Individual Personality Traits Research Articles

Personality Traits Affecting Opinion Leadership Propensity in Social Media: An Empirical Examination in Saudi Arabia

Few studies have examined the personality traits that may predict opinion leadership behavior in social media. This study aims to examine the personality traits of individuals who use social media platforms and engage in social networking in Saudi Arabia. This study investigates the extent to which innovativeness, competence in interpersonal relationships, and extraversion affect the opinion leadership propensity in social media. The data were collected via an online structured questionnaire which was completed by a sample of 321 social media users. The results of this study show that people with a high level of innovativeness and interpersonal relationship competency are more likely to be opinion leaders on social media. However, the personality trait of extraversion does not affect the propensity to be an opinion leader. The results indicate that the effect of innovativeness on opinion leadership propensity is lower for Generation Y than Generation X.

A qualitative exploration of young people and prison officers’ experiences of empathy within a young offenders’ institution

PurposeThis study aims to explore the ways in which young people and prison staff (Prison Officers) within a youth custodial establishment experience empathy. Previous research tends to view empathy as a stable trait and one which people can develop through individual-centred therapy. There has been little consideration of the impact of relationship factors and context in relation to empathy experience and expression. The current study aims to address this by exploring the role of the custodial context in shaping empathy, including the potential impact of relationships, environmental factors and culture.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was used to enable breadth and depth in the exploration of this area. Individual, semi-structured interviews were carried out with a purposive sample of three young people and three Prison Officers. Data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis informed by the guidelines of Braun and Clarke (2006) and King and Horrocks (2010).FindingsConstructed themes included “constructions of empathy”, “recipe for empathy”, “institutional investment”, “the value of empathy” and “doing empathy”. Together, they provide detailed insight into the interplay of personal and wider contextual factors influencing the experience of empathy in a custodial setting. The findings suggest that the way in which young people and staff experience empathy in the custodial environment is unique. The findings suggest that empathy takes place within the context of relationships and is influenced by the nature of those relationships, along with the wider social context within which it occurs.Practical implicationsThe findings of the current study support a move away from understanding empathy as an individual personality trait and instead viewing it as a dynamic experience that is changeable based upon the relationship and the context within which it occurs. The findings suggest that interventions aiming to develop empathy should look beyond the level of the individual and the relationship and focus upon developing environments that are supportive of empathy.Originality/valueThis study provides unique insights into the subjective experience of empathy in a custodial setting, presenting as one of the first to take a more holistic approach to understand this phenomenon.

Investigation of body perception and personality traits of individuals according to their sporting status

This study aims to examine the body perception and personality traits of individuals who regularly do sports and those who do not. The research was conducted with 222 people who were reached by an convenient sampling method. Participants were provided with a personal information form prepared to obtain demographic information, Body Image Scale to measure body perception, and Adjective Based Personality Test to measure personality traits via Google Forms. The data obtained were analyzed using the SPSS 22.0 program. To measure whether the body perception and personality traits differ according to the regular exercise variable, an independent t-test was applied. According to the analysis result; body perception, extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience differ significantly between individuals who do regular sports and those who do not. While body perception differs in favor of individuals who do not practice sports; Extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience differ in favor of individuals who do sports regularly. Agreeableness and neuroticism do not differ significantly. The findings were discussed based on the literature, and suggestions for further research were presented.

Whither the Third Quarter Phenomenon?

INTRODUCTION: In 1991, Bechtel and Berning proposed that a decrement in morale and well-being affects people working in isolated and confined environments during the third quarter of their mission. Studies conducted during such conditions have suggested that whereas some people may experience such a phenomenon, it is not a typical occurrence in space or space simulation environments. Possible reasons for varying outcomes include demand characteristic bias, individual personality traits, training omissions, experimental methodological issues, and the impact of mission events on crewmember well-being. Research related to a future Mars expedition needs to investigate the impact of these factors.Kanas N, Gushin V, Yusupova A. Whither the third quarter phenomenon? Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2021; 92(8):689691.

