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Showing papers in "Psychological Studies in 2010"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper outlined the major approaches to the psychological study of acculturation, drawing particular attention to the importance of context, and highlighted three significant contexts: family, ethnic community, and society/nation.
Abstract: The paper outlines the major approaches to the psychological study of acculturation, drawing particular attention to the importance of context. Three significant contexts are highlighted: family, ethnic community, and society/nation. New perspectives from our evolving program of acculturation research are introduced to illustrate contextual influences on acculturation, and future directions for empirical work are recommended.

91 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the concepts of self, social identity, and psychological well-being, and integrated empirical evidence that relates various self-aspects or social identities to psychological wellbeing.
Abstract: Self and social identity are key elements in the understanding of a person’s strivings for health and well-being. This review (i) examines the concepts of self, social identity, and psychological well-being; (ii) integrates empirical evidence that relates various self-aspects or social identities to psychological well-being; (iii) analyzes within a stress and coping framework the well-being consequences of socially devalued self or threatened identities, perceived discriminations, challenges of acculturation and identity management; and (iv) delineates the role of self, social identity and related psycho-social variables as moderators and mediators in pathways leading to psychological well-being. Besides listing some methodological issues and empirical deficits, major concerns for future research are also identified. An explicit self and social identity perspective of this research synthesis brings personal and social aspects together, and this interface offers exciting opportunities for research advancement.

83 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the impact of organizational communication on job satisfaction and job performance and found that organizational communication had a significant effect on the job satisfaction of the employees in Indian organizations.
Abstract: The present paper analyses the impact of organizational communication on job satisfaction and job performance. Data were collected from 380 employees working at different managerial levels in various organizations in India by using Organizational Communication Scale (Roberts & O’Reilly, 1974), Job Satisfaction Survey scale (Spector, 1985), and Job Performance scale (Rodwell, Kienzle & Shadur, 1998). It was found that organizational communication had a significant effect on job satisfaction and job performance of the employees. The analysis further indicated that the employees at different levels perceived job satisfaction differently. Thus, it can be inferred that in Indian organizations, job satisfaction and performance are very much dependent on the communication behavior of the organization.

78 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper used self-report measures completed by one hundred and twenty three (123) undergraduate technology students to investigate the validity of Peterson and Seligman's (2004) classification system of 24 character strengths embodied in six core virtues.
Abstract: This study uses self-report measures completed by one hundred and twenty three (123) undergraduate technology students to investigate the validity of Peterson and Seligman’s (2004) classification system of 24 character strengths embodied in six core virtues. Using exploratory factor analyses we found, that an exact convergence of the character strengths was explicitly absent with the six-virtues. In our study, a five-factor solution was more comprehensive and well representing the resultant factor loadings upon analyzing the data which is further compared to a similar empirical study available for analyzing structural dynamics. In this paper, we have discussed the five-factor solution and renamed the dimensions to show a legitimate picture of the classification system, which requires further justification, and in addition, advocates reanalysis and reinterpretation of the originally propounded values in action (VIA) classification as a recommendation for future research.

67 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors examined the predictive effects of parenting practices and parenting style on children's school achievement, and the predictive effect of parental expectations and parental beliefs on parenting style for 6,626 respondents with children aged 5-18 years in Canada.
Abstract: This study, drawing on data from the 2002 Survey of Approaches to Educational Planning (SAEP), examined the predictive effects of parenting practices and parenting style on children’s school achievement, and the predictive effects of parental expectations and parental beliefs on parenting style for 6,626 respondents with children aged 5–18 years in Canada. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses, after controlling for family socioeconomic status (SES), revealed the substantial positive predictive effects of family SES, parental encouragement, parental expectations, and parental beliefs on children’s school achievement. In contrast, parental monitoring had a substantial negative predictive effect on children’s school achievement in the context of other variables. Although parental expectations were not related to parenting style, parental beliefs were positively associated with both parental encouragement and parental monitoring—the two dimensions of authoritative parenting style.

