Personality Theory Research Articles

Posttraumatic Growth: The Role of Health and Financial Difficulties During a Pandemic.

Trauma can have a range of effects on individuals over time, including the potential for positive changes in favorable outcomes commonly referred to as posttraumatic growth. The posttraumatic growth literature has been criticized for various methodological limitations and has largely neglected the exploration of factors that may strengthen or weaken posttraumatic growth trajectories. The present study contributes to this literature by investigating trajectories of five dimensions of posttraumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic and the moderating effects of health and financial difficulties on these trajectories. Longitudinal data were collected monthly between July 2020 and December 2022 from a sample of employed adults in Germany, involving N = 1678 participants over 30 time points (Nobservations = 29,552). Results suggest that certain dimensions of posttraumatic growth showed significant increases (i.e., relationships) or decreases (i.e., spirituality and possibilities) over time and that trajectories of three dimensions (i.e., relationships, appreciation, and strength) demonstrated distinctive patterns of interaction with health and financial difficulties. Findings are discussed in the context of the pandemic as well as dynamic theories of personality and identity, with implications for advancing posttraumatic growth theory and research.

Testing Theories of Threat, Individual Difference, and Ideology: Little Evidence of Personality-Based Individual Differences in Ideological Responses to Threat

Recent attempts to establish the veracity of the conservative shift hypothesis have failed to find supportive evidence. Instead, this work yields inconsistent results and reveals considerable individual differences in ideological responses to ecological threats. In two studies, we build upon this work in two ways. First, we test the conservative shift hypothesis across five ecological threats: unemployment, immigration, racial diversity, COVID-19, and violent crime, more than has been examined previously. Second, we test whether, in line with political personality theories, openness to experience and conscientiousness predict who is likely to shift to the right in the face of threat and who is not. In one nationally representative panel study from the Netherlands ( N = 11,189) and one nationally representative repeated cross-sectional study in the United States ( N = 9,040), we find minimal support for the conservative shift hypothesis and theories that predict personality-based individual differences in ideological responses to threat.

Трансформация подходов к исследованию идентичности и культурной идентичности в конце ХХ – начале ХХI столетий: тенденции и перспективы

This article examines the role of cultural identity policy as a tool for institutionalizing established values, beliefs, and means of sustenance in the structure of cultural identity. It is emphasized that the works of classical scholars of the 20th century address the issue of cultural identity in the context of fundamental theories of personality, motivation, needs, determinisms, and more. In contrast, research conducted in the first quarter of the 21st century exhibits a continuity of these foundational themes. Conclusion dwells upon the fact that the transformation of theoretical and methodological approaches is manifested in the reception of the issue of cultural identity-as a conceptual, social, and historical product that is created by individuals and society through processes of joint activity, and that is continually negotiated and modified under the influence of cultural policies and means of their institutionalization. Using research findings as a case study, the article illustrates how the government forms the cultural identity of populations: it instills norms, defines parameters of consciousness, and influences living practices and traditional forms of behavior. However, the intensity of such influence varies significantly. Based on a description of different types of cultural hybridity, the article identifies and represents corresponding types of identity-strong and weak-that manifest in conditions of intercultural communication.

A faith in science: Gardner Murphy and parapsychology

Historians have noted that many 19th-century founders and members of psychic societies were clergy, or had fathers who were clergy, seeking evidence for the survivalist hypothesis. One such member, psychologist Gardner Murphy, was influenced in childhood both by the Episcopalian faith of his father and the Transcendentalism of his mother's hometown, Concord, Massachusetts. We propose that these religious and philosophical influences, as well as his childhood experiences informed his life's work. They also prompted Gardner Murphy to focus on the survivalist hypothesis and commit to discovering a scientific approach that might yield evidence of paranormal phenomena. Murphy was highly respected for his biosocial theory of personality and his contributions to the discipline of psychology, even while he persisted in studying parapsychology, an area of contention in the relatively new science of psychology. He drew on the potential synergy of world religions and philosophical traditions as a means of understanding human behavior – in each case revealing him as the polymath and ethical humanist for which he is remembered. Like William James, he viewed reported psychic experiences as simply another human phenomenon to be examined using the scientific method. His ability to entwine these interests seems motivated by his religious upbringing and academic training in the sciences.

