Personality Trait Profiles Research Articles

Associations Between Psychological Profiles and Performance Success Among Professional Taekwondo Athletes in China: A Multidimensional Scaling Profile Analysis.

Sport psychology research has long sought to uncover the determinants of the optimal psychological state for peak performance. Persistent inquiries in this work include whether there is a set of ideal psychological and emotional factors that are required to achieve optimal performance and, if there are, what are they and how are they related to optimal performance. To answer these questions, the current study aimed to identify potential profiles of personality and emotional traits based on a sample of professional Taekwondo athletes from China. In addition, the study also aimed to examine the utility of the profiles in predicting successful athlete performance. Using multidimensional scaling (MDS) profile analysis, two latent profiles of personality and emotional traits were identified that indicate four subtypes of athletes. Regression analyses were conducted to examine how the identified profiles were associated with performance success. The results seemed to suggest that Taekwondo athletes with more performance success were more likely to have a profile of positive personality and emotional traits, while athletes with less performance success were likely to have somewhat elevated levels of self-control, extraversion, and aggression. Knowledge of athletes’ personality profiles will help sport psychologists develop suitable interventions to enhance athletes’ performance success. In concluding, the results are discussed in the context of athlete psychosocial development. The study added further evidence about the association between psychological and emotional factors and successful Taekwondo athletes.

Predictors of attitudes and performance in U.S. Army recruiters: Does personality matter?

ABSTRACTGiven the interpersonal nature of recruiting and the validity of personality assessments for predicting performance in a broad range of civilian and military jobs, personality traits are likely to predict the performance of recruiters in the Army as well. However, much of the research on the characteristics of successful recruiters has been conducted in civilian samples and has not examined the effects of recruiters’ personality on their job-related attitudes and behaviors. Although some research has examined the prediction of recruiter performance in a military context, more research is needed to identify profiles of personality traits that will help recruiters to be successful on the job. We explored this relationship in a sample of experienced recruiters with at least six months of service in a recruiting duty assignment. Results indicated that composites of personality traits were substantial predictors of recruiter performance and attitudes. The implications of these results for the selection and assessment of recruiters in the U.S. Army will be discussed.

The Role of Personality Profiles in the Longitudinal Relationship between Work–Related Well–Being and Life Satisfaction among Working Adults in Switzerland

Drawing on the concept of spillover between work and life domains and using a person–centred approach, the present study examined the role of Big Five personality trait profiles in moderating the relationship between work–related well–being and life satisfaction over a 1–year period in a sample of working adults in Switzerland ( N = 1204). Latent profile analysis was first carried out to derive and compare alternative latent personality profile models. Subsequently, a two–wave cross–lagged structural equation model using three personality profiles (resilient, average, and oversensitive) as moderators was tested. Work stress and job satisfaction were used as negative and positive indicators of work–related well–being. The results showed that in the overall sample, only Time 1 life satisfaction predicted Time 2 job satisfaction. We found a moderating role for the personality profiles, where the effect of Time 1 work stress on Time 2 life satisfaction became salient in the oversensitive profile, while a significant effect of Time 1 life satisfaction on Time 2 work stress was found in the resilient profile. The current study showed that different combinations of personality traits may determine the way in which work–related well–being and general well–being relate to each other. © 2019 European Association of Personality Psychology

Why are well-adjusted people seen more accurately? The role of personality-behavior congruence in naturalistic social settings.

Expressive accuracy, being viewed in line with one's unique, distinctive personality traits, is emerging as an important individual difference that is strongly linked to psychological well-being. Yet little is known about what underlies expressive accuracy and its associations with well-being. The current studies examined whether personality-behavior congruence, the tendency to behave in line with one's distinctive personality trait profile, contributes to the links between well-being and expressive accuracy with new acquaintances (Unique perceiver-target pairs: Study 1: N = 437; Study 2: N = 874), by assessing congruence in naturalistic situations, including in a series of getting-acquainted interactions (Study 1; Ntargets = 77; Mdn Interactions: 7) and social situations in daily life over a 2-week period (Study 2; Ntargets = 146; MdnAssessments: 49). Across studies, we found that greater well-being predicted greater congruence, in both naturalistic social interactions and in daily life, which in turn contributed to greater expressive accuracy in getting-acquainted interactions. Overall, the current studies demonstrate the important role that congruence plays in expressive accuracy, helping to explain why well-adjusted individuals are seen more accurately. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Anxious or empowered? A cross-sectional study exploring how wearable activity trackers make their owners feel

