Self-report Measures Of Personality Research Articles

Disentangling general and sport-specific risk factors for anxiety and depression in a mixed sample of athletes and non-athletes

The present study was designed to assess whether competitive athletes and non-athletes differ in terms of certain personality traits linked to atypicalities in emotion awareness and regulation, and whether being an athlete accounts for unique variance in symptoms of anxiety and depression when these traits and exposure to childhood emotional abuse are held constant. In order to address these questions, we had 483 undergraduates (Mage = 19.7 years; 75.8% female), including 228 athletes and 255 non-athletes, complete self-report measures of personality (alexithymia, sensory processing sensitivity or SPS, and anxiety sensitivity or AS), exposure to emotional abuse in childhood, pandemic-related stress, anxiety, and depression. Recreational and elite athletes scored lower on SPS and depression than non-athletes, and recreational athletes also scored lower than non-athletes on AS. However, involvement in competitive sport did not predict depression or anxiety when other variables were controlled for. Alexithymia, AS, and childhood emotional abuse predicted depression, and SPS, AS, and childhood emotional abuse predicted anxiety. The same pattern was seen in a subgroup of athletes (n = 91) who had recently been coached, except that in this subgroup exposure to emotionally abusive coaching was found to be an additional risk factor for anxiety. These findings help to disentangle general and sport-specific risk factors for anxiety and depression and may have important implications for preventing and treating these problems in athletes and non-athletes alike.

The Ambiguous Cue Task: Measurement reliability of an experimental paradigm for the assessment of interpretation bias and associations with mental health

Interpretation biases in the processing of ambiguous affective information are assumed to play an important role in the onset and maintenance of emotional disorders. Reports of low reliability for experimental measures of cognitive biases have called into question previous findings on the association of these measures with markers of mental health and demonstrated the need to systematically evaluate measurement reliability for measures of cognitive biases. We evaluated reliability and correlations with self-report measures of mental health for interpretation bias scores derived from the Ambiguous Cue Task (ACT), an experimental paradigm for the assessment of approach-avoidance behavior towards ambiguous affective stimuli. For a non-clinical sample, the measurement of an interpretation bias with the ACT showed high internal consistency (rSB = .91 – .96, N = 354) and acceptable 2-week test–retest correlations (rPearson = .61 – .65, n = 109). Correlations between the ACT interpretation bias scores and mental health-related self-report measures of personality and well-being were generally small (r ≤ |.11|) and statistically not significant when correcting for multiple comparisons. These findings suggest that in non-clinical populations, individual differences in the interpretation of ambiguous affective information as assessed with the ACT do not show a clear association with self-report markers of mental health. However, in allowing for a highly reliable measurement of interpretation bias, the ACT provides a valuable tool for studies considering potentially small effect sizes in non-clinical populations by studying bigger samples as well as for work on clinical populations, for which potentially greater effects can be expected.

Information processing style and institutional trust as factors of COVID vaccine hesitancy

This study investigates the factors contributing to COVID vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine hesitancy has commonly been attributed to susceptibility to misinformation and linked to particular socio-demographic factors and personality traits. We present a new perspective, emphasizing the interplay between individual cognitive styles and perceptions of public health institutions. In January 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic, 318 participants underwent a comprehensive assessment, including self-report measures of personality and clinical characteristics, as well as a behavioral task that assessed information processing styles. During 2021, attitudes towards vaccines, scientists, and the CDC were measured at three time points (February–October). Panel data analysis and structural equation modeling revealed nuanced relationships between these measures and information processing styles over time. Trust in public health institutions, authoritarian submission, and lower information processing capabilities together contribute to vaccine acceptance. Information processing capacities influenced vaccination decisions independently from the trust level, but their impact was partially mediated by authoritarian tendencies. These findings underscore the multifactorial nature of vaccine hesitancy, which emerges as a product of interactions between individual cognitive styles and perceptions of public health institutions. This novel perspective provides valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms that drive this complex phenomenon.