The Legal Issues of Contractual Liability for the Act of the Thing “Comparative Study”

Civil liability is based on a fundamental principle that anyone who causes harm through their fault is obligated to provide compensation. The essence of this principle is that an individual is held accountable only for their personal conduct, even if it takes the form of omission, particularly within the scope of contractual liability. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. Does an individual bear responsibility for the actions of objects used in the execution or hindrance of a contract, or for causing harm to the creditor, such as tools, means, or machinery used in conjunction with contract execution? Based on this, the study seeks to explore one of the exceptional cases in contractual liability that goes beyond the scope of personal theory in its basic and general concept, namely, contractual liability for the act of the thing. Especially considering that civil legislation, for the most part, has not explicitly addressed the regulation of this liability, which has sparked controversy and discussions regarding adaptation and the determination of the responsible party and the extent of their liability. This study aims to propose logical solutions based on the realities of the available legal principles.

Personality and Teaching Motivations of Prospective Teachers in Cuba

ABSTRACT The five-factor model is one of the most researched theories of personality and is frequently evaluated through the Big Five Inventory (BFI). The present study aims to explore the reliability and factorial validity of the BFI in Cuba and to investigate the relationships between personality traits and motivations for teaching. A sample of 320 prospective teachers from two universities participated in the study. A total scale reliability score of α = .73 was obtained. Principal Component Analysis using varimax rotation validated a five-factor structure, however, poor loadings of some items of the agreeableness and neuroticism factors were found. Personality dimensions of the five-factor model provided a set of meaningful relations with motivational factors determining the choice of entering the teaching profession. The dimensions of conscientiousness and agreeableness were significant predictors of intrinsic motivation as well as satisfaction with career choice. In particular, conscientiousness emerged as an important personality trait of prospective teachers. The findings obtained are partly in line with previous studies and are significant for recruitment strategies that optimize teacher quality.

The work of a prospective high school teacher in pre-professional training in highlighting mathematical knowledge

This article aims to identify the knowledge that enables a prospective secondary school teacher to mobilize number sense components during a pre-professional practicum. Using a qualitative case study approach, four classroom episodes focused on fractions, percentages, and algebraic language are analyzed. The study involves one prospective teacher and 23 students from a multi-grade school in central-southern Chile. The analysis integrates teacher’s specialized knowledge and mathematical working spaces to explore how these frameworks inform the teacher’s knowledge. The findings reveal that the teacher employs personal theories, real-life examples, and graphical aids to enhance students’ understanding, though there is a reliance on rules and algorithms. While specialized knowledge aids in teaching, there is less emphasis on fostering students’ conceptual understanding and judgement. The study recommends improving teacher training programs to better equip prospective teachers in grasping number sense components, highlighting the need for more focused training on its development.

A Brief Discussion on Mr. Congzhou Chen's Thoughts on Garden Art

The role and significance of Mr. Chen multiple identities, personal practices, and academic history in the formation of his personal thoughts and theories on the art of gardening are discussed to explore Mr. Chen's inheritance and innovation of Chinese thoughts on landscape gardening. Analyzing Mingxuan, Yuyuan, and Nanyuan from the perspective of poetic and picturesque aesthetics, we discover the course of Mr. Congzhou Chen's gardening ideas and his inheritance and innovation of traditional garden culture. As Mr. Chen said, Mingxuan is an imitation with some new ideas, Yuyuan East is a continuation with some new ideas, and Nanyuan is an independent design, which is a concrete embodiment of his garden theory. The process of gardening is a perfect combination of practice and Concept of Garden Design.Mr. Congzhou Chen's theoretical topics on traditional Chinese gardens are widely spread and far-reaching.

