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Investigating the bases of inter-individual differences in risk-taking is necessary to refine our cognitive and neural models of decision-making and to ultimately counter risky behaviours in real-life policy settings. However, recent evidence suggests that behavioural tasks fare poorly compared to standard questionnaires to measure individual differences in risk-taking. Crucially, the results were not improved using model-based measures of risk taking. Here we propose two possible - not mutually exclusive - explanations for these results. Finally, we suggest future avenues of research to improve the assessment of inter-individual differences in risk-taking that combine repeated online testing and the development of mechanistic computational models.

In this chapter, we consider whether individual differences might play role in how a behavioral immune system operates and what that implies for human personality. We first highlight the theoretical reasons to expect variation in pathogen management mechanisms and the psychological models relevant to these mechanisms (e.g., behavioral immune system, disgust). Next, we review research on the direct impact of pathogen threats on specific personality attributes. Subsequently, we place relevant individual differences within a motivational structure in order to organize specific content domains of personality linked to pathogen threats. Finally, we propose some unanswered questions for the field that may be promising directions for future research.

This study is a conceptual replication of an existing large study (N = 507) on the surface-based morphometric correlates of Five-Factor Model (FFM) personality traits. Using another large sample drawn from the same population (N = 597), results were aggregated from both samples (N = 1104), providing the largest investigation into the neuroanatomical correlates of FFM personality traits to date. Multiple clusters of significant brain by personality associations were found in the aggregate sample, including one for Openness with cortical thickness in the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), one for Agreeableness with thickness in the left DLPFC, and one for Agreeableness with area and volume in the right DLPFC. Clusters were also found for Neuroticism with cortical surface area in the right DLPFC, for Neuroticism with cortical thickness in the DLPFC and medial prefrontal cortex, and for Neuroticism with area and volume in the cuneus. While many regions found in the prior study were confirmed in the new and full samples, others were not, highlighting the challenges in replicating even high-quality, well-powered studies. As a whole, the current results provide the strongest evidence to date on the neuroanatomical correlates of personality.

The Self, Motivation, and Virtue Project (Snow & Narvaez, 2015) was developed “to open avenues of inquiry into virtue using the framework of the ‘self,’ instead of ‘personality,’ to require deep and ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration, and to stimulate methodological innovation into the study of virtue.” But what does this mean to use a “framework of self” instead of “personality?” What do we mean by “self” and “personality”? In this chapter we provide a conceptual review and integration of self and personality, as well as identity, motivation, virtue, and well-being. In clarifying these different concepts, we demonstrate that the concept of personality--when conceptualized as extending beyond personality traits--provides the broadest, most inclusive framework for understanding self, identity, motivation, virtue, as well as all other traits and characteristic adaptations.

The extent to which individuals with a variety of cultural backgrounds differ in empathic responsiveness is unknown. This paper describes the differences in trait empathy in one independent and one interdependent society (i.e., United States and Iran respectively). The analysis of data collected from self-reported questionnaires answered by 326 adults indicated a significant difference in the cognitive component of empathy concerning participants’ affiliation to either egocentric or socio-centric society: Iranian participants with interdependent cultural norms, reported higher cognitive empathy compared to American participants who share independent cultural norms. In line with previous studies, gender differences were observed in all subscales of questionnaires except the Empathy Quotient. Female participants demonstrated more empathy than males in both samples. Implications for understanding the cross-cultural differences of various components of empathy are discussed.

Cross-cultural research on personality has often led to surprising and countertheoretical findings, which have led to concerns over the validity of country-level estimates of personality (e.g., Heine, Buchtel, & Norenzayan, 2008). The present study explores how cross-cultural differences can be indexed via revealed trait estimates, which index the personality traits of individuals or groups indirectly through their likelihood of responding in particular ways to particular situations. In two studies, we measure self-reports of personality, revealed traits, and revealed preferences for different expected effects (e.g., experiencing excitement) of two cultural groups (U.S. and Singaporean participants). We found typical East–West differences in personality using self-report scales, such as lower levels of Conscientiousness- and Extraversion-related characteristics among Singaporean participants relative to U.S. participants. We found evidence of scale use extremity differences in self-report personality scales but not in revealed trait estimates. Using revealed traits, we found evidence of strikingly high levels of similarity in terms of overall action endorsement, revealed trait estimates, and revealed preferences. However, this was qualified by consistent differences in revealed trait estimates of Extraversion-related characteristics and less consistent differences in revealed trait estimates of Conscientiousness-related characteristics. We also found consistent differences in preferences for different expected effects; for example, Singaporean participants reported lower likelihood of performing actions expected to result in experiencing stimulation or excitement than U.S. participants. Results suggest that similarities in action endorsements and revealed traits may be driven by common preferences for social inclusion and benevolence, and differences may be driven by differing preferences for expending effort, experiencing stimulation, and social attention.