Theory of mind of adolescents in the context of inclusive education

Topicality of the study is due to the need for practice in understanding and substantiating the psychological foundations of the formation of such a personality trait of adolescents as tolerance, as well as in identifying other personal characteristics of adolescents as predictors of the formation of tolerance. The purpose of the article is a generalised theoretical presentation of the empirical results of a pilot study of the personality traits of adolescents in the context of inclusive education. Achieving this goal makes it possible to reveal the psychological mechanisms of the adolescent's social behaviour. The study of the problem of the mental model as a predictor of the formation of tolerance in adolescents in the context of inclusive education was carried out within the framework of the methodological principles developed by Simon Baron-Cohen, as well as in the framework of the system-subject approach of Yelena Sergiyenko, in which the traditions of the systemic (Boris Lomov, Alexei Leontiev, Vladimir Shadrikov) and the subject-activity (Sergei Rubinstein, Kseniya Abul'khanova, Andrey Brushlinskiy, Viktor Znakov) approaches in psychology are creatively integrated. The article presents and substantiates the results of an empirical study of the mental model as a predictor of the formation of tolerance in adolescents in the context of inclusive education. In the course of applying the procedure of regression analysis, on the basis of the mental model, the basic personality predictors of the formation of tolerance in adolescents – “self-control in communication”, “self-attitude” and “situational anxiety” were identified. The resulting regression model explains the possibility of influencing the general index of tolerance through the indicated personal characteristics. The mental model makes it possible to conceptualise the inner world of a teenager. The article substantiates new research opportunities for studying the ability of adolescents to understand their own mental world and the mental world of another. The conclusion is made about the high productivity of using the mental model, its research capabilities in the study of individual personality traits, and, in particular, in the formation of adolescent tolerance in the context of inclusive education.

The association between reading motivation and reading achievement in Chinese students: Exploring the role of personality

It is documented that individualistic (Western) versus collective (Eastern) societies may have different expectations of students. For example, compared to their Western counterparts who tend to be more intrinsically motivated to learn, learning in China tends to be characterized by group-level success, being prideful and ensuring positive career outcomes. Further, it is possible that individual differences, such as personality, may be mediating the relationship between reading motivation and achievement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the associations between reading motivation, personality traits and reading grade in a sample of students from Mainland China (n = 422) between the ages of 11 and 19 (M =14.61, SD = 1.55). Using path analysis, we examined if reading motivation might be working indirectly through individual personality traits to influence reading grade in this sample. Our results highlight the role of individual differences in the relationship between reading motivation and achievement. Further, results of our study emphasize the importance of fostering Openness, particularly within Chinese students, as it could be associated with higher reading achievement. Taken together, our results suggest that educators working with Chinese students should consider individual differences when fostering reading motivation to increase reading achievement in students.

Does Social Media Addiction Differ by Personality Traits? A Study on Undergraduate Tourism Students

The potential relationship between social media addiction and personality traits is an essential topic in tourism studies, though it is rarely examined. Thus, this study aims to examine whether undergraduate tourism students are addicted to social media and, if so, the possible relationship between this addiction and their personality traits. The research used the descriptive method, one of the quantitative research methods. The questionnaire technique and the convenience sampling method were preferred to amass the data. Data were collected from 454 undergraduate tourism students and analyzed with the Pearson correlation test by using SPSS 25. This research has revealed that the students' dominant personality trait is agreeableness with a low-level social media addiction. The research has also found a positive relationship between neuroticism personality traits and social media addiction and a negative relationship between personality traits of extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, and social media addiction. The research has revealed that tourism students are dependent on social media. Social media addiction is a type of addiction that harms individuals' personal development and business life. Accordingly, theoretical and practical studies should be carried out to combat this addiction. To this end, it is crucial to develop more sophisticated combating methods according to an individual's personality traits and carry out awareness and training studies in the practical field. The literature has scarcely examined the relationship between undergraduate tourism students' personality traits and social media addiction. Therefore, this study is believed to contribute to filling an important gap in the literature.