Personality and susceptibility to political microtargeting: A comparison between a machine-learning and self-report approach

Based on recent technological advances, campaigners and political actors can use psychographic-based political marketing. Yet, empirical evidence about its effectiveness is still very limited. Based on self-congruity theory, a pre-registered experiment (N = 280) investigated the persuasion effects of personality-congruent political microtargeting on the attitude toward the political party and voting intentions of citizens. More precisely, the focus was on the thinking vs feeling personality dimension (MBTI), and it was tested whether this personality “interacts” with exposure to a matching advertising appeal: rational vs. emotional political ad. To do so, two different methodological approaches were used: 1) a machine learning approach; 2) a self-report survey measure of personality. Results revealed significant “congruence effects” between personality and ad appeal, and showed that perceived ad relevance was serving as the underlying mechanism (mediator). However, these results were only found when the self-report measure of personality was used. When the algorithmic approach was used, no significant results were found. These findings feed into timely societal, methodological, and theoretical contributions.

1 Psychometric comparison of the long and short forms of the Personality Assessment Inventory in a neuropsychiatric population

Objective:The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991; 2007) is a 344 item self-report measure of personality, psychopathology, and factors affecting treatment. The PAI short form (PAI-SF) contains the first 160 items of the PAI and is often favoured as a screening tool or brief version to mitigate respondent burden and fatigue. The PAI has been psychometrically validated among numerous populations (Slavin-Mulford et al., 2012), while psychometric research on the PAI-SF is gradually emerging. The psychometric properties of the PAI-SF range from adequate to strong in psychiatric (Sinclair et al., 2009), forensic (Sinclair et al., 2010), outpatient and nonclinical (Ward et al., 2018), and stroke (Udala et al., 2020) samples. To advance research validating the PAI-SF among diverse populations, this project investigated the psychometric comparability between the PAI and the PAI-SF in a neuropsychiatric population. Based on previous literature, it was hypothesized that the PAI-SF would produce congruent results to the PAI in this sample.Participants and Methods:For this study, participant files (N=214) were collected retrospectively from short- and long-term residential psychiatric and substance use treatment facilities in Minnesota for patients with neurological and cognitive concerns referred for neuropsychological evaluation. The PAI-SF was scored using the first 160 items from a patient’s long-form PAI protocol. To determine the psychometric comparability of long- and short-forms, paired-samples t-tests, intraclass correlations, and percent agreement in clinical classification between forms were analyzed.Results:Analyses of participant data found that intra-class correlations ranged from .87 to .98 for each subscale on the PAI when compared to the PAI-SF, demonstrating good to excellent reliability between forms. Symptoms are considered clinically elevated when they exceed the clinical significance threshold for a subscale (typically a T-score of 70+). Agreement between the PAI and PAI-SF subscales in the classification of clinically elevated scores ranged from 86% to 100%. When forms did not agree, the PAI-SF was more likely to be clinically significant relative to the PAI. A comparison of subscale means between forms was examined by independent samples T-tests with a Bonferroni correction. Results revealed significant differences between the PAI and PAI-SF on one validity scale (Negative Impression Management), three clinical scales (Anxiety; Depression; Antisocial Features), and one treatment scale (Treatment Rejection).Conclusions:Results demonstrated that the PAI and PAI-SF have high reliability between forms in a neuropsychiatric population. Although mean scores differed on a small number of subscales between the PAI and PAI-SF, differences did not appear sufficiently large enough to shift clinical classifications, as the two forms performed similarly in their identification of clinically elevated scales. Findings align with previous literature and suggest that the PAI-SF may perform adequately in a neuropsychiatric population if brevity or participant burden is of concern. However, caution is warranted when making clinical decisions with the PAI-SF as more research is needed.

