Personality Prototypes Research Articles

Personality Profiles Among Honors and Regular Undergraduate Students: Associations With Well-Being and Strategies for Coping With Stress

The aim of this study was two-fold: (a) to explore personality profiles among honors undergraduate students and regular undergraduate students, and (b) to investigate the extent to which these profiles are associated with students’ well-being and coping strategies for stress. Using latent class analysis (LCA) on the Big Five personality traits of a total of 532 undergraduate students (229 honors students), we identified three distinct profiles: Overcontrollers, Averages, and Resilients. Honors students were underrepresented in the Averages profile. No significant disproportionality was observed in the other two profiles. Resilients had the highest well-being scores and showed a greater tendency to engage in proactive problem-solving when faced with stress. In contrast, Overcontrollers leaned toward using accountability and self-critique as their primary coping strategy. Findings are discussed in the context of replicable personality prototypes and in relationship to prior research involving honors and academically advanced students.

Does Fantastic Reality Ability Differ Across Personality Prototypes?

Human personality is based on five fundamental traits, and these traits appear to cluster in three different prototypes (i.e., resilient, undercontrolled, and overcontrolled prototypes). A growing body of research suggests that persons with these prototypes differ in mental health and well-being. We set out to identify if clusters differ in the use of imagination to cope with stress and uncertainty (i.e., Fantastic Reality Ability). For this study, we recruited 398 Israeli adults during the second COVID-19 lockdown, before the vaccine was available; participants were recruited and provided responses online including the FRAME (i.e., Fantastic Reality Ability Measurement). Cluster analyses indicate Israeli participants present with three distinct personality clusters or prototypes similar to research conducted in North America and Europe. Clusters significantly differ in FRA abilities (i.e., control, playfulness, coping, transcendence). That is, the resilient prototype reported higher control, playfulness and coping, and lower transcendence compared to the over- and undercontrolled. Future research should examine FRA in psychotherapy to further understand the clinical utility of this individual difference over time.

Resilience and well-being among persons with spinal cord injury/disorders.

We examined positive behavioral resources and characteristics that might distinguish resilient personality prototypes among persons with chronic spinal cord injury/disorder (SCID). Positive psychology variables with clear linkages to existing psychological interventions were examined as potential mediators of the resilience-well-being relationship. Research Method and Design: A cross-sectional, self-report study was conducted. Two hundred and ninety-eight consenting members of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (268 male; 236 self-identified as white) provided useable survey data for analysis (including 161 veterans with tetraplegia, 107 with paraplegia, 30 with cauda equina). Cluster analysis of Big Five personality traits identified resilient and nonresilient personality profiles. Tests of mean differences between resilient and nonresilient participants on behavioral resources and characteristics were performed. Path models predicting well-being and health-related quality of life (HRQL) were conducted. One hundred and sixty-three respondents had resilient personality profiles and 135 had nonresilient profiles. Resilient individuals reported significantly more optimal scores on every positive psychology variable, and greater well-being and HRQL than nonresilient respondents. Path models found the relationship of resilience to well-being was explained through its beneficial associations with psychological flexibility, use of personal strengths, meaning in life (MIL), and gratitude. Psychological flexibility also mediated the resilience-HRQL relationship. Cauda equina was significantly associated with higher pain interference and lower HRQL. Higher gratitude, MIL, use of personal strengths, and psychological flexibility appear to characterize resilience and well-being among persons with chronic SCID. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of pain interference on HRQL among individuals with cauda equina. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Personality in adolescents of general and clinical samples

The main objective of the study was to analyze the differences between samples from general and clinical sample in personality prototypes (PRP), derived from the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI). The methodology included an analytical and observational design with a random, multi-stage, stratified and proportional cluster sampling in general sample (n= 461) and consecutive sampling of clinical sample (n= 219), in adolescents between 13 and 17 years of age. We found introvert, inhibited, doleful, forceful, oppositional, self-demeaning and borderline PRP in the clinical sample and dramatizing and conforming PRP in the general sample present a significantly higher mean. There is a relevant absence of significant differences in egotistic, submissive, and unruly PRP. By sex, more significant differences in PRP are observed in the clinical sample. By age, a significant downward linear trend in the submissive and conforming PRP is observed, as well as an upward trend in the unruly and forceful PRP in the general sample. The clinician must be alert in the interpretation of the MACI PRP that do not differentiate between general and clinical samples.