Exploring English self-concept and investment of successful EFL learners from a Chinese secondary school

Academic self-concept, a central psychological construct that powerfully explains learners’ varied motivations and learning behaviors, needs to be further explored to deepen our understanding of language learner psychology. Drawing on self-reported learning histories, this study investigates the English self-concept of successful English as a foreign language (EFL) learners and their mediated learning behaviors from the theoretical lens of personal investment theory (Maehr & Braskamp, 1986). Data were collected from 12 students at a key secondary school in Shanghai using retrospective narratives and semi-structured interviews. The analysis revealed three categories of cognitive and affective characteristics in the learners’ English self-concept and the corresponding investment features with subtle differences identified. Participants espoused average to high competency beliefs and moderate to strong positive affect toward English learning, nurtured by positive self-beliefs such as interest and self-efficacy formed through early English learning experience. Their sustainable, targeted, and resilient investment in English learning was also underpinned by the perception of mastery and performance goals appropriately afforded by teachers, parents, peers, or the school. Practical implications for parents and educators are discussed in terms of what they can do to help learners build positive self-perceptions as EFL learners.

Collective Bargaining for the 'New' Working Class: Putting Personal Work Relations to Work for Street Vendors

Abstract Robert Hale’s famous proposition is that the propertyless man needs to eat and in order to eat, he exchanges his labour for access to property. Indeed, labour law is constituted by these property relations. Historically, most of the workforce (in the global North) has accessed property for livelihood purposes through an employment contract. However, in developing countries, most of the workforce is structurally unable to access property for livelihood purposes by means of an employment contract. These worker-citizens nevertheless need access to property to eat; street vendors need access to public space to trade. The question is whether the scope of labour law, particularly the institution of collective bargaining, can expand to include informal self-employed workers? The article discusses the capability, regulatory, human rights and personal work relations theories; it shows that Freedland and Kountouris’ theory of ‘labour law as personal work relations’ could incorporate informal self-employed workers and illustrates how it might be operationalized to realise collective bargaining laws for street vendors. Informal self-employed workers challenge labour law to examine its assumptions of how property relations are constituted; and to re-theorise property relations to account for workers accessing property by means of an employment contract as well as accessing property based on worker-citizens making rights-based claims.

Can AI-virtual anchors replace human internet celebrities for live streaming sales of products? An emotion theory perspective

The purpose of this paper is to (1) investigate whether consumers' emotions and purchase intentions are affected by the different behaviors or emotional states of Internet celebrities and (2) explore the change in consumers' emotions when Internet celebrities are replaced with artificial intelligence (AI) virtual anchors and whether consumers are willing to pay for AI virtual anchors. Therefore, the theoretical framework of this study was established by synthesizing emotion, trust, and personal values theories; following the causal framework of emotion-trust-intention, two studies were designed corresponding to Internet celebrities and AI virtual anchors. All data were collected via a questionnaire survey, and the two structural equation models were analyzed using Smart PLS software (version 4.0). Study 1 revealed that the behavior of Internet celebrities and shopping value directly affect consumer emotions and that different emotions significantly affect purchase intentions. Consumers with utilitarian motivations are more rational than those with hedonic motivations. Study 2 revealed that consumers with different shopping values experienced different emotional changes when confronted with AI virtual anchors and further confirmed the effects of emotions (post), consumer engagement, hedonism, and utilitarian values on consumer trust and purchase intentions. Moreover, AI virtual anchors are not popular except among consumers with extreme hedonism. Alternatively, consumers are more attracted to Internet celebrity live streaming than AI virtual anchors.

Are We Truly Different in Personal Values and Compulsive Buying Proclivity? Cross‐Cultural Contrasts Between the United States and East‐Central Europe

ABSTRACTThe current study explores the intersection of personal values theory, consumer culture, and compulsive buying behavior theories. By examining the importance of different values types, we aim to understand the extent to which specific values influence individuals' tendency to either embrace or resist maladaptive behaviors like compulsive buying. This study postulated that one's values can both contribute to the development of compulsive buying tendencies and act as a protective factor. Importantly, we explored this values‐compulsive relationship within the contrasting consumer cultures of the United States characterized by individualism, and Poland, which predominantly exhibits collectivistic trends. In this work, we utilized two distinct samples/studies of American (n = 367) and Polish (n = 370) consumers and employed two key measurement tools: the Portrait Values Questionnaire and the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale. The research findings revealed that values such as self‐direction, stimulation, hedonism, power, and achievement tend to promote compulsive buying tendencies irrespective of the cultural context. However, the prevalence of compulsive buying is more pronounced among American consumers compared to their Polish counterparts. Furthermore, the impact of hedonism and achievement on compulsive buying was twice as large in the United States as it was in Poland. On the other hand, values such as tradition, security, conformity, benevolence, and universalism appeared to help individuals in preventing or mitigating compulsive buying behavior. This study underscores the critical role of personal values, cultural variations, and their impact on compulsive buying tendencies among consumers. It highlights the presence of specific personal values that can either inhibit or facilitate the development of compulsive buying behaviors.

