Psychological Assessment Resources Research Articles

Specific cognitive-personality vulnerability styles in depression and the five-factor model of personality

This study located the specific cognitive-personality vulnerability measures proposed by S. J. Blatt (1974; Levels of object representation in anaclitic and introjective depression. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 29, 107–157), i.e. dependency and self-criticism, and by A. T. Beck (1983; Cognitive therapy of depression: New perspectives. In P. J. Clayton and J. E. Barrett (Eds.), Treatment of depression: Old controversies and new approaches, pp. 265–290. New York: Raven), i.e. sociotropy and autonomy, within a comprehensive measure of personality, the NEO-PI-R developed by P. T. Costa Jr. & R. R. McCrae (1992, The NEO Personality Inventory manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources). University students (102 men, 131 women) completed the NEO-PI-R, the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, the Revised Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale, and CES-D depression. Results indicated that: (1) the 30 NEO-PI-R facets illuminate the similarities and differences between dependency, sociotropy, self-criticism, and autonomy; (2) the different forms of interpersonal content reflected by the specific vulnerability constructs descriptively distinguish them from the neuroticism domain and its facets; and (3) the main effects of dependency, sociotropy, self-criticism, and autonomy in predicting depression are explained by shared variance with neuroticism.

Personality factors associated with generalized and non-generalized social anxiety

Ninety-five university students completed two measures of social anxiety, the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) (Mattick & Clarke, 1989, unpublished), and two personality scales, the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO; Costa & McCrae, 1985, The NEO Personality Inventory Manual, Odessa: Psychological Assessment Resources) and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI; Peterson & Reiss, 1987, Anxiety Sensitivity Index Manual, Polos Heights: International Diagnostics Systems Inc.). The results of step-wise regression analyses showed that scores on the SPS, a measure of non-generalized (circumscribed) social anxiety, were mostly predicted by the ASI. The SIAS, a measure of generalized social anxiety, was mostly predicted by the NEO domain of Neuroticism. This may suggest that circumscribed social fears (e.g. public speaking) are associated with a fear of anxiety symptoms whereas generalized social anxiety is more related to personality dimensions reflecting neuroticism. The importance of these findings for assessing and conceptualizing social anxiety/phobia are discussed.

Appearance and reality: Is the Big Five the structure of trait descriptors?

It is argued that contrary to the claims of Big Five investigators, the structure of trait descriptors is still very much an open issue. This is because their methodology, factor/component analysis paired with the dimensional interpretation/simple structure (DISS) procedure, does not investigate the closed topological manifold that constitutes the ‘structure’ of a set of variables. Instead, radex-related configurations are likely candidates for the structure of trait descriptors. Some preliminary support for this claim is given by an analysis of the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) (Costa & McCrae, Manual for the NEO PI-R. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, 1992), a Big Five questionnaire measure, and the Goldberg-40 (Goldberg, Review of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 2, pp. 141–165, 1981. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage), an adjective measure. In particular, the NEO-PI and Goldberg-40 are shown to have radex structures. A facet theory (Guttman, Psychometrika, 36, 329–346, 1971) rationale is provided for these findings.

Standard versus computerized administration of the wisconsin card sorting test

Abstract Performance on the Psychological Assessment Resources computerized version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)(PAR) was compared to that on the standard version of the WCST using 119 neurologically normal subjects from Spain. Subjects were randomly assigned to test versions and were administered either the standard or computerized WCST. The data indicate that these two test versions yield similar results in normals. Further, age- and education-corrected standard scores based on the North American standardization sample described in the WCST manual indicate that performance by Spanish subjects on measures of the WCST approximates that of North American subjects.

Traits and Types, Dynamics and Development: No Doors Should Be Closed in the Study of Personality

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Personality variation and values endorsement in Chinese University students

Few empirical studies have addressed the connection between personality traits and value endorsements. In this study it was proposed that people with different personalities have different needs which in turn define what is desirable and should be valued. To evaluate this hypothesis, personality was assessed using Costa and McCrae's (1985, 1989; The NEO Personality Manual (and supplement) Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources) questionnaire measure of the five basic dimensions of individual variation; values were measured, using Schwartz's (1992; Advances in experimental social psychology, Vol. 25, pp. 1–65. New York: Academic) survey of ten universal domains of desirable goals. All personality traits were related to value domains either alone or in interaction, but Agreeableness was most frequently related. The pattern of these connections provided confirming evidence for the circumplex model of Schwartz's value domains. These results were also discussed in terms of possible cultural influences and similar research in other cultures was encouraged in order to distinguish universal from culture-specific processes.