Measures Of Personality Traits Research Articles

Conscientiousness and entrepreneurship

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the influence of conscientiousness on entrepreneurship over and above the impact of other factors that are associated with entrepreneurship in the literature.Design/methodology/approachThe design uses household responses from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) biennial survey that follows the same heads of households over time to measure their conscientiousness, businesses owned and other demographic and financial characteristics. Ordinary least squares (OLS), Probit and Poisson regression techniques are applied at the head of household and state level to examine the relationship.FindingsThe results show heads of households’ conscientiousness positively relating to the average number of businesses owned, beyond other Big Five traits and the impact of other characteristics. A one-standard deviation increase in conscientiousness is significantly associated with a 0.012 increase in the number of businesses owned. This association is robust to alternative regression specifications and variable measurements.Originality/valueThe results are original to the finance literature, complementing studies by linking intrinsic head of household-level traits to entrepreneurship while controlling for external financial and demographic factors. The study also attempts to externally validate previous findings using aggregate-level outcomes. The data and setting used to measure personality traits as well as entrepreneurial outcomes are original to the entrepreneurship literature, validating previous findings.

A Turing test of whether AI chatbots are behaviorally similar to humans

We administer a Turing test to AI chatbots. We examine how chatbots behave in a suite of classic behavioral games that are designed to elicit characteristics such as trust, fairness, risk-aversion, cooperation, etc., as well as how they respond to a traditional Big-5 psychological survey that measures personality traits. ChatGPT-4 exhibits behavioral and personality traits that are statistically indistinguishable from a random human from tens of thousands of human subjects from more than 50 countries. Chatbots also modify their behavior based on previous experience and contexts "as if" they were learning from the interactions and change their behavior in response to different framings of the same strategic situation. Their behaviors are often distinct from average and modal human behaviors, in which case they tend to behave on the more altruistic and cooperative end of the distribution. We estimate that they act as if they are maximizing an average of their own and partner's payoffs.

Personality traits and high cigarette dependence among university students: Insights from Lebanon.

The use of tobacco and cigarette products remains widespread globally, with varying patterns across countries. Understanding the factors influencing cigarette dependence among young adults is crucial for effective smoking prevention and control programs. Personality traits are one of the factors that influence smoking behaviour, yet the evidence on their role in high cigarette dependence among young adults remains inconclusive. This study aims to provide insights and initial evidence on the potential association between personality dimensions, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle habits, and high cigarette dependence among Lebanese university students. A convenient sample of 212 student smokers from one private and one public university in Lebanon participated in an online survey. The survey included measures of personality traits using the Big-Five framework, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle habits, and the Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence (FTCD). Logistic regression models and mediation analysis were used to analyze the data. The results revealed significant associations between personality dimensions and high cigarette dependence among Lebanese university students. Smokers with higher levels of Openness to Experience were more likely to have high cigarette dependence (β = 0.408, p < = 0.015). Conversely, smokers with higher levels of Conscientiousness (β = -0.500, p < 0.001) and Agreeableness (β = -0.491, p < 0.01) were less likely to have high cigarette dependence. Additionally, attending a public university (β = 1.198, p = 0.018), having more close friends who smoke (β = 0.525, p < 0.01), and switching to a cheaper cigarette brand (β = 0.928, p < 0.05) were associated with a higher cigarette dependence. These findings highlight the importance of considering personality dimensions, sociodemographic factors, and lifestyle habits in understanding high cigarette dependence among Lebanese university students. The results can inform the development of targeted interventions to address high cigarette dependence in this population.

Compilation and Validation of Two Short Forms to Measure HEXACO Dimensions in Elementary School Children

Personality trait measures for children are rarely based on the HEXACO Model of Personality, although research using this framework could provide important insights into the structure and development of children’s personalities. There is no HEXACO measure for elementary school children to date, and existing measures for older children seem inappropriate for this age group (e.g., due to some item content). We thus compiled two HEXACO-based short forms for measuring personality in elementary school children (8-10 years old) via parent reports. We applied a meta-heuristic item sampling algorithm (Ant Colony Optimization) in a training sample with 1,641 parent reports of 122 administered items. We selected a 54-Item Short Form comprising a latent facet structure and an 18-Item Ultra-Short Form comprising a correlated factors model for all six HEXACO dimensions but no facet structure. Both short forms showed good model fit in a holdout sample (n = 411) and sufficiently high re-test correlations after six months. Convergent and divergent validities for maximal performance measures and socio-emotional constructs (also measured six months after the initial personality assessment) were largely in line with theoretical assumptions. Overall, our study provides support for construct, re-test, and (predictive) criterion validity for the selected short forms.