BackgroundThe market for wearable activity trackers has grown prolifically in recent years, with increasing numbers of consumers using them to track, measure, and ideally improve their health and wellbeing. Empirical evidence tends to support wearables as valid, reliable, and effective health behaviour change tools, however little research has been conducted to understand experiential aspects of the devices, particularly thier effects on users’ psychological wellbeing and affect. This study addresses this literature gap by exploring wearable users’ affective responses to their devices and how these relate to personality traits and individual differences.MethodsData were collected from adult wearable users (N = 237) via an online survey that assessed participant demographic characteristics, personality trait profiles, and experiences of negative (guilt, self-consciousness, & anxiety) and positive affect (empowerment, motivation, & accountability) related to their wearable both during wear, and when unable to wear (e.g. if the battery ran flat). Outcomes were analysed descriptively and general linear models used to examine associations between affect scores with personality traits and individual differences.ResultsBoth current and previous wearable users experience more positive than negative affect related to their device whilst they were wearing it (p = <.001). When prevented from wearing their device, however, this pattern was reversed with most participants reporting stronger negative than positive affect (p = <.001). These patterns were generally consistent across demographic sub-groups and personality trait profiles, although conscientiousness and openness to experience were independently and positively associated with affect during wear (p = .001).ConclusionsResults suggest that using a wearable is a positive experience for users with little risk of negative psychological consequences. Whilst experiences of negative affect were uncommon, individuals low in conscientiousness or openness to experience are at greater risk of negative affect and all users may experience negative affect such as anxiety or frustration when prevented from wearing their device. Findings contribute to mounting evidence of wearables’ safety and appeal as health behaviour tools and highlight the importance of examining psychological and experiential aspects of activity tracking.

Is Female Psychopathy Linked with Child Abuse? An Empirical Investigation using a Person-Centered Approach

ABSTRACTChildhood abuse is associated with increased psychopathic features among girls, but most prior research is based on data from correctional samples of female delinquents and less is known about how specific forms of childhood abuse affect specific features of psychopathy. Using a school-based community sample of 696 girls aged 9–17 years from Barbados and Grenada, the current study examined latent profiles of psychopathic personality traits and their associations with physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Latent profile analysis (LPA) revealed four distinct psychopathy groups among girls, including a ‘low psychopathy’ group (41.9% of girls), ‘high psychopathy’ group (4.8%), ‘high interpersonal manipulation and egocentricity’ group (37.4%), and a ‘moderate psychopathy’ group (16%). There was considerable evidence of physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse among participants. Sexual abuse was associated with a 116% increased likelihood of membership in the high psychopathy group and a 57% increased likelihood of membership in the high interpersonal manipulation and egocentricity group. These results indicate that sexual abuse is a powerful distal factor in the development of psychopathic personality functioning, especially more severe variants.

Identifying Psychopathy Subtypes Using a Broader Model of Personality: An Investigation of the Five Factor Model Using Model-Based Cluster Analysis.