The DS-14 questionnaire: psychometric characteristics and utility in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

To determine the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the DS-14 questionnaire, as well as the prevalence of type D personality in the overall OSA sample and subgroups. We assessed the influence of type D on perceived symptoms and its congruence with self-reported measures of personality, depression, fatigue, anxiety, quality of life, and quality of sleep. Patients with OSA completed the DS-14 questionnaire, Big Five Inventory-2 questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, SF-36 Health Survey Questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Stanford Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Insomnia Severity Index, Fatigue Assessment Scale, and Checklist Individual Strength. After 1 month, the DS-14 questionnaire was repeated. The overall prevalence of type D personality was 32%. Internal consistency (negative affectivity: α = 0.880, social inhibition: α = 0.851) and diagnostic test-retest reliability (kappa value = 0.664) of the DS-14 questionnaire were high. Significantly more symptoms of anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality, fatigue, and a worse health perception were found in OSA with type D. Neither OSA severity nor REM predominance altered these observations. The DS-14 questionnaire showed excellent psychometric properties in patients with OSA. The prevalence of type D personality in patients with OSA was higher than in the general population. The presence of type D personality was associated with higher symptom burden.

Self-Reported Body Awareness: Validation of the Postural Awareness Scale and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (Version 2) in a Non-clinical Adult French-Speaking Sample.

Body awareness refers to the individual ability to process signals originating from within the body, which provide a mapping of the body’s internal landscape (interoception) and its relation with space and movement (proprioception). The present study aims to evaluate psychometric properties and validate in French two self-report measures of body awareness: the Postural Awareness Scale (PAS), and the last version of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness questionnaire (version 2, MAIA-2). We collected data in a non-clinical, adult sample (N = 308; 61% women, mean age 35 ± 12 years) using online survey, and a subset of the original sample (n = 122; 62% women, mean age 44 ± 11 years) also completed the retest control. Factor analyses and reliability analyses were conducted. Construct validity of the PAS and the MAIA-2 were examined by testing their association with each other, and with self-report measures of personality (Big Five Inventory), alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale) and dispositional trait mindfulness (Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory). Factor analyses of the PAS supported the same two-factor structure as previously published versions (in other languages). For the MAIA-2, factor analyses suggested that a six-factor structure, excluding Not-Worrying and Not-Distracting factors, could successfully account for a common general factor of self-reported interoception. We found satisfactory internal consistency, construct validity, and reliability over time for both the PAS and the MAIA-2. Altogether, our findings suggest that the French version of the PAS and the MAIA-2 are reliable self-report tools to assess both components of body awareness (proprioception and interoception dimension, respectively).

Revising the trait model of the alternative model of personality disorders: Comment on Clark and Watson's structural review.

In their review of examination of the self-report Personality Inventory for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5; PID-5) factor structure and joint factor analysis of this instrument with other self-report measures of personality and psychopathology, Clark and Watson (2022) make argument for a set of modifications to the DSM-5 alternative model of personality disorders (AMPD)-the AMPD-5.1. In this commentary we offer opinion that their proposed modifications to the AMPD are problematic. In particular, we express concern that their modifications are based solely on research that uses a single instrument to measure the model and that this instrument employs a self-report measure methodology. We argue further that this method of assessment is vulnerable to response bias which could potentially alter the substantive structure of the model. We suggest that any proposed revised model should also be informed by other forms of measurement (e.g., informant report and structured interviews). In addition, we also argue that the best approach to delineating the universe of pathological personality traits should also include clinician input. Such input would maximize the clinical utility of any revised model. We believe that to propose a modified model that is based on self-report only and does not include other sources of information is presumptive and premature. At best, we think that Clark and Watson (2022) have only provided suggestions for a revision and expansion of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (i.e., the PID-5.1). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Age differences in implicit and explicit personality traits

Past research suggests that personality differs by age—older adults tend to be more conscientious, agreeable, and less neurotic than younger adults. However, most of these studies have used self-report measures of personality which may be influenced by people's motivations to appear socially desirable that also change over time. If these changing motivations affect the validity of personality measures, our understanding of age differences in personality may need to be revised. In the current study (N = 12,702), we examined age differences in implicit (i.e., IAT-based) and explicit (i.e., traditional self-report) measures of personality. Although we found some heterogeneity in the exact non-linear age patterns of personality across different measures, the age patterns were largely consistent across implicit and explicit measures of personality.

Negativity bias, personality and political ideology.