Understanding the Psychological and Financial Correlates for Consumer Credit Use

This study investigated the behavioural and cognitive predictors of consumer credit usage to develop a behavioural credit risk assessment procedure for a factoring company. Participants completed surveys measuring personality traits, self-esteem, material and monetary values, compulsive and impulsive buying tendencies, self-control, and impulsiveness. Financial surveys also assessed financial literacy and knowledge of financial concepts. The results indicated that extraversion, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and experiential self-control were significant predictors of consumer credit usage. These findings suggest that a finance company can use these personality traits and financial characteristics to develop a more accurate and effective credit risk assessment procedure, such as psychometric tests.

Spanish validation of the pure procrastination scale: dimensional structure, internal consistency, temporal stability, gender invariance, and relationships with personality and satisfaction with life.

The objective of the current study was to adapt and validate the pure procrastination scale (PPS) for the Spanish adult population. Procrastination can have numerous consequences in daily life, making it essential to have reliable and valid instruments for measuring procrastination. Thus, this study was conducted to address this need. The sample consisted of 596 adults aged 18-83 years (M = 35.25, SD = 13.75). In addition to the PPS, participants completed two procrastination measures, namely the irrational procrastination scale and the decisional procrastination questionnaire, alongside the Big Five inventory and the satisfaction with life scale. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure of the PPS. The examination of the reliability of scores in terms of internal consistency and temporal stability showed satisfactory results for the PPS scores. Moreover, gender invariance was observed at the scalar level. Finally, the PPS scores correlated with other measures of procrastination, personality traits, and satisfaction with life in the expected direction and magnitude. In conclusion, the Spanish PPS offers valid and reliable scores when administered to adult population.

Beyond age stereotypes: Unveiling the investment intentions of young individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study examines personality traits, financial literacy, and risk tolerance for investment intentions. In addition, this study also examines the role of risk tolerance as a mediator in the influence of personality traits on investment intentions. A quantitative research method is used to measure personality traits, financial literacy, risk tolerance, and investment intention. A survey was conducted among young individuals in Indonesia. Respondents came from various regions in Indonesia, especially those from Java, Indonesia. The number of samples was 405 questionnaires. The results show that several personality traits, such as extraversion, neuroticism, and openness, affect investment intentions. However, the results show conscientiousness and agreeableness do not affect investment intentions. Researchers have found that extraversion and conscientiousness do not affect risk tolerance, but neuroticism, openness, and agreeableness do. Financial literacy and risk tolerance are also proven to affect investment intentions. When the mediation effect was tested, it was found that neuroticism, openness, and agreeableness affect investment intentions. On the other hand, risk tolerance does not act as a mediator variable between extraversion and investment intention. The practical implication of the study lies in assisting stock exchanges in developing countries to craft effective strategies for attracting Generation Z and Alpha investors, particularly during periods of economic volatility.

Potential therapeutic effects of an ayahuasca-inspired N,N-DMT and harmine formulation: a controlled trial in healthy subjects.

There is growing scientific evidence for the therapeutic benefits of the Amazonian plant-based psychedelic "ayahuasca" for neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. However, there are certain challenges when incorporating botanical ayahuasca into biomedical research and clinical therapy environments. Formulations inspired by ayahuasca, which contain specific and standardized active components, are a potential remedy. We investigated subjective acute and persisting effects of a novel formulation containing the reversible monoamine oxidase inhibitor harmine (orodispersible tablet containing 100 mg MAO-I) and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (incremental intranasal dosing of up to 100 mg DMT), compared with two other conditions, namely harmine alone and placebo, in a crossover RCT in 31 healthy male subjects. DMT + harmine, but not harmine alone, induced a psychedelic experience assessed with the 5D-ASC rating scale [global score: F(2,60) = 80.21, p < 0.001] and acute experience sampling items over time, characterized by psychological insights [PIQ, F(2,58.5) = 28.514, p < 0.001], emotional breakthroughs [EBI, F(2,60) = 26.509, p < 0.001], and low scores on the challenging experience questionnaire [CEQ, F(2,60) = 12.84, p < 0.001]. Participants attributed personal and spiritual significance to the experience (GSR) with mainly positive persisting effects (PEQ) at 1- and 4-months follow-up. Acute drug effects correlated positively with persisting effects. We found no changes in trait measures of personality, psychological flexibility, or general well-being, and no increases in psychopathology (SCL-90-R) were reported. Our results suggest that the experience induced by the standardized DMT + harmine formulation induces a phenomenologically rich psychedelic experience, demonstrates good psychological safety and tolerability, is well tolerated, and induces beneficial psychological processes that could possibly support psychotherapy. Further studies are required to investigate the psychotherapeutic potential in patients.