47 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify the impact of individual and organizational factors on employee's relational and transactional psychological contract and investigate the effects of psychological contract on innovative work behavior and psychological ownership.
Abstract: This study identifies the impact of individual and organizational factors on employee’s relational and transactional psychological contract. The study also investigates the effects of psychological contract on innovative work behavior and psychological ownership. The sample consisted of 307 employees working in four organizations in India. The results show that while creditor ideology predicted relational psychological contract, perceived organizational support emerged as the predictor of both relational and transactional contract. In terms of the outcomes of psychological contract, while transactional psychological contract emerged as a significant predictor of psychological ownership as well as innovative work behavior, relational psychological contract emerged as a significant predicator of only psychological ownership. Managerial Implications of the study are discussed.

32 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report a study on the use of a multiple feedback methodology for creativity evaluation in the case of Romanian Easter eggs and find that participants almost unanimously appreciated traditional wax decorated eggs as highly creative for their designs, aesthetics and the hard work and talent they require but opinions diverged when commenting on the creativity of other types of Easter eggs.
Abstract: The present article reports a study on the use of a multiple feedback methodology for creativity evaluation in the case of Romanian Easter eggs. Four groups of evaluators —i.e. ethnographers, priests, art teachers and folk artists—all members of professional communities relevant for this particular folk art participated in the study. They almost unanimously appreciated ‘traditional’ wax decorated eggs as highly creative for their designs, aesthetics and the hard work and talent they require but opinions diverged when commenting on the creativity of other types of Easter eggs. At a more general level, two broad evaluation patters were found, corresponding to whether respondents participate or not in decoration practices. Identifying these patterns comes to reinforce the idea that creativity evaluations, as well as creative activity, are rooted in the social and cultural contexts of the participants and these contexts share important similarities but also marked differences.

31 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors explored the joint effects of Indians' discrepant mindset, context sensitivity, and quality of environment on their modes of behavior, and predicted how a person is likely to change his behavior when the conditions in which he works change from disabling to enabling.
Abstract: Eight hundred and twenty-nine adults, drawn from 12 locations in all four parts of India, participated in a study that explored the joint effects of Indians’ discrepant mindset, context sensitivity, and quality of environment on their modes of behavior. Respondents also predicted how a person is likely to change his behavior when the conditions in which he works change from disabling to enabling. The findings showed that the two most dominant modes of behavior-self-serving calculative and achieving high positive goal — coexisted, but were differently caused. Context sensitivity facilitated both modes of behavior; but adequate infrastructure and friendly and helpful people in the neighborhood encouraged only achieving high positive goal behavior. On the contrary, duplicity in professing desirable but acting under realistic compulsions, poor quality of environment, and low levels of development were conducive to self-serving calculative behavior. As a situation changed from disabling to enabling, a person was likely to shift towards more positive behavior.

31 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors explored the association of emotional disclosure with selected intrapersonal and interpersonal variables and their role in prediction of subjective well-being in day-to-day living and found that lower affect intensity, higher emotional clarity, lower trait rumination, higher perceived support and higher emotional disclosure predicted higher subjective well being.
Abstract: There is a large body of empirical research on emotional disclosure and its relationship to health and well being. However, emotional disclosure has been examined largely in the context of illness or trauma. Beneficial outcomes of emotional disclosure in day-to-day living have not been consistently observed in non-experimental studies, although a large proportion of individuals do report perceived benefits. The present study aimed at exploring the association of emotional disclosure with selected intrapersonal and interpersonal variables and their role in prediction of subjective well being in day-to-day living. The sample comprised of 209 adults who did not report presence of any major stressor in the recent past. In hierarchical regression analysis, lower affect intensity, higher emotional clarity, lower trait rumination, higher perceived support and higher emotional disclosure predicted higher subjective well being. In addition, trait rumination emerged as a significant moderator of the relationship between emotional disclosure and subjective well being.