Research suggests that right-wing ideology is associated with negativity bias: a tendency to pay more attention and give more weight to negative versus positive stimuli. This work typically relies on either self-reported traits related to negativity bias in large, often-representative, samples or physiological and behavioural indicators of negativity bias in small convenience samples. We extend this literature and examine the relationship of negativity bias to political ideology using five distinct behavioural measures of negativity bias in four national samples of US residents with a total analytical sample size of about 4,000 respondents. We also examine the association of these behavioural measures to four of the most common self-report measures of personality in the literature on ideology. Across a wide range of tests, we find no consistent evidence for a relationship of negativity bias to either ideology or self-reported personality.

Assessing distinguishable social skills in medical admission: does construct-driven development solve validity issues of situational judgment tests?

BackgroundSocial skills are important for future physicians and are therefore increasingly considered in selection processes. One economic assessment method from which different social skills can be inferred are Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs) in which applicants are asked to rate behavioral responses in context-relevant situations. However, traditional SJTs have so far failed to distinctively measure specified constructs. To address this shortcoming in the medical admission context, we applied a construct-driven approach of SJT development in which test development was deductively guided by agency and communion as target constructs.MethodThe final version of the construct-driven SJT includes 15 items per construct with three behavioral responses. Medical school applicants (N = 1527) completed the construct-driven SJT, a traditional SJT, and an aptitude test under high-stakes condition as part of their application. A subsample (N = 575) participated in a subsequent voluntary online study with self-report measures of personality and past behavior.ResultsThe proposed two-factor structure and internal consistency of the construct-driven SJT was confirmed. Communal SJT scores were positively associated with self-reported communal personality and communal behavior, yet effects were smaller than expected. Findings for agentic SJT scores were mixed with positive small associations to self-reported agentic personality scores and agentic behavior but unexpected negative relations to communal self-reported measures.ConclusionsResults suggest that construct-driven SJTs might overcome validity limitations of traditional SJTs, although their implementation is challenging. Despite first indicators of validity, future research needs to address practical points of application in high-stakes settings, inclusion of other constructs, and especially prediction of actual behavior before the application of construct-driven SJTs for selection purposes in medical admission can be recommended.

Neurocognitive aging data release with behavioral, structural and multi-echo functional MRI measures

Central to understanding human behavior is a comprehensive mapping of brain-behavior relations within the context of lifespan development. Reproducible discoveries depend upon well-powered samples of reliable data. We provide to the scientific community two, 10-minute, multi-echo functional MRI (ME-fMRI) runs, and structural MRI (T1-MPRAGE), from 181 healthy younger (ages 18–34 y) and 120 older adults (ages 60–89 y). T2-FLAIR MRIs and behavioral assessments are available in a majority subset of over 250 participants. Behavioral assessments include fluid and crystallized cognition, self-reported measures of personality, and socioemotional functioning. Initial quality control and validation of these data is provided. This dataset will be of value to scientists interested in BOLD signal specifically isolated from ME-fMRI, individual differences in brain-behavioral associations, and cross-sectional aging effects in healthy adults. Demographic and behavioral data are available within the Open Science Framework project “Goal-Directed Cognition in Older and Younger Adults” (http://osf.io/yhzxe/), which will be augmented over time; neuroimaging data are available on OpenNeuro (https://openneuro.org/datasets/ds003592).

Associations between impulsivity and self-care adherence in individuals diagnosed with Type 2 or prediabetes.

Diabetes is a chronic disease requiring extensive self-care. Different impulsivity constructs, including choice-based and self-report personality measures are associated with decreasing diabetes self-care adherence. However, both choice-based and self-report impulsivity have never been measured for individuals diagnosed with either Type 2 or prediabetes in the same study. The current study examined the relationship between impulsivity and diabetes self-care in 101 adults diagnosed with either Type 2 or prediabetes. Results indicated that increasing self-reported impulsiveness was significantly correlated with decreasing Type 2 diabetic self-care, whereas the choice-based measure was not associated with any self-care measure. No association between impulsivity and self-care was significant for individuals diagnosed with prediabetes. Path analyses showed that self-reported impulsiveness directly and positively predicted problems controlling blood sugar levels in individuals diagnosed with either prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes. However, self-reported impulsiveness only indirectly and negatively predicted exercise and diet adherence via diabetes management self-efficacy for individuals diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. These results show what specific impulsivity constructs and diabetes management self-efficacy may be incorporated into interventions for increasing specific self-care behaviors.