Risk Tolerance in Investment Decisions: Are Personality Traits the Real Triggers?

Purpose: Investment decisions of investors are strongly influenced by their risk tolerance. Previous research suggests that risk tolerance is influenced by various social, economic, demographic and psychological factors. This research aims to extend the investigative line of inquiry regarding the influence of one such psychological factor, that is, personality, on the risk tolerance of small investors without limiting their asset class or classifying them into any groups. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative research method is used to measure personality traits and risk tolerance in the investment decisions of small investors in Kashmir. The study uses a structured questionnaire adopted in parts from various established scales to collect data from small investors. Correlations and multiple regression have been used to arrive at the results. Findings: Results of the study indicated that extrovert and open-to-experience individuals showed tolerance to risk. In contrast, conscientious, neurotic and agreeable individuals were risk-averse in the geographical location considered for this study. The results imply that financial advisors must consider the personality traits of investors when giving investment advice to small investors. Practical Implications: It becomes essential for financial planners and advisors to follow an investor-centric approach wherein they consider the personal characteristics of individuals when giving investment advice, and they must design the portfolios/investment avenues according to the investors’ personalities. The results of this study show that investors with different characters have different risk-taking capabilities, and a particular investor will feel comfortable investing in a specific risk-class asset. Originality/Value: There is no study or research about the influence of personality traits on risk tolerance in investment decisions in this particular geographical area, that is, Kashmir. Therefore, this study will contribute significantly towards understanding investor behaviour and help financial advisors and investment bankers suggest appropriate investment avenues.

The factor structure of Big Five personality trait measures at the between- and within-person levels

The cross-sectional factor structure of Big Five personality trait measures is a weighted blend of the factor structure at the between-person level (i.e., the level of time-invariant interpersonal personality differences) and the factor structure at the within-person level (i.e., the level of intrapersonal personality fluctuations and changes). Thus, the Big Five might not represent the underlying factors at either of the two levels. To probe this issue, I fit multilevel exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) models to longitudinal data from the Netherlands and Australia ( N = 15,085 and 22,582, respectively). In both data sets, the canonical Big Five emerged at the between- but not at the within-person level. At the within-person level, a two-factor structure appeared to be most suitable. Factor 1 indicated positive attitudes towards the self. Factor 2 indicated neuroticism or negative attitudes towards the self. The two factors might reflect short-term fluctuations in positive and negative affect rather than long-lasting personality changes. The findings are tentative due to methodological limitations. We need more research on the within-person factor structure of personality trait measures to clarify what fluctuations and changes they assess and whether we need to revise the way we measure and analyze trait changes.

Civic-Mindedness Is More Than Personality

Abstract: Many colleges and universities have embraced the goal of increasing students’ civic-mindedness. The research associated with theorizing and measuring civic-mindedness, however, has thus far progressed in a silo away from the established literature of personality psychology. This paper bridges this gap – adopting civic efficacy and service motivation as two measures of civic-mindedness – and examines how well they are explained by the five-factor model of personality (FFM). Using survey data from undergraduate students at a large, public research university, we estimated a structural equation model to measure personality traits from the FFM, service motivation, and civic efficacy. Results showed that variation in personality accounts for approximately 40% of the variation in Service Motivation and 53% of the variation in Civic Efficacy, which does not support a clear assertion that either construct can neatly be categorized as a facet of the FFM. Our findings provide an additional theoretical basis for community service learning courses and other educational opportunities that blend traditional pedagogical strategies with experiential and reflective opportunities aiming to produce change across state-like and trait-like attributes.

Exploring the role of compassion, self-criticism and the dark triad on obesity and emotion regulation

Emotion regulation and/or obesity have been linked to compassion, self-criticism and ‘dark’ personality traits but the relationship between these factors is unclear as most research has focused on the big five personality traits. Here, we investigated the influence of dark personality traits on emotional dysregulation, compassion and BMI. 300 participants completed measures of emotion dysregulation, compassion, self-criticism and dark tetrad personality traits; also providing their BMI. MLR revealed psychopathy, high self-criticism and low compassion ‘for self’ predicted poor emotion regulation; accounting for > 50% of the variance. Whilst their effects on BMI were also significant, no factors singularly predicted BMI. Our research offers important insights into the complexity of factors that may contribute to poor emotion regulation. Of novel value, we found a link between self-compassion, self-criticism and emotion regulation; with self-criticism emerging as the biggest predictor of emotion dysregulation of all explored variables. Although implications for obesity are limited, it is notable that our population demonstrated less obesity than the general public. This is important, as it ascertains that emotion dysregulation, self-criticism, low self-compassion and dark personality traits are not associated with BMI in those of healthy weight.