29 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper explored the links between the changes associated with the processes of globalization and their psycho-social consequences, focusing primarily on socio-cultural domain, and examined the impact of globalization on various facets of individual psyche.
Abstract: This paper explores the links between the changes associated with the processes of globalization and their psycho-social consequences. Focusing primarily on socio-cultural domain, it examines the impact of globalization on various facets of individual psyche. The paper also looks at social functioning, delineates the role of globalization and acculturation processes in the decentring, dislocation, and reconstitution of core identities that provide crucial linkages to the well-being consequences. The review shows that despite threats to their valued identities, ethnic-minority immigrants who adopt active, problem-focused coping and/or identify with their social identity-based support groups cope efficaciously with stress of identity-based discrimination and devaluation, protect their well-being, and even report enhanced collective self-esteem. The “threatened identities” and “coping options—resources and strategies” that are invoked to cope with such threats, are significant psycho-social moderators between the processes of globalization and the well-being of individuals and groups.

25 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed a familism scale comprised of two dimensions, namely support obligations and traditional norms, in order to examine cross-cultural and gender differences in a group of Indian and Italian students.
Abstract: In the present research, we developed a familism scale comprised of two dimensions, namely support obligations and traditional norms, in order to examine cross-cultural and gender differences in a group of Indian (n = 107) and of Italian students (n = 106). We hypothesised and found that support obligations were judged more important than traditional norms in both groups. Moreover, the Indian participants considered both dimensions of familism more important than did their Italian counterparts. Indian women gave greater importance to traditional norms than Indian men did, while Italian women gave greater importance to support obligations than Italian men did. The social implications of cross-cultural and gender differences in familism are discussed.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the extent to which capacity to delay gratification, core self-evaluations and demographic variable would predict substance use among students (n = 325) of a state-owned, non-residential Nigerian university.
Abstract: Documented empirical evidence indicates that substance abuse among young people, especially students, is assuming an unprecedented upward surge worldwide. Substance abuse among students is associated with a myriad of negative physical, social and psychological consequences, including liver, cranial, and cardiovascular diseases, cancers, vehicular fatalities, mental and behaviour disorders, violence, declining grades, increased potential for dropout and high truancy rates, suicides, homicides, and accidental injuries. Indeed, substance abuse is now considered a leading cause of preventable deaths in many countries of the word. Although there is preponderance of studies on substance abuse among students, there is lack studies on personality and demographic factors. In this cross-sectional survey, we explored the extent to which capacity to delay gratification, core self-evaluations and demographic variable would predict substance use among students (n = 325) of a state-owned, non-residential Nigerian university. A structured questionnaire was used to collect relevant data. Results of multiple regression showed that a combination of the predictor variables jointly predicted substance abuse by accounting for about 22% of its variance. Independently, gender, age, family background (β = .23; p < .01), birth order, delayed gratification and core self-evaluations predicted substance abuse. It was recommended that youths should be taught the benefits inherent in delaying gratification. Psycho-educational and skill-building programmes should be used to re-orient students about substance abuse.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the problems tackled in this article are related to current social and cross-cultural psychological perspectives on the Indian context, and they are also related to the well-established differentiation between the "West" and the "East" which many psychologists have become used to and which are the foundation of current psychological theories about so-called “West-East differences.
Abstract: Notwithstanding the fact that stereotypes and ethnocentrism constitute central topics of social psychology a cultural psychological question has almost been completely neglected in the discipline’s reflections on its own scientific endeavors: How has Western psychology’s construction of the “Indian“ and the “Eastern psyche“ been influenced by stereotypes that are embedded in culture-specific traditions of European scholarly and non-scholarly thinking? The problems tackled in this article are related to current social and cross-cultural psychological perspectives on the Indian context. In addition, they are related to social and cross-cultural psychological contributions to the well-established differentiation between the “West“ and the “East,“ which many psychologists have become used to and which are the foundation of current psychological theories about so-called “West-East differences.“

