Showing papers on "Personality published in 1980"

Influence of extraversion and neuroticism on subjective well-being: happy and unhappy people.

Abstract: Three studies are reported that examine the relations between personality and happiness or subjective well-being. It is argued that (a) one set of traits influences positive affect or satisfaction, whereas a different set of traits influences negative affect or dissatisfaction; (b) the former set of traits can be reviewed as components of extraversion, and the latter as components of neuroticism; and (c) personality differences antedate and predict differences in happiness over a period of 10 years, thus ruling out the rival hypothesis that temporary moods or states account for the observed relations. A model of individual differences in happiness is presented, and the separate and complementary roles of trait and adaptation-level theories in explaining happiness are discussed.

The Role of Ego-Control and Ego-Resiliency in the Organization of Behavior

Abstract: For what now approaches 30 years, we have been thinking about and investigating the implications of two personality parameters we have chosen to call ego-control and ego-resiliency. We began while graduate students at Stanford, many eras ago. Reasoning from the constructs as we then understood them, we sought to evaluate their behavioral relevance in a wide range of experim ental situations and psychological tests-response extinction in a partial reinforcement context, norm establishment while experiencing movement in an autokinetic situation, performance in the Gottschaldt Embedded Figures Test, reactions to authority, divergent thinking, level of aspiration, reactions to stress, psychological fatigue or sa tia tio n , percep tual s tan d ard s o f sim ilarity , e thnocen trism —all administered to the same group of college students. Our dissertation results (J. Block, 1950; J. H. Block, 1951; J. Block& J. H. Block, 1951; J. H. B lock* J. Block, 1952) were encouraging: In diverse areas of psychology-learning, perception, interpersonal behaviors, attitudes, problem solving-the observed individual differences (often considered then to be no more than “nuisance variance”) were frequently, reliably, and lawfully related to the personality constructs we had formulated. Especially powerful as a predictor was a composite variable generated by summing the behaviors of an individual over a variety of phenotypically diverse but conceptually related experimental situations (J. Block, 1950, Chapter 10).

Optimum Stimulation Level: Its Relationship to Personality, Demographics, and Exploratory Behavior

Abstract: Two studies are reported that examine the relationships between optimum stimulation level (OSL), selected personality traits, demographic variables, and exploratory behavior in the consumer context. The results show several significant correlations between OSL and the other variables examined. Research and managerial implications of the results are outlined.

Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type

Abstract: Like a thumbprint, personality type provides an instant snapshot of a person's uniqueness. Drawing on concepts originated by Carl Jung, this book distinguishes four categories of personality styles and shows how these qualities determine the way you perceive the world and come to conclusions about what you've seen. It then explains what they mean for your success in school, at a job, in a career and in your personal relationships. For more than 60 years, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) tool has been the most widely used instrument in the world for determining personality type, and for more than 25 years, GIFTS DIFFERING has been the preeminent source for understanding it.

An analysis of the Self-Monitoring Scale.

Abstract: A factor analysis of the Self-Monitoring Scale yielded three replicated factors: Acting, Extraversion, and Other-Directedness. Acting includes being good at and liking to speak and entertain. Other-Directedness is a willingness to change one's behavior to suit other people, and Extraversion is self-explanat ory. OtherDirectedness correlates positively with Shyness and Neuroticism and negatively with Self-Esteem. Extraversion correlates negatively with Shyness and positively with Self-Esteem and Sociability. Two of the scale's three factors, therefore, have opposite patterns of correlations with other personality dimensions. The three distinct factors help to explain certain discrepancies found in previous research with the Self-Monitoring Scale. For future research, we suggest that scores for each of the factors are more appropriate than full scale scores. We conclude that there may be a gap between the construct of Self-Monitori ng and how it is operationalized in the scale. Stage actors make gestures, speak dialogue, and respond to cues—all in the service of portraying a particular character or role written by the author. Several decades ago, Erving Goffman (1956) used the stage metaphor to characterize the way each of us acts in social contexts. He suggested that we behave the way others expect us to, that we are alert to subtle cues in our social environment, and that in general we engage in self-presentation. A sociologist, Goffman ignored individual differences, but surely people vary in the extent to which they stage-manage their social behavior. To assess such individual differences, Mark Snyder developed the Self-Monitoring Scale (1974). A description of the high selfmonitor is also a definition of the concept: The prototypic high selt-monitoring individual is one who, out of concern for the situational and interpersonal appropriateness of his or her social behavior, is particularly sensitive to the expression and self-presentation of relevant others in social situations and uses these cues as guidelines for selfmonitoring (that is, regulating and controlling) his

The interactive effect of personality, time of day, and caffeine: A test of the arousal model.