Your pain, my gain: The relationship between self-report and behavioral measures of everyday sadism and COVID-19 vaccination intention.

Vaccination plays a crucial role in containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a significant fraction of the global population is reluctant to take a coronavirus vaccine. A burgeoning literature has considered mainly adaptive personality traits as antecedents of vaccine hesitancy (i.e., Big Five and HEXACO), while maladaptive personality traits (i.e., “Dark Tetrad” of personality) are often a comparatively neglected area. In this research, we examined the relationship between everyday sadism and intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19. We theorized that driven by antisocial tendencies and social indifference, individuals with higher sadism may be less willing to obtain a vaccine. Employing a bug-killing paradigm to capture everyday sadism, we tested this prediction in a Chinese sample of non-student adults (N = 188). Support for this proposition was found in the lab task, which demonstrates that sadism was associated with more vaccine refusal spanning the self-report and behavioral domains. In addition, we showed that the sadistic behavioral choices can be predicted with self-report measure of sadistic personality. These findings highlight the important role of maladaptive personality traits in predicting vaccination attitudes and intentions.

Clarifying personality measurement in industrial-organizational psychology: The utility of item response tree models

Self-report personality measures typically seek to capture overall tendencies of individuals' behavior but do not capture potentially useful information provided by within-person variability and differences in trait relevance. We propose an item-response theory approach to simultaneously capture estimates of trait levels, within-person variability, and differences in trait relevance. In contrast to previous research, we focus on intentional within-person shifts in personality that we label adaptability. This approach was tested on a large sample (N = 983) using Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Results suggested that these three aspects can be statistically distinguished from each other and provide incremental variance in related outcomes. The ability to simultaneously capture personality trait levels, adaptability, and traitedness with self-report measures would allow researchers to better understand the role of personality in the workplace.

Examining Psychedelic-Induced Changes in Social Functioning and Connectedness in a Naturalistic Online Sample Using the Five-Factor Model of Personality.

The present study examines prospective changes in personality traits relevant to social functioning as well as perceived social connectedness in relation to the naturalistic use of psychedelic compounds in an online volunteer sample. The study also examined the degree to which demographic characteristics, social setting, baseline personality, and acute subjective factors (e.g., emotional breakthrough experiences) influenced trajectories of personality and perceived social connectedness. Participants recruited online completed self-report measures of personality and social connectedness at three timepoints (baseline, 2weeks post-experience, 4weeks post-experience). Linear mixed models were used to examine changes in outcomes and the moderation of these outcomes by covariates. The most substantive changes were reductions in the personality domains Neuroticism, and increases in Agreeableness and social connectedness. Notably, reductions in Neuroticism and increases in Agreeableness covaried over time, which may be suggestive of common processes involving emotion regulation. Preliminary evidence was found for a specific effect on a component of Agreeableness involving a critical and quarrelsome interpersonal style. Although moderation by demographic characteristics, social setting, baseline personality, and acute factors generally found limited support, baseline standing on Neuroticism, perspective taking, and social connectedness showed tentative signs of amplifying adaptive effects on each trait, respectively. Our findings hold implications for the potential use of psychedelics for treating interpersonal elements of personality pathology as well as loneliness.

Associations between executive functioning, personality, and posttraumatic stress symptoms in adolescent solid organ transplant recipients.