Resilient entrepreneurs? — revisiting the relationship between the Big Five and self-employment

The Big Five personality traits and their influence on entrepreneurial action have been repeatedly studied using a trait-based approach. The present paper partly deviates from this perspective by analysing the role of personality prototypes in relation to entrepreneurship. This person-centred approach suggests that combinations of Big Five traits form individual personalities. By using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), we show that at least three prototypes can be identified, one of which — the resilient type — can be hypothesized to significantly increase the likelihood of entrepreneurial action. Our regression results provide evidence of a positive impact of this prototype on the likelihood of and transitioning into self-employment but not the likelihood of exit. We also show that the prototyping approach explains individual self-employment decisions over and above what can already be explained by the profiling approach, another person-centred Big Five approach. The paper concludes with implications for policy and research.

The CPAP-Q: A Q-Sort Assessment Procedure for assessing traits and emerging personality patterns in childhood

IntroductionDifferent from psychopathological assessment, personality assessment considers an individual's entire range of functioning. The evaluation of personality during childhood is more complex than assessment in other life phases, but crucial for understanding the risk and protective factors for personality pathology. This paper has two main goals. The first goal is to describe the CPAP-Q, including its development and features. The CPAP-Q is a 200-item clinician-report tool that can be used by therapists of any orientation. The second goal is to provide additional preliminary data on the validity of the CPAP-Q. MethodA sample of 257 clinicians completed the CPAP-Q to assess the personality features of 257 children (aged 4–11 years) who had been in their care for 2–12 months. Clinicians also completed a clinical questionnaire to provide information on themselves, their child patients, and their patients' families; and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to evaluate patients' behavioral problems and social competencies. ResultsThe CPAP-Q seems to represent a useful assessment tool with good concurrent validity. Correlations between the CPAP-Q and the CBCL revealed strong convergent and divergent validity. Furthermore, the associations between personality prototypes and syndromic scales concurred with the clinical literature. ConclusionThe CPAP-Q is a new tool for assessing child personality, from a clinical perspective. It is effective at identifying personality styles, even during childhood.

The prototypical parent personality

What personality traits characterize a typical parent? The purpose of this pre-registered study was to generate consensus-based Big Five personality prototypes of a typical father and mother through the eyes of 226 expecting parents and 281 nonparents (Total N = 507). We found that a prototypical father’s and mother’s personalities can be described with high levels of agreement as characterized by high levels of emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The prototypical mother profile is higher in extraversion, the agreeableness item: sympathy/warmth, and conscientiousness and lower in emotional stability compared to the prototypical father profile. Compared to nonparents, mothers’ self-rated levels of emotional stability and extraversion were more similar to the parent prototype. We found little evidence that parents’ self-reported personality aligns more with their beliefs about a prototypical parent’s personality after the transition to parenthood. Discussion focuses on personality prototypes and social role expectations during the transition to parenthood.

Exploring the Relations Between Personality, Implicit Theories, and Subjective Well-Being Among High-Ability Undergraduate Students

Personality plays a powerful role in predicting how individuals react to life events and evaluate their overall well-being. Similarly, implicit beliefs of ability determine the ways individuals react to experiences of success and failure. The present article reports the findings from two studies on the relationships between personality, implicit theories of ability, and subjective well-being among high-ability university students. Study 1 employed a variable-centered approach to examine well-being in relation to individual differences in Big Five personality traits and implicit theories. Study 2 moved beyond a variable-oriented focus to explore personality profiles among another (but similar) sample of high-ability adolescents through a person-centered analytic approach and identify associations of the emerging profiles with well-being and implicit theories. Findings were discussed in light of replicable personality prototypes and in relationship to previous research with high-ability students.

Ferdinand Karl Piëch: A Psychobiography of a Ruthless Manager and Ingenious Engineer.

The dark sides of personalities have gained importance during the past two decades. Psychobiography deals with the life of extraordinary individuals throughout the life span by applying selected theories to analyse specific life aspects. This study uses Theodore Millon’s (1990, 2011) personality theory to explore the life of Ferdinand Karl Piëch (1937–2019), an Austrian engineer and business executive who was the chairman of the executive board of the Volkswagen Group (1993–2002) and the chairman of the supervisory board from 2002 to 2015. Piëch was also known for having a complex and controversial personality. This study aims to explore the life and work of Ferdinand Karl Piëch through the lens of Millon’s personality theory. This study has four specific aims. Firstly, to provide an accurate and objective description of Piëch’s life history. Secondly, to formulate an accurate description of Piëch’s personality on the basis of existing biographical data. Thirdly, to interpret Piëch’s personality through the use of Millon’s theoretical framework and identify the personality prototypes that correspond with his personality characteristics. Fourthly, to contribute to expanding the field of “dark personality aspects” from a psychobiographical perspective, especially the personalities of extraordinary individuals. The findings suggest that although Piëch demonstrated the characteristics of three personality prototypes, the assertive-sadistic prototype is the best fit for his personality characteristics. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations for theory and practice are given.