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a questionnaire was administered to 182 adolescents from the city of Mumbai in the age group of 17-21 years in order to examine their knowledge about crucial aspects of sexuality and their source of sex related information.
Abstract: With emerging westernization, there is growing concern about sexual promiscuity and changing attitudes toward sexuality. A questionnaire was administered to 182 adolescents from the city of Mumbai in the age group of 17–21 years in order to examine their knowledge about crucial aspects of sexuality and their source of sex related information. The survey also accessed attitudes regarding sex education, premarital sex and homosexuality, as well as sexual behaviors engaged in by the youth. Results showed that sexual knowledge about physiology of sexual response, conception, and pregnancy was less than other areas such as masturbation and contraception. Peers, books, and magazines were the most frequently used source of sex information. Boys reported more liberal attitudes and more frequent sexual behaviors than girls. Implications of the results in terms of access to accurate information, communication about sexual issues, and health policy reforms are discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Cross-cultural psychologists have focused on differences between populations, explanations based on individualism-collectivism and reduction of explanations to the individual level of analysis as mentioned in this paper, which is compatible with the perspective of cultural psychologists because in both traditions there has been a focus both on mechanisms of cultural stability and of cultural change.
Abstract: The development of cross-cultural psychology over the past 40 years is briefly reviewed. Cross-cultural psychologists have focused on differences between populations, explanations based on individualism-collectivism and reduction of explanations to the individual-level of analysis. Cultural variations have been incompletely sampled, with an excessive focus on North America and East Asia. However, the cross-cultural approach is compatible with the perspective of cultural psychologists because in both traditions there has been a focus both on mechanisms of cultural stability and of cultural change. Promising new developments are identified, including classifications of a broader range of cultures based on communication behaviors, contrasting ways of satisfying identity motives in individualistic and collectivist cultures, and the use of experimental cultural primes for theory testing within bicultural populations.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the influence of family environment on young carers' mind, the assistance young caregivers provide, and the consequences of young caregiving, and found that the caregivers express more nurturance, endurance, sympathy, affiliation, anxiety, dejection, awareness, aggression, harm avoidance, and conflict than the non-carers.
Abstract: The study examines (a) the influence of family environment on young carers’ mind, (b) the assistance young carers provide, and (c) the consequences of young caregiving. Fifty child-carers and 50 child-non-carers were studied. Each child of both the groups was asked to construct stories seeing visuals and only the child-carers replied to open-ended questions on assistance and consequences of caregiving. Content analysis of stories reveals that the caregivers express more nurturance, endurance, sympathy, affiliation, anxiety, dejection, awareness, aggression, harm avoidance, and conflict than the non-carers. Child-carers are found assisting in domestic and emotional caring. They have also reported low concentration, insecurity, distrust, worry, and negative consequences. Findings suggest that caregiving environment exerts a potential influence in the minds of children than the non-caregiving environment. While caregiving teaches positive values, it has negative consequences as well.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors argued that non-western indigenous psychologists have to construct culturally adequate theories on the basis of neo-Positivism so as to develop empirical-analytical, historical-hermeneutical and critical science for indigenous society.
Abstract: Taking Harbermas (1968) trichotomization of Knowledge in social science as a framework, this article analyzed the difficulties encountered by non-Western psychologists in their endeavor to develop indigenous psychologies on the basis of naive-Positivism. In order to overcome these difficulties, I argued that non-Western indigenous psychologists have to construct culturally adequate theories on the basis of neo-Positivism so as to develop empirical-analytical, historical-hermeneutical and critical science for indigenous society.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present four theoretically meaningful strategies that may help a society's minority members to maintain human dignity in a multicultural society without feeling excessively cynical: Learning to Make Isomorphic Attributions, Learning to Extract Help from the System, Developing a Shared Network, and Using the Acculturating Strategy of Integration.