Analyses of Physical and Psychological Characteristics of "Squid Game" Characters Using East Asian Biopsychosocial Personality Theories and Body Mass Index.

Media characters' physical and psychological traits are crucial for character development and audience engagement. This study examines East Asian perspectives on the audience's perceptions of the physical appearance and personality, using Eum-Yang biopsychological Sasang theory, of five characters from the Netflix series "Squid Game". A total of 221 university students assessed the traits of five "Squid Game" characters using the Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and a visual Body Mass Index (BMI). ANOVA and Profile Analysis revealed significant and comprehensive differences in the SPQ and its subscales (behavior, SPQ-B; cognition, SPQ-C; and emotion, SPQ-E) as well as BMI among the five drama characters. More specifically, Seong Gi-hun (SGH) and Han Mi-nyeo (HMN) were So-Yang types (high SPQ, moderate BMI), Cho Sang-woo (CSW) and Kang Sae-byeok (KSB) were So-Eum types (low SPQ, low BMI), and Jang Deok-su (JDS) was Tae-Eum type (moderate SPQ, high BMI). Psychological profiling showed two patterns: V-shaped (high SPQ-B, low SPQ-C, high SPQ-E) for SGH, HMN, and JDS, and A-shaped (low SPQ-B, high SPQ-C, low SPQ-E) for CSW and KSB. These results contribute to media psychology by highlighting the relevance of Eum-Yang and Sasang typology for creating and analyzing complex characters, thereby enhancing global understanding for East Asian biopsychosocial theories.

The Embodiment of the Elements of Personal Psychological Theory of the Scientist Adler for the novel Khaj Al-Berlin by the novelist Hassan Ibrahim

The Embodiment of the Elements of Personal Psychological Theory of the Scientist Adler for the novel Khaj Al-Berlin by the novelist Hassan Ibrahim

Theory of education and pedeutology in psychological approach - the perspective of personality and socio-emotional competences of the teacher and their importance in the educational process

This article presents considerations on the significance of a teacher's personality in the educational process. The starting point was reflections on the special role of the modern teacher, and then - against the background of assumptions specific to the psychological orientation in the theory of education - the basic assumptions of classical pedeutological concepts of a teacher (J. Mirski, S. Szuman, Z. Mysłakowski, B. Nawroczyński, J. W. Dawid, M. Kreutz and S. Baley) were discussed. Particular attention was paid to the numerous references to the desired personality traits of a teacher and to the expectations formulated towards him regarding his broadly understood ability to establish positive relationships with students. Then, the results of these reflections were compared with the Big Five personality traits in terms of the Five-Factor Theory of Personality and with socio-emotional competences as a group of key competences from the perspective of building both intra- and interpersonal potential of a teacher.

Dimensions of ethical consumption: A systematic review and future outlook

AbstractUN's sustainable development goals view ethical consumption as a multi‐dimensional construct addressing production and consumption‐related sustainability challenges. The present study is the first to assimilate the five dimensions of ethical consumption—concern for environment, love of organic, preference for fair trade, regard for animal welfare, and anti‐consumption/boycott movements—in a single review. This framework‐based review using Theory‐Context‐Characteristic‐Methods (TCCM) and employing Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR‐4 SLR) protocol, thoroughly synthesizes the state of knowledge, identifies research gaps and proposes directions for future research in ethical consumption. The authors review 123 articles from 2000 to 2024 sourced from SCOPUS by thoroughly examining antecedents, mediators, moderators, outcome variables, and interrelationships for all five dimensions. The authors recommend applying new consumer personality theories instead of familiar frameworks, adopting qualitative methods and longitudinal designs with multicultural and cross‐national focus, and testing novel mediation and moderation mechanisms in clarifying interrelationships.