The field of psychopathy research largely argues that the disorder is a heterogeneous concept with two predominant subtypes: primary psychopathy and secondary psychopathy. Early research examined psychopathy subtypes in terms of traits specific to psychopathy. However, recent research suggests that psychopathy may be conceptualized more dimensionally as an extreme variation in normative personality traits. This concept propels the examination of psychopathy using a broader model of personality, the Five Factor Model. Using model-based cluster analysis, this study uses the Five Factor Model to identify subtypes. Utilizing an American college sample, a cluster analysis was performed on the highest third of Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI)-Total scorers using the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) domains. This analysis yielded a two-cluster solution, with one cluster representing Primary psychopathy and the other representing Secondary psychopathy. The two clusters displayed differences in Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Openness, and Extraversion, which may be important for understanding psychopathy subtyping using general personality traits. Associated traits such as aggression, anxiety, and borderline traits largely match other subtyping research. Overall, the results support the existence of psychopathy variants in a nonoffending sample, the dimensionality of psychopathy, and the ability of normative personality traits to differentiate psychopathy subtypes. Unveiling the complex nature of psychopathy through illumination of its dimensions has strong implications for future research as it can help specify an otherwise elusive disorder. Such desired specification can reveal psychopathy's etiology and potential treatment options. The results of this research in particular suggest a link between profiles of normal personality traits and aggressive behavior indicating the potential for risk assessment. Moreover, this research provides evidence for psychopathy's dimensionality versus categorical casting, contributing to the debate about mental disorder classifications in general.

Cross-country analysis of alternative five factor personality trait profiles

The aim of our study was to examine the typical personality profiles of the Alternative Five Factor Model with its new factor-facet version questionnaire (Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire, 2010) on a large, cross-country database. The total sample of this study included 15,529 participants from 23 sub-samples from 22 countries and with 16 different languages. The sample consisted of university students and staff members.We applied model-based clustering both separately on each sample and on the total sample. Agreement between country-specific and total sample clustering was similar for the three-, four- and five-cluster solutions with Cohen's kappa coefficients ranging from 0.59 to 0.60. The optimal cluster number based on BIC values increased with sample size, but the most common one was five with the following typical profiles: overcontrolled, resilient, undercontrolled, reserved, and ordinary.

Examining stability of personality profile solutions between Likert-type and multidimensional forced choice measure

There has been increasing interest in profile-based approach using personality assessments for developmental and decision-making purposes. From a profile-based approach, an individual's profile is usually compared with an ideal normative profile for any decision-making. Thus, it is a critical issue to obtain reliable profile solutions regardless of test motivations (e.g., honest and fake response). This study aimed to investigate whether type of personality measures (i.e., Likert-type vs. multidimensional forced choice (MFC) measure) had a significant impact on the stability of personality trait profile solutions across honest and faking conditions. To answer two specific research questions, we conducted item response theory and latent profile analysis methods. Our results showed that 1) the MFC measure produced more stable personality profile solutions regardless of test conditions, and 2) the Likert-type measure is more fakable than the MFC measure to those with an extreme level of a faking tendency under the faking condition. We discussed practical implications of the results and offered suggestions for future research.

First Impressions of Personality Traits From Body Shapes

People infer the personalities of others from their facial appearance. Whether they do so from body shapes is less studied. We explored personality inferences made from body shapes. Participants rated personality traits for male and female bodies generated with a three-dimensional body model. Multivariate spaces created from these ratings indicated that people evaluate bodies on valence and agency in ways that directly contrast positive and negative traits from the Big Five domains. Body-trait stereotypes based on the trait ratings revealed a myriad of diverse body shapes that typify individual traits. Personality-trait profiles were predicted reliably from a subset of the body-shape features used to specify the three-dimensional bodies. Body features related to extraversion and conscientiousness were predicted with the highest consensus, followed by openness traits. This study provides the first comprehensive look at the range, diversity, and reliability of personality inferences that people make from body shapes.

Multi-Trait Profiles and their Relation to Substance Use Problems and Cluster B Personality Disorder Features: A Replication Study

Substance use disorders (SUDs) and Cluster B personality disorders (PDs) may have shared risk through profiles of personality and motivational traits. The present study sought to replicate in a national sample of adults past research which found multi-trait profiles that were associated with disinhibitory disorders in a college sample. Another aim was to test whether gender differences in the prevalence of disinhibitory disorders are attributable to underlying differences in personality-based risk. Cluster analysis was used to identify multi-trait profiles from impulsivity, constraint, negative emotionality, behavioral activation system (BAS), and behavioral inhibition system (BIS) scale scores. Analyses yielded similar multi-trait profiles to those found in past research, including a “disinhibited” profile with high impulsivity, high BAS, and low constraint, as well as a “high affectivity/impulsive” profile with high negative emotionality, impulsivity, BAS, and BIS. These profiles were associated with elevated drug problems and Cluster B PD features. Results support the validity these trait profiles and their association with disinhibitory psychopathology. Gender was associated with some, but not all, disinhibitory disorders while controlling for cluster membership, suggesting that multi-trait personality clusters may represent a more proximal risk factor than gender for certain disinhibitory disorders.