Abstract: Living in a multicultural society like the United States leads to sampling a range of experiences that vary from being extremely delightful to excessively stressful, with many types of experiences in between. I present cases of positive experiences of immigrants that provide positive feelings of freedom, equality, fairness and due process. I also discuss negative experiences of minorities that vary from having their names mispronounced and their accent criticized to outright racial discrimination and hate crimes. How should the individuals navigate through this minefield of humiliating experiences? I present four theoretically meaningful strategies — Learning to Make Isomorphic Attributions, Learning to Extract Help from the System, Developing a Shared Network, and Using the Acculturating Strategy of Integration — that are derived from cross-cultural research that may help a society’s minority members to maintain human dignity in a multicultural society without feeling excessively cynical. I conclude the paper with a suggestion that, perhaps, we need to use our spiritual strength in dealing with humiliating situations and that forgiveness is the ultimate ointment, which allows us to heal from the wounds of humiliation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the relationship between identity consistency (IC) and general well-being (GWB) of the college students of Kolkata and found that IC acts as a significant contributory variable for GWB.
Abstract: The study explored the relationship between Identity Consistency (IC) and General Well-Being (GWB) of the college students of Kolkata. The sample comprised of 65 (33 males, 32 females) college students. They were administered IC scale [prepared after Suh’s (2002) method] in order to obtain an index of IC and GWB was assessed using the PGI GWB Scale (Verma & Verma, 1989). For the present sample, as no significant difference have been found between males and females in any of the variables involved (i.e., IC and GWB), the two groups have been pooled together for further analyzes. Further statistical analyzes were done using correlation coefficient and linear regression. Results indicated that, IC has a significant positive correlation with GWB. Also, it was found that IC acts as a significant contributory variable for GWB.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors conceptualized in the context of the psychosocial needs of Hemophilic children and adolescents of Kolkata, compared with a matched group of normal controls to find out any specific difference in terms of visuomotor gestalt functioning, intellectual level, academic achievement and personality dimensions.
Abstract: The present study was conceptualized in the context of the psychosocial needs of Hemophilic children and adolescents of Kolkata. Twenty four Hemophilic children and adolescents were compared with a matched group of normal controls to find out any specific difference in terms of visuomotor gestalt functioning, intellectual level, academic achievement and personality dimensions. Academic achievement was assessed by averaging the results of the last three consecutive school examinations. Intellectual functioning was assessed by Progressive Matrices by Raven, and personality dimensions were assessed by Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Chi square tests and ANOVA were conducted to determine whether the Hemophilic children differed significantly from the normal controls across age levels. Findings revealed that there was little difference between the two groups in terms of intellectual level, and most dimensions of personality, although the Hemophilics fared worse than normals in neuropsychological, social and academic aspects. Implication for intervention is discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the compatibility between the characteristics of ideal and real romantic partners, attachment to partner, avoidance and anxiety, and relationship satisfaction of Indian women involved in close heterosexual relationships.
Abstract: This study examined the compatibility between the characteristics of ideal and real romantic partners, attachment to partner (defined by two categories—avoidance and anxiety) and relationship satisfaction of (N = 272) women involved in close heterosexual relationships. As hypothesized, higher compatibility of ideal and real romantic partner characteristics was related to lower levels of avoidance and anxiety and higher levels of relationship satisfaction. This study also revealed that the three-factor model for ideal partner (partner warmth-trustworthiness, vitality-attractiveness, and status-resources), designed by Fletcher, Simpson et al. (1999) was not fully suitable to Indian women; there were five major dimensions, which defined what women used as standards to evaluate ideal partners. The study showed that: older women more than younger ones desired external and family—related attributes of ideal partner. The results suggest that ideals may be very important for satisfying relationships and secure connection with the romantic partner. The cultural differences in evaluative dimensions for ideal partner needs further investigation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the impact of parental education status on the intelligence of children from economically disadvantaged families was examined and it was concluded that economic disadvantage may not necessarily constrain the cognitive development of children living in poverty, provided parents have some threshold level of education.
Abstract: The impact of parental education status on the intelligence of children from economically disadvantaged families was examined. One-hundred school going children aged 4 to 8 years from low income families were divided into 3 groups based on the level of their parental education. The main outcome measure was the intelligence of the child. Significant differences (p < .000) in the IQs of the 3 groups of children were found. Children with high parental education had significantly higher IQs as compared to children with moderate and low parental education level. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that 33.7% of the variance in the IQ of the child was explained by the education of the mother and income of the household. It is concluded that economic disadvantage may not necessarily constrain the cognitive development of children living in poverty, provided parents have some threshold level of education.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper investigated the differences in assertiveness and the ability to discriminate assertiveness from aggressive and defensive/passive behaviour and the relation among them across Indian and Serbian cultures, besides exploring the relationship between personality and assertiveness in both the cultures.