Relationship between Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Personality Traits

Reactions to stimuli vary from person to person. The same stimulus has different effects depending on the perception of different people and the physical and mental states they are in. Considering this difference, situations can be seen in which a person perceives a specific stimulus or group of stimuli as negative and disturbing for themselves. In particular, people with high levels of sensory processing sensitivity feel the negative effects of stimuli more intensely both in terms of their internal processes (hunger, pain, sadness, stress, etc.) and the situation of the physical environment (loud noise, bright light, pungent odor, etc.) which they are in. On the other hand, the existence of situations where sensory processing sensitivity has a positive effect is also noticeable. In this context, the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and personality traits is examined. The concept of personality is explained in different ways by many different theorists in the international literature. In order to avoid confusion that may arise in the definition and understanding of personality traits, in this review study, personality traits are examined on the basis of the Five Factor Personality Theory. Within the framework of the personality definition of the Five Factor Personality Theory, The relationship between five basic personality traits and sensory processing sensitivity is examined by also considering the subdimensions of each five personality traits.

How is variability in physiological responses to social stress related to punishment and reward sensitivities? Preliminary findings from the revised reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality perspective

ABSTRACT Objective: Although personality traits are assumed to have biological/physiological foundations, research has yielded mixed evidence regarding the relationship between personality and physiological stress responses. Moreover, the field has often overlooked the contemporary neuroscience-based personality approach, known as the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) of Personality, in stress research. Method: The present study examined the relationship between the revised RST's personality dimensions and heart rate and skin conductance level (SCL) in response to the Trier Social Stress Test in a sample of 61 healthy university students. Results: Piecewise latent growth curve analysis controlling for the participants’ current life stress, smoking use, and caffeine intake revealed that individuals with higher behavioral inhibition exhibited higher physiological reactivity, whereas those with high reward sensitivity showed smaller heart rate reactivity. The behavioral disengagement facet of the behavioral inhibition scale was associated with reduced sympathetic arousal during the stress task. Additionally, reward interest was associated with a larger recovery of SCL. Conclusion: Results were generally in line with the revised theory. The study findings were discussed within the paradigm of the approach-avoidance conflict and highlighted the importance of reward sensitivity in stress resilience.

Conspiracy! Or, when bad things happen to good litigants in person

Abstract This paper considers the relationship between litigants in person (LiPs) and conspiracy theories and seeks to answer two questions: how, and why, do some LiPs come to be conspiracy theorists? The majority of LiPs, of course, do not become conspiracy-minded. There is also no evidence that LiPs are more likely than anyone else in legal proceedings to be conspiracists, only, perhaps, that it is more obvious when they are. But there continue to be individuals who have conspiracist explanations for difficulties or failures they experience throughout legal proceedings. And while it is widely held that some LiPs hold eccentric beliefs about the law, there has been little attempt to understand how and why LiPs may come to acquire or articulate these beliefs. This is presumably because it has not been considered important to interrogate the views of people already often assumed to be ‘difficult’ or eccentric. This paper contends, however, that trying to understand how and why these conspiracist beliefs are acquired matters very much. This is because conspiracy theories can give us a critical insight into how negative experiences of litigation can result in a loss of faith or trust in legal institutions.

Nurse educators’ guilt during the Covid-19 pandemic response

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted nurse educators, creating a dichotomy between their professional duties and a desire for direct patient care involvement. AimTo explore the emotional effects, particularly guilt, experienced by nurse educators due to their reduced role in frontline patient care during the pandemic, using personal construct theory to frame guilt as a reaction to role deviation. MethodsA cross-sectional survey involving 124 nurse educators from across the United States was conducted from March to May 2023. The survey investigated three attributes: Professional Responsibility, Emotional Impact, and Offsetting Activities. ResultsThe majority of respondents reported significant stress and guilt, exacerbated by the transition to online education, mandated pandemic safety measures, and their inability to contribute directly to patient care. ConclusionsFindings underscore the need for targeted support systems to help nurse educators navigate the professional and emotional challenges posed by the pandemic, highlighting the profound impact of their altered roles on their well-being.