Meta-Analysis of Personality Traits in Alzheimer's Disease: A Comparison with Healthy Subjects.

Background:The role of specific personality traits as factor risks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been consistently found, whereas personality traits specifically related to AD (after the diagnosis) have not been outlined yet.Objective:A meta-analysis of published studies was performed to determine whether AD patients have a distinctive personality trait profile compared to healthy subjects (HC), similar to or different from a premorbid personality profile consistently reported in previous studies.Methods:A systematic literature search was performed using PsycInfo (PROQUEST), PubMed, and Scopus. The meta-analysis pooled results from primary studies using Hedges’ g unbiased approach.Results:The meta-analysis included 10 primary studies and revealed that, when the personality was evaluated by informant-rated measures, AD patients had significantly higher levels of Neuroticism, lower levels of Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Extraversion than HCs. When the personality was evaluated by self-rated measures, the results obtained from informants were confirmed for Neuroticism, Openness, and Extraversion but not for Agreeableness and Conscientiousness where AD patients and HCs achieved similar scores.Conclusions:The meta-analysis revealed that high Neuroticism and low Openness and Extraversion are distinctive personality traits significantly associated with a diagnosis of AD when evaluated both self-rated and informant-rated measures. This personality trait profile is similar to premorbid one, which contributes to development of AD over time. Therefore, our findings indirectly support the idea of specific premorbid personality traits as harbingers of AD.

Risk profiles of personality traits for suicidality among mood disorder patients and community controls.

To examine the associations between personality traits and suicidal ideation (SI) and attempt (SA) in mood disorder patients and community controls. We recruited 365 bipolar, 296 major depressive disorder patients, and 315 community controls to assess their lifetime suicidality. Participants filled out self-reported personality questionnaires to collect data of personality traits, including novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA), extraversion (E), and neuroticism (N). We used logistic regression models adjusted for diagnoses to analyze combinational effects of personality traits on the risk of suicide. Additionally, radar charts display personality profiles for suicidal behaviours by groups. All personality traits were associated with the risk of suicidality with various effect size, except for E that showed protective effect. High N or HA had prominent and independent risk effects on SI and SA. Combinations of high N and low E, or high HA and NS were the risk personality profiles for suicidality. Higher N scores further distinguished SA from SI in mood disorder patients. Introvert personality traits showed independent risk effects on suicidality regardless of diagnosis status. Among high-risk individuals with suicidal thoughts, higher neuroticism tendency is further associated with increased risk of suicide attempt.

Profiling pathological narcissism according to DSM-5 domains and traits: A study on consecutively admitted Italian psychotherapy patients.

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 29(11) of Psychological Assessment (see record 2016-56886-001). In the article, several values were reversed and the mean was misreported in Table 2. The corrected table is present in the erratum.] Pathological narcissism represents a clinically relevant, albeit controversial personality construct, with multiple conceptualizations that are operationalized by different measures. Even in the recently published Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5), 2 different views of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are formulated (i.e., Section II and Section III). The DSM-5 Section III alternative PD model diagnosis of NPD is based on self and interpersonal dysfunction (Criterion A) and a profile of maladaptive personality traits (Criterion B), specifically elevated scores on Attention Seeking and Grandiosity. Given the diversity of conceptualizations of pathological narcissism, we evaluated the convergences and divergences in DSM-5 trait profiles characterizing multiple measures of narcissism in a clinical sample of 278 consecutively admitted Italian psychotherapy patients. Patients were administered the Italian versions of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and 4 measures of NPD, (a) the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI); (b) the NPD scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+; (c) the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis II Personality Disorders, Version 2.0 (SCID-II) as an observer-rated measure of NPD; and (d) the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI). Multiple regression analyses showed that PID-5 traits explained from 13% to more than 60% of the variance in the different NPD measures. Attention Seeking was consistently associated with all measures of NPD, whereas Grandiosity was associated with some of the NPD measures. All measures of NPD were also significantly related to additional DSM-5 maladaptive traits. (PsycINFO Database Record

