and temporal information processing can be also observed in the visual modality. For this purpose, performance on four visual psychophysical timing tasks (duration discrimination with filled and empty intervals, temporal generalization, and rhythm perception) was examined and related to performance on a psychometric test of intelligence. Correlational analyses indicated a reliable positive association between performance on each of the four temporal tasks and psychometric intelligence. Structural equation modeling suggested that performance on the four tasks can be assigned to one latent variable, referred to as TRP, which explained 16.5% of variance of psychometric intelligence. Findings indicate that the functional relations...
TL;DR: The Motion Picture Mind Reading (MPMR) Test as discussed by the authors is a naturalistic mind reading task designed to measure individual differences in a young adult population in Japan, where participants judged the mental state of a character in these films.
Abstract: The Motion Picture Mind Reading (MPMR) Test is a novel naturalistic mind-reading task, designed to measure individual differences in a young adult population in Japan. Short scenes from TV films showing characters in social situations were presented to 128 university students; participants judged the mental state of a character in these films. The distribution of task performance (MPMR Test) of participants was approximately normal and its psychometric properties were found to be satisfactory. The MPMR Test scores correlated positively with those of the Eyes Test and also with scores on the empathy quotient (EQ); they correlated negatively with scores on the systemizing quotient (SQ). The MPMR Test provides a further method for assessing subtle individual differences in mind-reading ability in the general population.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the effect of faking on the dimensionality and mean scores of an objective personality test measuring subjectively accepted level of risk and found that faking may distort both the dimensions and the mean scores.
Abstract: The article investigated the effect of faking on the dimensionality and mean scores of an objective personality test measuring subjectively accepted level of risk. Various studies conducted with standardized personality questionnaires have demonstrated that faking may distort both the dimensionality and mean scores. In contrast, the empirical evidence on the effect of faking on the dimensionality and mean scores obtained with objective personality tests is still sparse. In the first study, we evaluated the effect of naturally occurring faking on the dimensionality and mean scores using a between-subject design that compared professional driver applicants to volunteers matched according to relevant sociodemographic characteristics. The results indicated that the objective personality test measures the same latent trait in both samples. Furthermore, we failed to observe a significant mean difference between volunteers and professional driver applicants. Furthermore, we failed to observe any mean score diffe...
TL;DR: The authors examined the relation among shyness, sociability, and the accuracy of categorization of facial expression of emotions in a sample of 127 undergraduates, finding that individual differences in sociability and social exposure may influence the ability to categorize facial expressions of emotions.
Abstract: Accurate identification of emotional expressions is important to social interaction. We examined the relations among shyness, sociability, and the accuracy of categorization of facial expression of emotions in a sample of 127 undergraduates. Individual differences in sociability, but not shyness, were significantly related to categorization accuracy under conditions of limited presentation time, but not under circumstances of unlimited stimulus presentation time. Adults self-rated as low to moderate in sociability were significantly less accurate in categorizing facial expressions of emotion, albeit only under conditions of rapid stimulus presentation. These results suggest that individual differences in sociability and social exposure may influence the ability to categorize facial expressions of emotions.
TL;DR: In this paper, performance differences individuals show when solving a computerized spatial-orientation dynamic task, irrespective of their cognitive ability, were found to reflect individuals' cognitive style: Reflection-Impulsivity.
Abstract: This study focuses on performance differences individuals show when solving a computerized spatial-orientation dynamic task, irrespective of their cognitive ability. The hypothesis tested was that differences in performance reflect individuals' cognitive style: Reflection-Impulsivity. The Spatial Orientation Dynamic Task-Revised (SODT-R) and the Analytical, Sequential, and Inductive Rea- soning Test (TRASI) were administered to 541 postgraduate participants, as part of the selection process they were following. Reflec- tion-Impulsivity was measured through average response latency and average error score comprising three groups: impulsive, reflective, and medium. Performance was measured by mean response frequency, quality proportion of the first press, and mean invested time. Data were analyzed through discriminant analysis. Criterion variable was Reflection-Impulsivity groups and discriminant variables were performance ones, plus intelligence. Results show different performance patterns clearly associated with Reflection-Impulsivity (canonical correlation = .63). Intelligence played a small role in the differentiation between groups. Findings support the proposal to use spatial orientation tasks as vehicles to measure cognitive style Reflection-Impulsivity in adults. We finally discuss performance patterns as a pathway to ways of acquiring and processing spatial information for impulsives and reflexives, with similar cognitive resources.
TL;DR: The authors found that, as sensation seeking decreased, high levels of poor control increased the likelihood of experiencing an emesis perception following disgust, indicating that individuals high in sensation seeking may require greater emotional arousal in order to induce harm avoidance.