The Relationship between Higher Chronic Opioid Therapy Dose and Specific Personality Traits in Individuals with Chronic Pain.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between opioid use and specific personality traits among individuals with chronic pain stratified by morphine equivalent doses (MEQ). Design Observational cohort study. Setting. Chronic pain outpatient clinic in Canada (2017–2019). Patients. Participants were included if they (1) were at least 18 years old, (2) had been diagnosed with chronic pain (pain >3 months), and (3) were able to read and write in English. Interventions. None. Main Outcome Measures. Completion of the following outcome measures: Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, Anxiety Sensitivity Index, Brief-Coping with Problems Experience 28-item, Brief Pain Inventory Short Form, CAGE-AID substance misuse screening tool, EuroQol-5D, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item, and Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item. One-way analysis of variance compared outcomes between MEQ groups. Results 215 individuals (64.2% female) were included with a mean age of 52.7 ± 11.7 years and time since pain onset of 14.1 ± 10.2 years (range 1–45). There were no significant differences between MEQ groups with respect to sociodemographic and clinical health variables except for gender and employment status and time since pain onset. After controlling for gender, time since pain onset, and average pain severity, patients with MEQ 90+ mg had significantly higher scores for experiential avoidance and anxiety sensitivity in addition to increased pain interference, greater depressive and anxiety symptoms, more dysfunctional coping, and poorer QoL than those with MEQ 1–89 mg or MEQ 0 mg. Conclusions Compared to individuals using no or lower-dose opioids to treat chronic pain, those using high-dose opioids had higher scores on two maladaptive personality traits (i.e., anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance) which was associated with poorer mood, greater pain interference, lower quality of life, and dysfunctional coping. These maladaptive personality traits may help to explain how individuals with chronic pain utilize higher doses of opioid analgesics.

IDENTIFYING PERSONALITY TRAITS & LISTENING STYLE PREFERENCES AMONG OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS.

Background- Listening play an important role in the functioning of a person. This study investigated listening style preferences among students and also studied if individual personality traits play a role. Objective - To identify Personality traits & Listening style preferences among Occupational therapy undergraduate students. Study Design- A cross sectional study design. Methods-: Written consent from participants was taken. Paper-based version of the Big ve personality test & Listening Style Inventory (LSI) were given to OT UG students (I to IV year) from School of occupational therapy. Personality traits and listening Preference styles of OT students were analyzed. Result – OT students exhibited more passive listening style & Agreeableness type of personality trait. Conclusion – The progress in academic year of the students leads to change in the listening styles preferences and personality traits.

Analysis of socio-psychological factors associated with suicidal behavior in persons of military age

Currently, the Armed Forces are facing the problem of the death of personnel who committed suicide, which makes it important to look for the reasons of suicidal behavior.The study involved 169 men, divided into two groups: the first group consisted of persons of military age, in the amount of 115 people and the second group included 54 people who committed parasuicide using highly lethal methods of self-harm (GLIVS). During the study, socio-demographic characteristics (age, marital status, living conditions, professional status, characteristics and conditions of upbringing) and individual psychological personality traits (type of temperament, introversion-extraversion, neuroticism, ostentatiousness, fixedness, formalism, excitability, hyperthymia, dysthymia, anxiety, exaltation, affectability, cyclothymia) were assessed. The calculations were performed using the statistical package IBM SPSS Statistics 22.Statistically significant differences between the study groups were due to the presence of differences between persons brought up in two-parent families. These groups differed in the phlegmatic type of temperament (predominant in GLIVS), the character traits of excitability, dysthymia, and hyperthymia. For GLIVS brought up in two-parent families, in addition to the phlegmatic type of temperament, it was characterized by the presence of punishments in childhood, a lower level of education (secondary education prevailed), a lower level of neuroticism, excitability, dysthymia and anxiety, an average level of hyperthymicity.Statistically significant differences between the study groups were revealed in terms of the type of temperament, excitability, dysthymism, and hypotensiveness and were due to the presence of differences between persons brought up in full families.Individuals from full families of GLIVS are characterized by the presence of more frequent punishments in childhood, a phlegmatic type of temperament, a lower level of education, a lower level of neuroticism, excitability, dysthymia, anxiety.