Abstract: The personality dimension of introversion/extraversion is one of the few personality dimensions that can be reliably identified from study to study and investigator to investigator. The importance of this demension within personality theory is due both to the stability of the trait and the influential theory of H. J. Eysenck. The basic assumption in Eysenck's theory of introversion/extraversion is that the personality differences between introverts and extraverts reflect some basic difference in the resting level of cortical arousal or activation. Assuming that there is a curvilinear relationship (an inverted U) between levels of stress and performance leads to a test of this arousal theory. That is, moderate increases in stress should hinder the performance of introverts who are presumably already highly aroused. However, the same moderate increase in stress might help the performance of the presumably underaroused extraverts. Revelle, Amaral, and Turriff reported that the administration of moderate doses of caffeine hindered the performance of introverts and helped the performance of extraverts on a cognitive task similar to the verbal test of the Graduate Record Examination. Assuming that caffeine increases arousal, this interaction between introversion/extraversion and drug condition supports Eysenck's theory. This interaction was explored in a series of experiments designed to replicate, extend, and test the generality of the original finding. The interaction between personality and drug condition was replicated and extended to additional cognitive performance tasks. However, these interactions were affected by time of day and stage of practice, and the subscales of introversion/extraversion, impulsivity, and sociability, were differentially affected. In the morning of the first day, low impulsives were hindered and high impulsives helped by caffeine. This pattern reversed in the evening of the first day, and it reversed again in the evening of Day 2. We concluded that the results from the first day of testing require a revision of Eysenck's theory. Instead of a stable difference in arousal between low and high impulsives, it appeared that these groups differed in the phase of their diurnal arousal rhythms. The result is that low impulsives are more aroused in the morning and less aroused in the evening than are the high impulsives. A variety of peripheral or strategic explanations (differences in caffeine consumption, guessing strategies, distraction, etc.) for the observed performance increments and decrements were proposed and tentatively rejected. It seems probable that some fundamental change in the efficiency with which information is processes is responsible for these performance changes.

The Concept of Difficult Temperament.

Abstract: Temperament, particularly "difficult" temperament, has been hy pothesized to be important in individual differences in personality development, children's effects on adult socialization agents, and the early origins of childhood behavior problems (Schwarz, 1979; Thomas, Chess, & Birch, 1968). Measurement of temperament has become fairly frequent in studies of infants and young children. It is important at this time to review critically work on both the general concept of temperament and especially the more socially-relevant sub-concept of difficult temperament.

The psychological organization of depression.

Abstract: On the basis of the intensive psychotherapy of about 40 depressed patients over the course of two decades, the authors describe three premorbid types of depressive personality: 1) one based on a "dominant other" relationship, 2) one based on a "dominant goal," and 3) one that is a form of character structure or personality disorder. They also describe typical childhood experiences of depressive adults and discuss their theory of the nature of depression as a human experience. They characterize depression as a limitation of alternate ways of thinking and as self-inhibition from new experiences.

Sex differences in depression: do women always have higher rates?

Abstract: Journal of Research in Personality 10:343-57. Sorrentino, R. M., and R. G. Boutilier 1974 "Evaluation of a victim as a function of fate similarity/dissimilarity." Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 10:84-93. Sudnow, D. 1967 "Dead-on-arrival." Trans-Action, November, pp. 36-43. Sutherland, S., and D. Scherl 1970 "Patterns of response among victims of rape." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 40:503-11.

Testosterone, aggression, physical, and personality dimensions in normal adolescent males.