Abstract: Perception of risk to a stimulus associated with negative affect may depend on the level of emotional arousal it elicits. Sensation seeking is associated with a decreased level of arousal to risk stimuli. Individuals high in sensation seeking may require greater emotional arousal in order to induce harm avoidance. Poor control increases the salience of emotional cues, which may increase the magnitude of emotion associated with risk stimuli. In the present study, we found that, as sensation seeking decreased, high levels of poor control increased the likelihood of experiencing an emesis perception following disgust. The results support a harm avoidance system tied to emotions elicited from immediate threat that is potentiated by poor control.
TL;DR: This article found that the consistency bias may be rooted in self-concept stability, which is likely to inflate estimates of consistency across self-reports of interpersonal behavior, even if their actual behavior in the situation is partialled out.
Abstract: The term “consistency bias” (Sadler & Woody, 2003) refers to people’s tendency to judge their own interpersonal behavior in a given situation in accordance with their general self-images, even if their actual behavior in the situation is partialled out. In the present study, 108 participants first described their own interpersonal dispositions by means of adjectives and then took part in brief, videotaped interviews. The participants and five observers rated the participants’ behavior during the interviews, using the same adjectives. The consistency bias was replicated for the broad interpersonal dimensions of Dominance and Affiliation, as well as for the average individual item. Two possible sources of the consistency bias (i.e., visual perspective and word commonness) were investigated, but neither could explain the effect. The consistency bias may be rooted in self-concept stability. It is likely to inflate estimates of consistency across self-reports of interpersonal behavior.
TL;DR: This paper explored the contribution of differences in motor response initiation and execution to the biological bases of extraversion and found that extraverts initiate movement faster and are less efficient than introverts in processing simple stimulus signals to respond and endorse the view differences in sensory-motor processing are important determinants of variation in extraversion.
Abstract: This article explores the contribution of differences in motor response initiation and execution to the biological bases of extraversion Specifically, we examined individual differences in the lateralized readiness potential (LRP) for introverts and extraverts under conditions influencing stimulus evaluation time prior to response execution, ie, stimulus information value and tonal complexity The salient effects were longer stimulus-locked LRP and shorter response-locked LRP for extraverts than introverts to simple imperative stimuli to respond The present studies (1) confirm that extraverts initiate movement faster and are less efficient than introverts in the processing of simple stimulus signals to respond and (2) endorse the view differences in sensory-motor processing are important determinants of variation in Extraversion
TL;DR: In this article, the authors conducted two studies (n = 199 and n = 132) to experimentally vary a prominent sustained attention tests: the Digit-Symbol Substitution Test (DST) and found that the coordination ability was stable, correlated significantly with other sustained attention tasks, and was also related to the executive function switching.
Abstract: Coordination is a well-known concept in experimental psychology. The coordination of action patterns was also proposed as a key determinant in paper-pencil sustained attention/concentration tests. To date, however, no studies have tried to prove the relevance of coordination ability in sustained attention tests. We conducted two studies (n = 199 and n = 132) to experimentally vary a prominent sustained attention tests: the Digit-Symbol Substitution Test. Using an approach derived from multitasking research, we extracted a residual that presumably comprised variance due to coordination. This presumption was confirmed in Study 1: The coordination ability was stable, correlated significantly with other paper-pencil sustained attention tests, and was also related to the executive function switching. In Study 2, a different approach led to similar results: We could show that practice gains can be attributed to an improved ability to coordinate basic action patterns. It is concluded that coordination is a core ...
TL;DR: The relationship between self-report abilities and personality was examined at both the phenotypic (zero-order) level as well as at the genetic and environmental levels in this paper.
Abstract: The relationship between self-report abilities and personality was examined at both the phenotypic (zero-order) level as well as at the genetic and environmental levels. Twins and siblings (N = 516) completed self-report ability and personality questionnaires. A factor analysis of the ability questions revealed 10 factors, including politics, interpersonal relationships, practical tasks, intellectual pursuits, academic skills, entrepreneur/business, domestic skills, vocal abilities, and creativity. Five personality factors were examined, including extraversion, conscientiousness, dependence, aggression, and openness. At the phenotypic level, the correlations between the ability factor scores and personality factor scores ranged from 0 to .60 (between political abilities and extraversion). The relationship between the two areas at the genetic level was found to range between -.01 and .60; the environmental correlations ranged from -.01 to .48. The results suggest that some of the self-report ability scores are related to self-report personality, and that some of these observed relationships may have a common genetic basis while others are from a common environmental factor.
TL;DR: In this article, two psycholexically based taxonomies of values found in Dutch and in German are compared, and a joint structure is presented, and congruencies are assessed between the original factors and as resulting from target rotations.
Abstract: Two psycholexically based taxonomies of values found in Dutch and in German are compared, and a joint structure is presented. The datasets consisted of self- and other-ratings of 634 participants on 641 Dutch value descriptors and of self-ratings of 456 participants on 496 German value descriptors. For both taxonomies factor solutions with one up to 8 factors were extracted, and the hierarchy of the emergence of factors is given for each taxonomy. On the basis of 168 common items, congruencies are assessed between the original factors and as resulting from target rotations. Three different procedures are followed for the comparison, con- cluding in a recurrent 5-factor joint structure of values.