Research on the Effect of Personality Traits on Help-seeking Behavior and Intention

This study explores the relationship between various personality scales and traits, and the intention to seek professional help when troubling with mental distress. It aimed to identify the scales and traits that most influence help-seeking intentions and determine which had the greatest predictive strength. Using the THE HEXACO PERSONALITY INVENTORY - REVISED (HEXACO-PI-R), this study measured personality traits of 117 American participants from the CloudResearch website, all of whom were 18 years or older and received monetary compensation. The Mental Help Seeking Intention Scale was used to measure the participants willingness to seek professional mental help. The findings suggest a moderate and statistically significant positive correlation between help-seeking intention and the traits of openness to experience, conscientiousness, and emotionality. This study contributes to the understanding of how personality influences mental health help-seeking behaviors, offering potentially valuable insights for tailoring intervention strategies.

CEO personality and corporate sustainability performance

PurposeThis study aims to examine how chief executive officer's (CEO) personality traits influence the corporate sustainability performance (CSP) of firms. The paper also examines the moderating effect of board power on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachUsing a linguistic tool (IBM's Watson Personality Insight Service), the authors measured the personality traits of 229 CEOs from 176 firms from 2009 to 2018. Firm-level CSP are obtained from the Sustainalytics database. The hypotheses are tested using multiple regression analysis. The robustness of the results of the study is confirmed by addressing endogeneity concerns and by validating the measurement of CEO personality traits using Personality Recognizer, an alternative linguistic tool.FindingsThe results show that CEO personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism are significant predictors of CSP. The paper also identifies board power as a contingent factor that influences the suggested relationships.Originality/valueUsing upper echelon theory and cybernetic big five theory, this paper identifies CEO personality traits as important antecedents of corporate sustainability performance and adds to the micro-foundations of corporate sustainability literature. To the authors’ understanding, this is the first study that examines the influence of CEO personality on CSP using a comprehensive trait framework. The paper also demonstrates the usefulness of text-analytic tools to measure CEO personality traits, thereby contributing to the progress of upper echelon theory.

Recruiting a Person-Centered Direct Care Workforce Through Situational Judgement Tests: A Pilot Study in the Community Support of Older People in England.

Studies have found that older people value care workers' character traits and interpersonal judgment even more highly than their technical skills. Yet identifying these traits at recruitment is challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the first situational judgement tests (STJs) for direct care workers. Online tests were conducted with 251 care workers and members of the public in England. Participants evaluated the appropriateness of 61 potential behavioral responses to 11 "critical incidents," each depicting challenging care work scenarios. Data collection included a measure of personality traits. A subsample of 72 participants completed a second "test-retest" assessment. A majority of test-takers (53%) found the test easy/very easy to complete, and most (55%) participants who worked in care reported the scenarios were highly realistic. Psychometric tests were positive. Test scores were unidimensional under a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (RMSEA = 0.038), and items broadly fit Rasch assumptions. Test-retest reliability (rho = 0.77) was acceptable, and for the general public sample, a modest increase in perceptions of the social standing of care work was observed. Test scores were positively correlated with 2 personality traits: agreeableness (r = 0.250, p < 0.001) and openness to experience (r = 0.179, p = .005). Test scores were not related to age, gender, or education level. The findings indicate support for the use of SJTs in direct care work. Its psychometric properties appear satisfactory, and collectively give confidence in the use of SJTs for assessing the suitability of candidates during recruitment. Further research should corroborate these findings in a new sample, and examine the relationship between test scores and job performance.

Broad vs. narrow traits: a scoping review of measuring personality traits in teacher selection using the situational judgment test.

Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs) have gained popularity and are commonly used as a measurement technique in a variety of professions, particularly those that include hiring, promoting, and professional development. In various educational sectors around the world, SJTs are being utilized as a measure by which to choose individuals who possess the requisite non-academic attributes for the profession. The objective of this review is to identify and analyze the traits that are measured in teacher selection using SJTs, in terms of both broad and narrow traits. This review uses a scoping review approach comprising five stages which are: identifying the research question, identifying relevant studies, selecting the studies, charting the data and reporting the results. Seven empirical research studies on teacher selection using SJTs were identified in which broad and narrow traits are used differently in selection. In the studies, a broad trait-conscientiousness-and seven narrow traits-organization and planning; empathy and communication; adaptability and resilience; mindset; emotional regulation; professional ethics; and enthusiasm and motivation-were recognized. Analysis revealed, in line with other prior studies, that the traits discovered tended to be used as the foundation for teacher selection criteria. The use of broad and narrow traits as the basis for teacher selection criteria has implications for the selection of the "best" teacher candidates because both broad and narrow traits generally do not accurately measure the precise characteristics needed. Future studies should focus on measuring more precise characteristics without overlap between the targeted characteristics, in light of the conclusions from this review.

Stability of specific personality network features corresponding to openness trait across different adult age periods: A machine learning analysis

The functional connectivity patterns of the brain during resting state are closely related to an individual's cognition, emotion, behavior, and social interactions, making it an important research method to measure personality traits in an unbiased way, replacing traditional paper-and-pencil tests. However, due to the dynamic nature of the brain, whether the changes in functional connectivity caused by age can stably map onto personality traits has not been previously investigated. This study focuses on whether network features that are significantly related to personality traits can effectively distinguish subjects with different personality traits, and whether these network features vary across different periods of adulthood. The study included 343 healthy adult participants, divided into early adulthood and middle adulthood groups according to the age threshold of 35. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the Big Five personality questionnaire were collected. we investigated the relationship between personality traits and intrinsic whole-brain functional connectome. We then used support vector machine (SVM) to evaluate the performance of personality network features in distinguishing subjects with high and low scores in the early-adulthood sample, and cross-validated in the mid-adulthood sample. Additionally, edge-based analysis (NBS) was used to explore the stability of personality networks across the two age samples. Our results show that the network features corresponding to openness personality trait are stable and can effectively differentiate subjects with different scores in both age samples. Furthermore, this study found that these network features vary to some extent across different periods of adulthood. These findings provide new evidence and insights into the application of resting-state functional connectivity patterns in measuring personality traits and help us better understand the dynamic characteristics of the human brain.

Clinical symptoms in pre-COVID-19 pandemic versus COVID-19 pandemic samples of Italian university students

BACKGROUND: Recent studies on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed that university students are in a more vulnerable position in terms of their mental health. METHODS: The aim of this study is to examine differences in clinical symptoms and psychological distress comparing two groups of university students seeking psychological intervention at a University Psychological Counselling Center before the COVID-19 pandemic period and during the pandemic. A sample of 187 students was distributed into two groups: Pre-COVID-19 pandemic (N.=115) and COVID-19 pandemic (N.=72). The Personality Inventory-Brief Form for DSM-5 was used to measure personality traits; the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised was used to assess clinical symptoms and the Outcome Questionnaire-45 explored important psychological distress.RESULTS: Findings highlighted higher levels of clinical symptoms in COVID-19 pandemic students than in pre-pandemic ones. Conversely, the two groups did not differ in psychological distress. Data seems to confirm that the pandemic period had a negative impact on the mental health of university students seeking psychological help.CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate the need to monitor the clinical symptomatology of university students to prevent long-term psychopathology influencing academic functioning.

Literature Study of Cross-Cultural Size Comparisons Against Personality Traits

After more than a century of research at the university, personality traits have been fully studied and measured, thanks to the work of many researchers. The Big Five is one of the most popular personality tests. It was created using an ethical approach, which says that personality traits should be measured in the same way in all cultures. But as the effects of different cultures grow and researchers learn more, ethical approaches to measuring personality are increasingly questioned. In anthropological research, emic approaches emphasizing the importance of specific cultural methods have been studied. This method is used to create the Big Six and Big Seven scales below. These measurements have been tested and found to be more accurate and valid for measuring personality traits in the right group of people. So, this study is intended to provide a literature review that summarizes how personality traits are defined, the specific content and development of such measurements using ethical and emic approaches, measurement problems based on relevant research, and several other things to think about. About when assessing personality traits using an etic and EMIC approach.

Intelligence, Personality, and the Prediction of Life Outcomes: Borghans et al. (2016) vs. Zisman and Ganzach (2022) Debate

This article examines the psychological measures employed in studies that compared the predictive validity of personality and intelligence for important life outcomes and came to divergent conclusions. At least some discrepant findings can be accounted for by the fine-grained analysis of measures employed in the assessment of intelligence and personality. The use of Big Five measures of personality traits for predicting life outcomes appear to be poorly supported-other ways of assessing personality need to be explored. Methods used to study cause-effect relationships in non-experimental studies will need to be employed in future.