Relationship between the parameters of the frontal cortex bioelectric activity and extraversion and neuroticism level

The frontal lobes make a significant contribution to the formation of individual personality traits, in connection with which it is important to identify the links between the parameters of the bioelectric activity of the frontal cortex and the indicators of psychological tests. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between the indicators of extraversion and neuroticism of the subjects and the parameters of their EEG. For the first time, differences in these relationships were found at rest and during standard functional tests, without the use of additional specialized loads. The study involved healthy subjects of both sexes, average age 19.3 years; all subjects are right-handed. To identify the level of extraversion and neuroticism, the standard Eysenck test (option B) was used. The EEG was recorded using the bipolar derivation method. 19 electrodes were exposed in accordance with the international Jasper system 1020%. EEG was recorded at rest with eyes closed and during functional tests: eye opening, hyperventilation, photostimulation. The correlation coefficients of the index and absolute power of the EEG with the level of extraversion and neuroticism were calculated both for the entire sample of subjects and for individual groups according to the level of extraversion and the level of neuroticism. For the entire sample of subjects, positive significant correlations of EEG power with the level of extraversion and negative with the level of neuroticism were revealed. In the groups of subjects with high, medium and low levels of extraversion and neuroticism, the differences in correlation relationships with EEG parameters are more pronounced. In these groups, these differences are more often manifested when performing functional tests than at rest with closed eyes.

ДО ПИТАННЯ МОНІТОРИНГУ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ ПАТРІОТИЧНОГО ВИХОВАННЯ ШКОЛЯРІВ

The article is devoted to the issues of monitoring the effectiveness of patriotic education of student youth in the context of the activity of a general educational institution. It is determined that monitoring is an evaluation activity aimed at determining the effectiveness of educational influences, studying the characteristics of the group in order to assess the level of education, and optimization of educational and upbringing processes. It is shown that the scientific principles of the organization of patriotic education of student youth require taking into account the level of their patriotic upbringing. It is proved that the main purpose of determining the effectiveness of pedagogical processes is to study the personalities of students, which allows to control the course and pace of their mental development, identify their individual and potential capabilities, features of class groups to identify general and functional delays, mental, labor and ethical difficulties in the development and thus scientifically measure the management of educational and upbringing processes. The main components of patriotic upbringing are characterized: cognitive, emotional-motivational, and activity ones. The key criteria of patriotic upbringing of student youth are revealed – knowledge and imagination, social behavior, activity and efficiency. It is noted that in the context of the implementation of personality-oriented approach, the study of student personality provides for the consideration of those requirements that are due, on the one hand, to the basic psychological and pedagogical principles, on the other, to the specific conditions of educational processes. It is concluded that after analyzing the formation of individual personality traits of each student, a general map is made in the classroom. In particular, the levels of education of each student and individual groups of students are shown, as well as to what extent and in what sphere of life (study, peers, work, self-education) at a given time a student can demonstrate independence, initiative, self-regulation of behavior, and who of them can do it only with the teacher’s support. Thus, the success of educational activities depends on the deep study of the inner world of students, on understanding the motives of their behavior. The teacher studies students not only in class, but also in the process of educational work: in extracurricular activities, when visiting the student’s family, during hiking and excursions, etc. The research does not claim to provide an exhaustive disclosure of all aspects of the specified problem. Further study and development are needed with the methodological bases to ensure the development of the process of patriotic education in the schools of Ukraine. Questions are raised as to formation of readiness of pedagogical workers for implementing the process of patriotic education in the conditions of decentralization

Ethnic identity and economic welfare

In this study, we use rich survey data to understand the determinants of labor market success across refugees of different ethnicities in Turkey. In particular, we examine individual personality traits and integration barriers by considering metrics of refugees’ proximity to Turkey based on their home countries’ levels of cultural distance. Using microdata, we derive a refined index called ethnosizer scale to grasp the distance of minor ethnic identities in Istanbul to the dominant identity. Utilizing this parameter, we aim to analyze how the degree of commitment to the local society’s culture affects the economic welfare of refugees in Istanbul, in terms of their earnings, participation in labor markets and wage gap compared to the natives.