Does personality matter? Small business owners and modes of innovation

The DUI (learning by doing-using-interacting) mode offers a promising theoretical framework to explain why many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are successful in innovation without research and development (R&D) efforts. In this context, we argue that—because of the informal, person-centered, and interactive nature of the DUI mode—small business owners should be in a key position to trigger DUI learning processes at the company level. Based on a large SME data set from Germany, we show empirically that Big Five personality traits of small business owners positively affect self-selection into DUI-based innovation in less R&D-intensive SMEs. That is, companies operating largely under the DUI mode seem to benefit in particular from certain owners’ personality characteristics. In addition, we present novel evidence that complementarities between different Big Five traits exist in terms of self-selection into the DUI mode, thereby pointing to the role of personality prototypes. The paper concludes with implications for policy and further research. Solving the SME innovation puzzle—resilient owner personalities boost small firm innovativeness. This psychological effect only exists in non-R&D SMEs, providing a new explanation for their surprising innovation success. SME owners are involved in most day-to-day activities of their company. An owner’s personality therefore directly affects external and internal communication flows, laying the foundation for a company’s innovation culture. We show that a resilient personality type—an owner who is characterized by emotional stability, openness, extraversion, and conscientiousness—benefits innovation in non-R&D SMEs. According to our analysis, resilient owners are about 5.5% more likely to trigger an innovation mode within their company that builds on non-R&D-based knowledge, communication, and interaction. Our research implies that entrepreneurship education and consultancy should foster psychological self-awareness, and thereby increase an owner’s understanding of his/her most effective role in terms of firm-level innovation. Successful entrepreneurship and innovation is not fully determined by one’s personality type, but knowing one’s own strength and weaknesses can help to carve out an effective niche, defining the scope of one’s responsibility, as well as its limits.

Personality Prototypes in People with Type 1 Diabetes and Their Relationship with Adherence.

Type 1 diabetes (Dm1) is a chronic endocrine and metabolic disease that affects the whole person and requires active, decisive treatment. However, personality traits may influence a patient’s adherence to treatment guidelines. The objective of this work is firstly to identify the 3 Asendorpf personality prototypes (resilient, undercontrolled and overcontrolled) in a sample of Dm1 individuals and determine whether there are any differences in comparison with a control sample; and, secondly, to study their association with adherence to self-care guidelines using both physiological indicators (HbA1C) and self-report measures. To achieve these objectives, a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. The sample comprised 294 participants, of whom 104 were people with Dm1 and 190 were controls. The participants, aged between 14 and 34 years, were classified by their scores in NEO-FFI-R, according to the personality characteristics inherent to Asendorpf’s prototypes. Asendorpf’s 3 prototypical personality patterns were found both in the group of people with Dm1 and in the control sample. These patterns showed different degrees of association with adherence to self-care guidelines for this disease and with psychological health factors. Importance should therefore be attached to the personality traits and Asendorpf prototypes of people with Dm1 when proposing interventions to address medical, psychological, and behavioral aspects.

Personality types revisited-a literature-informed and data-driven approach to an integration of prototypical and dimensional constructs of personality description.

A new algorithmic approach to personality prototyping based on Big Five traits was applied to a large representative and longitudinal German dataset (N = 22,820) including behavior, personality and health correlates. We applied three different clustering techniques, latent profile analysis, the k-means method and spectral clustering algorithms. The resulting cluster centers, i.e. the personality prototypes, were evaluated using a large number of internal and external validity criteria including health, locus of control, self-esteem, impulsivity, risk-taking and wellbeing. The best-fitting prototypical personality profiles were labeled according to their Euclidean distances to averaged personality type profiles identified in a review of previous studies on personality types. This procedure yielded a five-cluster solution: resilient, overcontroller, undercontroller, reserved and vulnerable-resilient. Reliability and construct validity could be confirmed. We discuss wether personality types could comprise a bridge between personality and clinical psychology as well as between developmental psychology and resilience research.

The relationship between prototype ratings of personality and self and interpersonal functioning with an adolescent inpatient sample.

Personality pathology is conceptualized, in part, as impairments in self and interpersonal functioning. Although most of the research has focused on adult samples, fewer have looked at this relationship in adolescent samples. This paper investigates the relationship between clinician-rated personality prototypes, the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-Prototype Matching Adolescent Version (SWAP-A-P) derived from the SWAP-II-A, and a measure of self and interpersonal functioning, the Social Cognition and Object Relation Scale-Global Rating (SCORS-G). Clinicians rated 66 adolescents hospitalized at a safety net teaching hospital in the northeast. The patient's individual and group therapist rated the patients at discharge using the SWAP-A-P and the SCORS-G at discharge blind to each other's ratings. Results showed that more severe personality pathology was linked with more impairments in self and interpersonal functioning.