"Profiling pathological narcissism according to DSM-5 domains and traits: A study on consecutively admitted Italian psychotherapy Patients": Correction to Fossati et al. (2016).

Reports an error in "Profiling pathological narcissism according to DSM-5 domains and traits: A study on consecutively admitted Italian psychotherapy patients" by Andrea Fossati, Antonella Somma, Serena Borroni, Aaron L. Pincus, Kristian E. Markon and Robert F. Krueger (Psychological Assessment, Advanced Online Publication, Jun 23, 2016, np). In the article, several values were reversed and the mean was misreported in Table 2. The corrected table is present in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2016-31181-001.) Pathological narcissism represents a clinically relevant, albeit controversial personality construct, with multiple conceptualizations that are operationalized by different measures. Even in the recently published Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5), 2 different views of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are formulated (i.e., Section II and Section III). The DSM-5 Section III alternative PD model diagnosis of NPD is based on self and interpersonal dysfunction (Criterion A) and a profile of maladaptive personality traits (Criterion B), specifically elevated scores on Attention Seeking and Grandiosity. Given the diversity of conceptualizations of pathological narcissism, we evaluated the convergences and divergences in DSM-5 trait profiles characterizing multiple measures of narcissism in a clinical sample of 278 consecutively admitted Italian psychotherapy patients. Patients were administered the Italian versions of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and 4 measures of NPD, (a) the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI); (b) the NPD scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+; (c) the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis II Personality Disorders, Version 2.0 (SCID-II) as an observer-rated measure of NPD; and (d) the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI). Multiple regression analyses showed that PID-5 traits explained from 13% to more than 60% of the variance in the different NPD measures. Attention Seeking was consistently associated with all measures of NPD, whereas Grandiosity was associated with some of the NPD measures. All measures of NPD were also significantly related to additional DSM-5 maladaptive traits. (PsycINFO Database Record

Character and Temperament Dimensions in Subjects with Depressive Disorder: Impact of the Affective State on Their Expression.

BACKGROUND:The depression is a cross-cultural condition that occurs in all cultures and within all nations with certain specificities, even though there are some differences in its manifestation. The hereditary load is of major importance, but also the individual personality factors, in the form of risk factors, are associated with the occurrence of depression. Personality characteristics have a significant impact on the occurrence of the recurrent depressive disorder and the outcome of the treatment as well.AIM:To identify the specific personality traits in people with the recurrent depressive disorder and the impact of the affective state on them.METHODS:Three questionnaires were used: a general questionnaire, Beck’s scale of depressive symptoms, and TCI-R (inventory for temperament and character).RESULTS:The most indicative differences in the dimensions are found in the Harm avoidance and the Self-direction dimensions, and most variable dimensions dependent on effective state are Novelty seeking and Reward dependence.CONCLUSION:The people with the recurrent depressive disorder have a different profile of personality traits (temperament and character) compared with the control group, and their characteristics depend on their current affective state.

Self-stigma, personality traits, and willingness to seek treatment in a community sample.