Upshots of Intrinsic Traits on Social Entrepreneurship Intentions among Young Business Graduates: An Investigation through Moderated-Mediation Model

Social entrepreneurship has recently become a much-desired area of research for academia, practices, and policymaking. Natural or cognitive personal thoughtfulness like loving-kindness meditation (LKM) and compassion trigger individual intentions towards the social entrepreneurial venture. In this process of individual social entrepreneurial intention personality trait plays a very vital role, such as entrepreneurship resilience. For this study, a purposive sampling technique was incorporated and data was collected from 631 business and management sciences students. Data is analyzed by SPSS 23 and for the hypothesis testing, we used the bootstrap analysis of Hayes PROCESS v3.5. This study depicts that LKM has a positive significant impact on compassion and no significant impact on social entrepreneurship intentions while resilience strengthens the direct relationship of compassion with social entrepreneurship and the indirect relationship of LKM with social entrepreneurship via compassion. This study contributes to solving the economic and social problems over the globe especially by boosting the LKM and resilience traits so that the young graduate commence social entrepreneurship. This study helps the academician and policymakers to adopt strategies through which they can encourage youth to indulge in social entrepreneurial ventures solve the social problem and decrease unemployment.

773 The relationship between personality and sleep: Subjective cognition as a mediator

Abstract Introduction Research has found relationships between sleep quality and personality traits. Poor subjective sleep quality has been observed within individuals scoring high in Neuroticism and low in Conscientiousness. Personality traits have also been associated with cognitive functioning and the link being worse cognition and poor sleep quality is established. However, less is known regarding the role of cognitive functioning in the relationship between personality and sleep quality, particularly in aging populations. This study investigated whether subjective cognition acted as a mediator between individual personality traits and subjective sleep quality in middle-aged and older adults. Methods Middle-aged and older adults (N=269; Mage= 64.5, SD=7.8; 123 women/146 men) who were cognitively healthy completed an online survey through Qualtrics measuring demographics, personality (Big Five Inventory-10; BFI-10), self-reported sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; PSQI), and subjective everyday cognition (Cognitive Failures Questionnaire; CFQ). Separate mediation analyses using SPSS PROCESS macro [and testing for indirect effects using 5,000 bootstrapped samples and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) and controlling for conditional associations among all pathways] examined whether subjective everyday cognition (CFQ scores) mediated the relationship between different personality traits (BFI-10 Conscientiousness and Neuroticism scores) and self-reported sleep (PSQI-Total Score), controlling for age and sex. Results Neuroticism and PSQI-Total Score was partially mediated by CFQ. There was a significant association between Neuroticism and total PSQI (total effect=0.588, SE=0.110, p<0.001). There were positive associations between Neuroticism and CFQ (a-path effect=2.765, SE=0.383, p<0.001) and CFQ and PSQI (b-path effect=0.068, SE=0.017, p<0.001). The indirect effect was significant (effect=0.187, SE=0.054, 95% CI=0.088 to 0.301). There was no association between Conscientiousness and PSQI-Total Score (total effect=-0.123, SE=0.133, p=0.358), therefore mediation analysis (testing of CFQ as a mediator) was discontinued. Conclusion In middle-aged and older adults, subjective everyday cognition mediates the relationship between Neuroticism personality trait and self-reported sleep quality. Individuals scoring higher in Neuroticism report worse subjective sleep quality as their subjective cognitive failures increase. Findings underscore the interacting roles of personality and everyday cognition on perceived sleep. Clinicians should consider individual personality profiles (via personality assessments) and subjective everyday cognitive ratings for a better understanding of the factors impacting middle-aged and older adults’ sleep profiles. Support (if any):

Психологические особенности созависимой личности во временной перспективе.

The article deals with the psychological problem of codependency. Codependency defined as a system of individual personality traits that determine the specifics of the interaction of a person`s codependency with the outside world. Using the F Zimbardo methodology, the features of the time perspective of a person`s codependency are investigated.
 The results obtained indicate that codependent men and women are characterized by temporal priorities, which are primarily aimed at the present. The psychological characteristics of codependents in the «dependent codependent» system is determined both by the presence of common features and interrelationships in the behavior and orientation of the individual, as well as by certain differences. The prospects for the development of psychotherapeutic and rehabilitation and preventive programs for addicts and codependents are noted.