The relationship between personality prototypes and social skills

The relationship between personality prototypes and social skills

Characteristics of Resilients, Overcontrollers, Undercontrollers, and the Other Type in Personality Prototypes: Based on Comparison of the Levels of Life Skills

Characteristics of Resilients, Overcontrollers, Undercontrollers, and the Other Type in Personality Prototypes: Based on Comparison of the Levels of Life Skills

The resilient, the restraint and the restless: Personality types based on the Alternative Five-Factor Model

Using data from two samples and >1000 participants (drawn from the general population), the present research investigated personality types based on the Alternative Five-Factor Model (AFFM). Study 1 (n = 774) identified three personality prototypes (using cluster analysis) and provided support for their internal validity, using a double-cross validation approach. The three identified types were labeled resilient (low Neuroticism-Anxiety and Aggression-Hostility, high Sociability and Activity, and an average level of Impulsive Sensation Seeking), overcontrolled (high Neuroticism-Anxiety, average Aggression-Hostility and low levels of the other factors) and strain (average level of Activity and high levels of the other factors). Study 2 (n = 332) provided evidence for the external validity of the identified personality types, by revealing several differences between them in terms of self-reported behavioral preferences. These findings were discussed and compared with research on personality types based on the Five-Factor Model, with several similarities emerging.

The Resilient Personality Prototype

Abstract. Typologies based on Big Five questionnaire data always include the resilient prototype, which is defined by low scores on neuroticism and above-average scores on extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. When measurement of the criterion domains is based on self-reports, this type evidences superior psychological adjustment and well-being in nearly all domains. In the present study, we tested whether the personality profile constituting the resilient prototype is an artifact of self-deceptive enhancement in answering questionnaires. Therefore, we contrasted self-reports of resilients with objective data that we collected during an actual stressful event. A total of 112 pupils (15–19 years) were examined via questionnaires and asked to complete a speech task in front of a video camera. Stress reactions were measured by self-reports as well as by nonverbal behavior, achievement, and physiological responding. Results showed that resilients differed from the other personality prototypes only when self-reports (coping, affectivity) were used. By contrast, no differences between personality prototypes emerged when the three objective stress indicators (speech performance, behavior, and physiological arousal) were used. These findings call into question the superior psychological adjustment attributed to the resilient prototype and stress the necessity of multimethod assessment in personality prototype research.

Relationship between the classification of Japanese college students based on personality prototypes and mental health

Relationship between the classification of Japanese college students based on personality prototypes and mental health

Comparación de la salud subjetiva entre prototipos de personalidad recuperados en población general de México

The objective of this study was to extract personality prototypes from general population of Mexico and to compare subjective health indicators between these prototypes. Participants were 994 individuals (aged 14 to 63 years). Five personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness) were assessed with the NEO-FFI. Subjective indicators of health (self-rated health and psychological distress) were assessed with a question regarding health status and the GHQ-12. To verify the consistency of the prototypes, the sample was divided into two age groups, young (14 to 25 years) and mature (26 to 63 years.). Three stable prototypes were recovered from both groups. Resilient individuals (low neuroticism and high in other traits) had the best subjective health; the Non-Resilient individuals (high neuroticism and low in other traits) had the worst subjective health; and Self-Disciplined individuals (high conscientiousness and medium scores in other traits) were in the middle of these extremes in subjective health. Self-discipline and resilience were most discriminative in terms of subjective health. Findings are discussed in terms of the generalization of prototypes across cultures.

Resilience and Traumatic Brain Injury Among Iraq/Afghanistan War Veterans: Differential Patterns of Adjustment and Quality of Life.

We examined the degree to which a resilient personality prototype predicted adjustment among war Veterans with and without a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while covarying the level of combat exposure. A total of 127 war Veterans (107 men, 20 women; average age = 37 years) participated. Personality prototypes were derived from the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (Patrick, Curtain, & Tellegen, 2002). Measures were administered at baseline, and a subset was administered at 4- and 8-month follow-ups. Veterans with resilient personalities reported less sleep disturbance, more health-promoting behaviors, psychological flexibility, and emotional distress tolerance than Veterans with undercontrolled or overcontrolled prototypes. Path models revealed that resilience significantly predicted posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, quality of life, and social support over time. TBI had unique and consistent effects only on PTSD. Personality characteristics influence distress and quality of life among war Veterans with and without TBI. Implications for assessment, interventions, and research are discussed.