Abstract: Fifty-eight normal adolescent Swedish boys, aged 16, provided two sets of blood samples for plasma testosterone assays as well as data on a number of personality inventories and rating scales assessing aggression, inpulsiveness, lack of frustration tolerance, extraversion, and anxiety. Physical variables such as pubertal stage, height, weight, chest circumference, and physical strength were measured. There was a significant association (r = 0.44) between plasma testosterone levels and self-reports of physical and verbal aggression, mainly reflecting responsiveness to provocation and threat. Lack of frustration tolerance was also related to testosterone levels. About 40% of the variance in perfectly reliable testosterone measurements could be predicted from equally reliable Physical + Verbal Aggression and Lack of Frustration Tolerance scales. Pubertal stage was correlated with testosterone (r = 0.44), but the above-mentioned relationships could not be accounted for by pubertal stage as a third common variable. Previous hypotheses relating testosterone to strong body build and antisocial behavior, respectively, received only weak or no support.

Assessment of heritability for personality, based on a short-form of the Eysenck Personality Inventory: a study of 12,898 twin pairs.

Abstract: The influence of genetic factors for two personality dimensions was analyzed using data from 12,898 unselected twin pairs of the Swedish Twin Registry. The heritability index was 0.50 (men) and 0.58 (women) for psychosocial instability. Corresponding figures for psychosocial extraversion were 0.54 and 0.66. Thus, about half the phenotypic variation may be attributed to genetic factors.

Cognitive representation of personality impressions: Organizational processes in first impression formation.

Abstract: In three experiments subjects given either impression formation or memory task instructions read a series of behavior descriptions that either did or did not contain a highly distinctive item. In each study subjects given impression formation instructions recalled significantly more items than did subjects in the memory condition. Subjects given impression formation instructions were more likely to recall a distinctive item, but presence of a distinctive item in the stimulus list had little effect on recall of the other items. Results are discussed in terms of the organization of information acquired during the process of impression development.

Making it in academic psychology: Demographic and personality correlates of attainment.

Abstract: Citations to published work, personality, and demographic characteristics were examined in a sample of male and female academic psychologists. A large sex difference was found in citations with men receiving significantly more recognition. Reputational rankings of graduate school and current institution were significantly related to citations, as were components of achievement motivation. Mastery and work needs were positively related to citations while competitiveness was negatively associated with the criterion. A model of attainment in psychology is proposed and possible explanations for the differential recognition of women are explored.

The DSM-III personality disorders section: A commentary.

Abstract: The author reviews the DSM-III section on personality disorders, discusses several of its more controversial diagnoses, and suggests some possible alternatives. He attributes the continued low reliability of personality diagnoses, compared with the other major sections of DSM-III, to two inherent obstacles: the lack of clear boundaries demarcating the personality disorders from normality and from one another, and the confounding influence of state and role factors. Nonetheless, the DSM-III multiaxial system highlights the importance of personality diagnosis and, together with the provision of clearly specified diagnostic criteria, achieves a considerably improved reliability compared with previous nomenclatures.

On seeing ourselves as others see us: Self–other agreement and discrepancy in personality ratings.

Abstract: Subjects' descriptions of their own personalities were found to correlate quite well with descriptions contributed by their peers, especially on traits high in social desirability. As would be predicted from attribution research, subjects tend to rate themselves higher than do their peers on traits pertaining to inner states (e.g., “is introspective”), while peers tend to rate them higher on traits pertaining to behaviors especially salient to an external observer (e.g., “is personally charming”). But in general, self and peer ratings exhibit a considerable degree of covariance. It is concluded that self and peer trait attributions, since they tend to agree, must inevitably have an important impact on a person's life, and therefore are important to the understanding of personality.

Social recovery during the year following severe head injury.

Abstract: A group of 54 patients who had suffered severe closed head injury (PTA >24 hours) were followed from the time of their injury for a period of two years. Relatives were interviewed within the first four weeks to assess the patient's previous personality and social adjustment. Patients and relatives were then assessed personally six and 12 months later and by postal questionnaires after two years. Only six patients were still not back at work after two years but more had not resumed all their leisure activities. Family relationships appeared to have settled down again by this stage but social contacts were still less frequent. Personality changes were associated with prior family relationships, cognitive changes with diminished social contacts whilst premorbid personality and physical deficits were associated with time taken to return to work.