On the Use of Multi-sensory Cues in Symmetric and Asymmetric Shared Collaborative Virtual Spaces

Physical face-to-face collaboration with someone gives a higher-quality experience compared to mediated communication options, such as a phone- or video-based chat. Participants can share rich sensory cues to multiple human senses in a physical space. Also, the perceptual sensing of the surrounding environment including other peoples' reactions can influence human communication and emotion, and thus collaborative performance. Shared spaces in virtual environments provide degraded sensory experiences because most commercial virtual reality systems typically provide only visual and audio feedback. The impact of richer, multi-sensory feedback on joint decision-making tasks in VR is still an open area of research. Two independent studies exploring this topic are presented in this paper. We implemented a multi-sensory system that delivers vision, audio, tactile, and smell feedback, and we compared the system to a typical VR system. The scenario placed two users in a virtual theme-park safari ride with a number of non-player character (NPC) passengers to simulate realistic scenarios compared to the real-world and we varied the type and complexity of NPCs reactions to participants. In Experiment 1, we provided both users with either multi-sensory or typical sensory feedback symmetrically as a between-subjects factor, and used NPC reaction type as a within-subjects factor. In Experiment 2, we provided sensory feedback asymmetrically to each user (i.e., one had multi-sensory cues and the other had typical sensory cues) as a between-subjects factor, and used NPC reaction type as a within-subjects factor. We found that the number of sensory channels and NPC reactions did not influence user perception significantly under either symmetric or asymmetric sensory feedback conditions. However, after accounting for individual personality traits (e.g., assertive, passive), as well as any existing relationship between the pairs, we found that increasing the number of sensory channels can significantly improve subjective responses.

Multidirectional (auto- and hetero-) aggression in the practice of forensic psychiatry

IntroductionThe problem of coexistence of heteroaggression and autoaggression most clearly manifests itself in the field of forensic psychiatry. For example, in Russia, about 25% of criminals who committed aggressive actions had a history of suicide attempts.ObjectivesIdentification of specific personality traits in individuals with multidirectional aggression.MethodsIn a continuous one-step study, relatively sane adults of both sexes were examined: 38 persons undergoing forensic examination with multidirectional aggression and 34 violent criminals. A wide range of forensic psychological techniques is used to identify aggression, suicidogenic and inhibitors of aggression. Nonparametric statistical methods were used: Spearman rank correlation coefficient (r) and Mann-Whitney (U).ResultsThe leading role in the genesis of multidirectional aggression, in contrast to other types of aggression, playing the combination (p<0.01) to the presence of motivational aggressiveness (according to the Hand Test, U=556.6; p=0,046) and the willingness to show negative feelings at the slightest arousal (annoyance, irascibility according to BDHI, U=468.2; p=0,012), along with suicidal personal qualities, which is combined with the deficiency of auto- and heteroaggression inhibitors (value orientations; socio-normative, dispositional, communicative, emotional inhibitors, coping strategies, etc.). However, the psychological mechanisms of multidirectional aggression are relatively non-nosospecific and are similar in mentally healthy individuals and individuals with personality and organic mental disorders.ConclusionsMultidirectional aggression in view of the increased risk of recidivism and personal and public danger should be taken into account by forensic experts when recommending psychocorrective measures in places of deprivation of liberty.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Internal and external barriers to entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia

AbstractIn many large and fast‐growing economies, entrepreneurship is widely promoted among the youth. Recent studies show an increased youth interest in entrepreneurship, resulting in decreased unemployment. Following the announcement of the Saudi Vision 2030, the government of Saudi Arabia has undertaken policies to boost interest in entrepreneurship. This study aims to analyze the internal (personality) and external (business environments) barriers to an entrepreneurial attitude in Saudi Arabia and further identify the factors behind the slow entrepreneurial growth in the Kingdom. Based on the theory of planned behavior and institutional economic theory, a conceptual model is developed. Findings of the study indicate a significant positive impact of personality traits, entrepreneurial education and competency, formal and informal support, and financial support on entrepreneurial attitude, while regulations have a negative impact on entrepreneurial attitude. Therefore, it can be concluded that individual personality traits—followed by business environment—are significant role factors in molding an entrepreneurial attitude.