Stigma has received attention as a major barrier toward effective mental health service delivery, and previous research has demonstrated that the Five-Factor Model (FFM) domain of Openness to Experience is negatively correlated with stigmatized views of mental health. However, a lack of established relationships between personality and self-stigma, as well as how these concepts affect an individual's treatment-seeking intentions, has left a gap in the literature. To address this, our study recruited a low-income community sample and tested (a) the relationship between self-stigma of mental health treatment and the FFM, (b) the relationship between self-stigma and treatment-seeking intentions, and (c) the incremental validity of FFM personality beyond stigma in the prediction of treatment seeking. Results suggest that there is some incongruence with previous research on personality's relationship to stigma, personality does not act as an additive component in the prediction of the relationship between stigma and treatment seeking, and stigma is related only to the perceived need for mental health treatment but not to an individual's openness to seek that treatment. The discussion concludes with implications for the contextualization and treatment of stigma as a barrier for mental health treatment and a general synthesis of the personality trait profiles for those holding stigmatizing views of mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record

Minority stress, psychological distress, and alcohol misuse among sexual minority young adults: A resiliency-based conditional process analysis

BackgroundSexual minority young adults experience elevated rates of distal stress (discrimination, victimization), and related psychological distress and alcohol misuse. However, few studies have examined the degree to which personality trait differences confer risk/resilience among sexual minority young adults. We hypothesized that psychological distress would mediate the relationship between distal stress and alcohol misuse, but that these relationships would be moderated by personality trait differences. MethodSexual minority young adults (N=412) were recruited nationally. Survey measures included demographic questions, minority stressors, Five Factor personality traits, and current psychological distress and alcohol misuse symptoms. We used a data-driven two-stage cluster analytic technique to empirically derive personality trait profiles, and conducted mediation and moderated mediation analyses using a regression-based approach. ResultsOur results supported a two-group personality profile solution. Relative to at-risk individuals, those classified as adaptive scored lower on neuroticism, and higher on agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. As predicted, psychological distress mediated the relationship between distal stress and alcohol misuse. However, personality moderated these relationships to the degree that they did not exist among individuals classified as adaptive. DiscussionIn the current study, we found that personality moderated the established relationships between distal stress, psychological distress, and alcohol misuse among sexual minority young adults. Future research is needed to further explicate these relationships, and in order to develop tailored interventions for sexual minority young adults at risk.

Fibromyalgia syndrome pathology and environmental influences on afflictions with medically unexplained symptoms.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a clinical disorder predominant in females with unknown etiology and medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), similar to other afflictions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Gulf War illness (GFI), and others. External environmental stimuli drive behavior and impact physiologic homeostasis (internal environment) via autonomic functioning. These environments directly impact the individual affective state (mind), which feeds back to regulate physiology (body). FMS has emerged as a complex disorder with pathologies identified among neurotransmitter and enzyme levels, immune/cytokine functionality, cortical volumes, cutaneous innervation, as well as an increased frequency among people with a history of traumatic and/or emotionally negative events, and specific personality trait profiles. Yet, quantitative physical evidence of pathology or disease etiology among FMS has been limited (as with other afflictions with MUS). Previously, our group published findings of increased peptidergic sensory innervation associated with the arterio-venous shunts (AVS) in the glabrous hand skin of FMS patients, which provides a plausible mechanism for the wide-spread FMS symptomology. This review focuses on FMS as a model affliction with MUS to discuss the implications of the recently discovered peripheral innervation alterations, explore the role of peripheral innervation to central sensitization syndromes (CSS), and examine possible estrogen-related mechanisms through which external and internal environmental factors may contribute to FMS etiology and possibly other afflictions with MUS.

Personality profiles of effective leadership performance in assessment centers

ABSTRACTMost research examining the relationship between effective leadership and personality has focused on individual personality traits. However, profiles of personality traits more fully describe individuals, and these profiles may be important as they relate to leadership. This study used latent class analysis to examine how personality traits combine and interact to form subpopulations of leaders and how these subpopulations relate to performance criteria. Using a sample of 2,461 executive-level leaders, six personality profiles were identified: Unpredictable Leaders with Low Diligence (7.3%); Conscientious, Backend Leaders (3.6%); Unpredictable Leaders (8.6%); Creative Communicators (20.8%); Power Players (32.4%); and Protocol Followers (27.1%). One profile performed well on all criteria in an assessment center; remaining profiles exhibited strengths and weaknesses across criteria. Implications and future directions for research are highlighted.