Openness to experience and ego level in Loevinger's Sentence Completion Test: Dispositional contributions to developmental models of personality.

Abstract: This article is concerned with the relationship between two distinct traditions in personality research: the dimensional or individual differences approach and the developmental stage or type approach. Research bridging these two traditions has been scarce although the possibility of measuring ego levels with self-report scales (Lorr & Manning, 1978) and the contribution of personality traits to the attainment of stages of moral development (Hogan, Johnson, & Emler, 1978) have been addressed. Both of these studies concentrated on dispositions or traits particularly relevant to interpersonal conduct or socialization . The present article considers the role of traits in the inner experiential aspects of ego development. Empirically, it tests the hypothesis that openness to experi

The Myth of Left-Wing Authoritarianism

Abstract: The authors of The Authoritarian Personality (Adorno, et al., 1950), armed with the modern tools of psychoanalysis as well as ancient knowledge of scapegoating, reported an extensive series of investigations into the psychological roots of fascism. The book's basic thesis was that antisemitism and prejudice toward outgoups, collectively designated ethnocentrism, is basic to the fascism-prone personality. Further, the authors believed that a multifaceted approach, based upon psychoanalytic understandings of personality, could

A comprehensive school-based smoking prevention program.

Abstract: Eighth, ninth and tenth graders (N=281) from two schools in suburban New York participated in a study to test the efficacy of a 10-session comprehensive-psychosocial smoking prevention program. Schools were randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions. All students were given a pretest, posttest and three-month follow-up which assessed smoking behavior as well as knowledge and personality variables. There were significantly fewer new “smokers” in the experimental school than in the control school at both the initial posttest (p < .01) and the three-month follow-up (p < .05) along with significantly greater changes on some of the knowledge and personality variables. Overall, these results support the use of a smoking prevention strategy that focuses on the main psychosocial factors promoting the onset of cigarette smoking by teaching students basic coping skills.

Writing Apprehension, Self-Esteem, and Personality.

Abstract: Writing apprehension, a subject and situation specific anxiety about writing, is related to a variety of measures of self-esteem and personality in thirteen separate studies. The apprehension is inversely related to self-esteem, marginally related to some personality measures (alienation, tolerance for ambiguity), inversely associated with math anxiety, and positively correlated with oral communication and reading. The idea that people vary in how they feel about writing is not new. For centuries teachers and authors have alluded to the fact that some people like writing more than others. Yet only recently have systematic investigations probed the nature, correlates, and consequences of this tendency called writing apprehension or writing anxiety. The present article briefly reviews previous research on the construct and then summarizes a series of studies relating the apprehension to self-esteem and some general personality variables. The term writing apprehension was coined by Daly and Miller (1975a). It refers to a situation and subject specific individual difference associated with a person's tendencies to approach or avoid situations perceived to potentially require writing accompanied by some amount of perceived evaluation. While conceptually treated as a continuous person dimension, it is useful, for descriptive purposes, to describe prototypical high and low apprehensive people. High apprehensive individuals find writing unrewarding, indeed punishing. Consequently they avoid, if possible, situations where writing is required. When placed in such situations they experience more than normal amounts of anxiety. This anxiety is often reflected in their written products and in their behaviors in, and attitudes about, writing situations. Low apprehensives represent the other end of the continuum. They don't mind writing, are confident in their abilities to do so, and often enjoy it. Research has associated the apprehension with various choices people make, attitudes they hold, and differences in their writing skills and performance. Writing apprehension has been linked to both academic and occupational decisions (Daly & Shamo, 1976, 1978; Miller & Daly, 1975). Highly Research in the Teaching of English, Vol. 17, No. 4, December 1983

Correlates of Death Anxiety: A Review of Empirical Studies:

Abstract: Correlational studies of the fear of death completed over the last decade are reviewed. Research topics, trends, and findings are compared to earlier research on death anxiety correlates. Emphasis is placed on definitions of the construct, measurement techniques, concepts of death, and the variables of sex, age, occupation, socioeconomic status, value orientation, levels of awareness, and relationships between death anxiety and an array of personality variables. Suggestions for future areas of research are made.