Pediatric solid organ transplant recipients are susceptible to posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), given the presence of a life-threatening chronic medical condition and potential for complications. However, little is known about what individual characteristics are associated with an increased risk for PTSS among youth who received an organ transplant. The aim of the current study was to evaluate PTSS and its associations with executive functioning (EF) and personality (i.e., neuroticism and conscientiousness) among adolescents with solid organ transplants. Fifty-three adolescents (Mage =16.40, SD=1.60) with a kidney, heart, or liver transplant completed self-report measures of PTSS and personality, whereas caregivers completed a caregiver-proxy report of adolescent EF. Twenty-two percent of adolescent transplant recipients reported clinically significant levels of PTSS. Higher EF difficulties and neuroticism levels, and lower conscientiousness levels were significantly associated with higher PTSS (rs -.34 to .64). Simple slope analyses revealed that adolescents with both high EF impairment and high levels of neuroticism demonstrated the highest PTSS (t=3.47; p<.001). Most adolescent transplant recipients in the present study did not report clinically significant levels of PTSS; however, those with high neuroticism and greater EF difficulties may be particularly vulnerable to PTSS following organ transplantation. Following transplantation, medical providers should assess for PTSS and risk factors for developing PTSS. Identification of those at risk for PTSS is critical, given the strong associations between PTSS and certain medical outcomes (e.g., medication nonadherence) among these youth.

The Contributions of Indigenous Personality and Parenting Style to Life Satisfaction Development in Chinese Adolescents.

The present three-wave longitudinal study examined the contributions of indigenous personality traits and parenting style to life satisfaction in Chinese adolescents. Seven hundred and ten junior high school students (Mage = 11.39, SDage = 0.53; 53.2% girls) were administered self-report measures of personality, parenting styles, and life satisfaction in Grade 6. Data on life satisfaction were collected again in Grades 7 and 8, respectively. Latent growth model analyses indicated that life satisfaction decreased over time. Regression analyses showed that the initial level of global life satisfaction was positively predicted by personality factors of dependability and interpersonal relatedness; the slope of global life satisfaction was positively predicted by personality factors of emotional stability whereas negatively predicted by interpersonal relatedness. The initial levels and slopes of different domains of life satisfaction were predicted by personality factors and parenting styles to different extents. Meanwhile, paternal and maternal parenting styles had different effects on adolescents’ life satisfaction. The study provided valuable information about the contributions of indigenous personality and both paternal and maternal parenting styles to psychological adjustment in the Chinese context. The implications of the findings concerning the associations among personality, parenting styles, and life satisfaction were discussed.

Borderline personality disorder as asyndrome of poor quality of object relations

Objective: Interpersonal dysfunction is a hallmark feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Representing lifelong relational patterns based in internal representations, quality of object relations (QOR) has been theorized as a core aspect of borderline personality pathology; yet empirical inquiry of this relationship has been limited. The present study investigated the association between QOR and BPD in the context of other salient correlates of BPD. Method: Participants were 137 outpatients obtaining care at an intensive treatment program for patients with personality dysfunction. BPD was assessed using two interview-based instruments. A separate interviewer-rated assessment of quality of object relations was administered by a different set of assessors. Participants also completed self-report measures of symptom distress, five-factor personality, and dysphoric affects. Results: Regarding BPD severity, QOR emerged as the only significant predictor with all variables in the model. Similarly, logistic regression found that QOR was associated with a significantly greater likelihood of having a diagnosis of BPD, after accounting for the effects of the other variables in the model. Conclusion: QOR is significantly and uniquely associated with BPD, suggesting that internalized representations of self and others play an important role underlying BPD pathology.

Examining changes in personality following shamanic ceremonial use of ayahuasca

The present study examines the association between the ceremonial use of ayahuasca—a decoction combining the Banistereopsis caapi vine and N,N-Dimethyltryptamine-containing plants—and changes in personality traits as conceived by the Five-Factor model (FFM). We also examine the degree to which demographic characteristics, baseline personality, and acute post-ayahuasca experiences affect personality change. Participants recruited from three ayahuasca healing and spiritual centers in South and Central America (N = 256) completed self-report measures of personality at three timepoints (Baseline, Post, 3-month Follow-up). Informant-report measures of the FFM were also obtained (N = 110). Linear mixed models were used to examine changes in personality and the moderation of those changes by covariates. The most pronounced change was a reduction in Neuroticism dzself-reportT1–T2 = − 1.00; dzself-reportT1–T3 = − .85; dzinformant-reportT1–T3 = − .62), reflected in self- and informant-report data. Moderation of personality change by baseline personality, acute experiences, and purgative experiences was also observed.