Retraction: Individual personalities shape task differentiation in a social spider.

You have accessMoreSectionsView PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail Cite this article Proceedings B Editor-in-Chief 2021Retraction: Individual personalities shape task differentiation in a social spiderProc. R. Soc. B.2882021033520210335http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0335SectionYou have accessRetractionsRetraction: Individual personalities shape task differentiation in a social spider Proceedings B Editor-in-Chief Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author Proceedings B Editor-in-Chief Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for more papers by this author Published:10 March 2021https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.0335This article retracts the followingResearch ArticleIndividual personalities shape task differentiation in a social spiderhttps://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.1407 Lena Grinsted, Jonathan N. Pruitt, Virginia Settepani and Trine Bilde volume 280issue 1767Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences22 September 2013Proc. R. Soc. B280, 20131407. (Published Online 22 September 2013). (doi:10.1098/rspb.2013.1407)The Editor-in-Chief and the Royal Society are retracting the article ‘Individual personalities shape task differentiation in a social spider’ by Lena Grinsted, Jonathan N. Pruitt, Virginia Settepani and Trine Bild [1].Two of the authors, T Bilde and L Grinsted, have drawn the journal's attention to an overlap between the data on boldness in this paper and in the supplementary material of a paper published in Animal Behaviour by Pruitt, JN, Grinsted L and Settepani V [2] (now retracted [3]). Very high levels of duplication between datasets were confirmed upon inspection of the data as downloaded from Dryad [4] or supplied, separately, by JN Pruitt and L Grinsted (the data are identical). 74% of the unique values in the Pruitt et al. [2] dataset also appear in the Grinsted et al. [1] dataset. On this basis, co-authors L Grinsted, V Settepani and T Bilde requested a retraction of the paper.Subsequent investigation by the editors has determined that the nature of the boldness data collected in the Grinsted et al. [1] study is very different from the impression created by reading the paper and inspecting the associated data in Dryad. The initial impression is that spiders were tested individually, with high precision (to the nearest hundredth of a second) and repeatability (presented in the Pruitt et al. [2] supplementary material). In fact, spiders were tested in groups of up to 20 at low precision, with concomitant recording of identical values of latency (boldness) for individuals moving at similar times (JN Pruitt, personal communication). Moreover, spiders used to generate the two data sets (Grinsted et al. [1], Pruitt et al. [2]) were intermingled in these test groups. This design would allow for some level of duplication within and between the data sets. We carried out simulations to estimate the timing accuracy necessary to account for the very high frequency of duplicate values. These simulations suggest that spiders must have been scored, on average, as having the same time if they moved within 15 to 20 s of each other. Therefore, the boldness data are not independent, but may reflect aspects of their testing group, and we cannot rely on the estimates of repeatability.Without the support of the repeatability analysis in Pruitt et al. [2], we cannot determine whether the single boldness value used in the Grinsted et al. [1] analysis is an accurate characterization of an individual spider's stable behavioural phenotype. If we have no confidence that ‘boldness’ is repeatable in this population of spiders then two out of the three a priori hypotheses in Grinsted et al. [1] can no longer be definitively tested. The first (‘variation in individual personality trait values can predict task differentiation…’) and third (‘standardized personality assays, devoid of social context, can be used as predictors of individual behaviours in natural settings…’) hypotheses, as stated in the final paragraph of the introduction, both rely on the existence of ecologically-relevant levels of personality variation in these spiders. Without evidence of reliable repeatabilities in boldness, the findings of this study are reduced to a correlation of a single behavioural measure in captivity (that could reflect some unmeasured, ecologically-arbitrary influence) with behavioural outcomes in the field.On this basis, we are retracting the paper.Footnotes© 2021 The Author(s)Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.