Abstract: The present study investigates the differences in assertiveness and the ability to discriminate assertiveness from aggressive and defensive/passive behaviour and the relation among them across Indian and Serbian cultures, besides exploring the relationship between personality and assertiveness in both the cultures. Measures of assertiveness, scale of discrimination among assertive, aggressive and passive behaviour and Big-Five personality inventory were administered on Indian (N = 108) and Serbian (N = 116) engineering students. Results indicated significant difference in the assertive behaviour of Indian and Serbian samples apart from significant relationship between personality and assertiveness.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the fears of elderly people, the structure of these fears, and the relationship between categories of fear and age, and suggest that fears can be categorized by themes that may have different significance.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the fears of elderly people, the structure of these fears, and the relationship between categories of fear and age. Six categories of fear were identified by content analysis of the transcripts of semi-structured interviews: (1) Loss/Bereavement and decline/declining health, (2) Fear for descendants, (3) Environment/Politics, (4) Incidents/Mishaps and Accidents, (5) Suffering and Death and (6) Stranger/the Supernatural. Findings suggest that fears can be categorized by themes that may have different significance. Three of these themes—Incidents and Accidents, Suffering and Death and Stranger—correspond to fears for oneself, while the other three—Loss and Decline, Descendants and Environment/Politics—correspond to fears for others.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated 28 dual-income couples (drawn from four occupational sectors namely, IT, public service, self-employment and social service) and separately eliciting two types of (economic and personal) objective information from dyad members.
Abstract: There is an assumption in economic decision-making literature that decision-making in household follows a single set of preferences. The present study is aimed at testing this assumption by investigating 28 dual-income couples (drawn from four occupational sectors namely, IT, public service, self-employment and social-service) and separately eliciting two types of (economic and personal) objective information from dyad members. Effects of key demographic variables (marital role, age, occupation & level of education) suggest that only marital role had a significant influence on discrepancy found in reported information. One way ANOVA showed that marital role had a significant effect on discrepancy observed in personal information rather than for discrepancy in economic information. Implications of the results for social science research methods and in terms of singular preference for a household are briefly discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper argued that it is impossible for them to attain this goal by the inductive method and emphasized the significant implications of Popper's anti-inductive theory for solving this dilemma.
Abstract: Echoing Kumar’s advocacy that psychologists should not ignore Popper, this article received the methodological strategies for attaining the epistemological goal of universal psychology or global psychology as suggested by previous indigenous psychologists and argued that it is impossible for them to attain this goal by the inductive method. The significant implications of Popper’s anti-inductive theory for solving this dilemma are emphasized for future progress of indigenous psychologies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A broad view of Mexican social psychology, theory and research trends can be found in this article, where both classical and contemporary approaches are reviewed, offering examples of prevailing methodologies and findings.
Abstract: Social psychology in Mexico has its roots in the early 20th century as a field with the objective of recognizing the ethnic character of its people. Influences from the United States and Europe, combined with indigenous thinkers gave way to the growth of a psychological, a sociological and a cultural perspective. In addition, as it occurs in spaces were smooth and amiable interpersonal relationships are paramount, and social, economic and political problems thrive, a unique applied tradition has emerged. In order to offer a concise but at the same time broad view of Mexican social psychology, theory and research trends, both classical and contemporary are reviewed, offering examples of prevailing methodologies and findings.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed and determined the psychometric properties of a scale to assess perceived positive personality traits that are relevant in an Indian setting, which is called the Positive Personality Traits Questionnaire (PPTQ).
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop and determine the psychometric properties of a scale to assess perceived positive personality traits that are relevant in an Indian setting. New items were developed adopting items from other scales, writing new items and also on the basis of experience from the field through semi structured interviews undertaken in related research carried out earlier. The new scale is called the Positive Personality Traits Questionnaire (PPTQ) and includes 43 items on four factors: Positive Self Image, Commitment, Outward/ people orientation and Culture Identification. Data from two samples comprising of 395 and 198 participants, were analyzed. Results indicated that both the reliability (internal consistency) and validity (convergent and discriminant) of the PPTQ were adequate.