A great range of person perception phenomena may be conceptualized in terms of how much perceivers know about the targets, how much they like the targets and how these factors relate to the extent to which target descriptions reflect actual target characteristics and/or evaluative bias. We present a comprehensive empirical analysis of this interplay in two studies, the second (targets: N = 189, informants: N = 1352) being a pre-registered replication of the first (targets: N = 73, informants: N = 549). Using multilevel profile analyses, we investigated how liking and knowing are differentially associated with judgments’ normative accuracy (i.e., reflecting actual characteristics of the average target), distinctive accuracy (i.e., reflecting actual characteristics of specific targets), and positivity bias. Statistical effects were largely consistent across two independent validation measures (self-ratings vs. peer-ratings of personality), and across the two studies. Despite being positively correlated with one another, liking and knowing had opposing effects on person judgments: Knowing targets better was associated with greater distinctive and normative accuracy, and with lower positivity bias. In contrast, liking targets more was associated with lower distinctive and normative accuracy, but with greater positivity bias. The findings suggest that person judgments tend to reflect actual target characteristics as well as evaluative bias, and that the relative extents to which they do are predictable from what the perceivers say about their relationships with the targets (i.e., knowing and liking). Directions for future research are discussed.

Social relationships supply purpose to life. How can socially disconnected people, who show lower levels of purpose, compensate for purpose in life? We propose that religious beliefs can compensate for the purpose in life that social relationships would otherwise provide, through (a) providing greater purpose to turn to, and (b) providing divine figures that can substitute for social relationships. Method: In three studies, we analyze three nationally representative and longitudinal datasets (N = 19775) using moderated regression and cross-lagged panel analyses. Results: Consistent with our hypotheses, religious beliefs were of minimal influence on purpose in life for socially connected individuals, who already held higher levels of purpose than socially disconnected individuals. However, for socially disconnected individuals, being highly religious predicted higher levels of purpose in life. Conclusions: Results suggest that although people primarily derive purpose from social relationships, socially disconnected individuals may leverage their religious beliefs for purpose and social comfort until they can reconnect.

Self-regulation is the means by which people manage goal-directed behavior. The many processes that constitute self-regulation are numerous and complex - themselves the focus of fields of research. In this chapter, we provide a review of individual differences that relate to self-regulation, including traits directly relevant to self-regulation and traits that affect how people self-regulate. First, we review individual differences that characterize general self-regulatory effectiveness. Next, we review an array of constructs relevant to specific self-regulatory functions, grouped by the most relevant process domain: behavioral, cognitive, and motivational or emotional. Finally, we review individual difference that cross-cut domains.

Here, we provide you with the preprint and with supplemental material (R-Codes) to the manuscript "Explaining the Longitudinal Interplay of Personality and Social Relationships in the Laboratory and in the Field: The PILS and the CONNECT Study" by Geukes, Breil, Küfner, Hutteman, Nestler, & Back (under Review). If you like to get in contact with us, please write an email to katharina.geukes@wwu.deAbstract:Our personalities (who we are) influence our social relationships (how we relate to the people around us), and our social relationships influence our personalities. However, little is known about the specific processes underlying the complex interplay of personality and social relationships. According to the PERSOC framework, the identification of underlying social interaction processes promotes the understanding of how personality and social relationships (a) are expressed, (b) develop, and (c) influence each other over time. The aim of the present paper is twofold: First, we outline four methodological challenges that arise when we empirically realize a process approach to the personality-relationship interplay. Second, we describe two empirical studies, that is, a laboratory-based process approach (Personality Interaction Laboratory Study; PILS) and a field-based process approach (CONNECT), both designed to meet these challenges. We provide detailed information about the samples (two student samples; PILS: N = 311; CONNECT: N = 131), procedures (longitudinal and multimethodological), and measures (personality and social relationships, appearance and behavior, interpersonal perceptions). For all these measures, we present descriptive information, reliabilities, and intercorrelations. In addition, we illustrate how these unique data sets can be applied to provide detailed process insights to answer topical research questions at the levels of the individual, dyad, and social network. We summarize how these studies meet the introduced methodological challenges, discuss the advantages and limitations of laboratory- and field-based process approaches, and call for their combination. We close by outlining an open research policy, aimed at collaborative and accelerated efforts to further open the process black box and ultimately leading to a better understanding of the expression, development, and complex interplay of personality and social relationships.

Definitions of the term “empathy” have long been discussed. Recent evidence suggests that “empathy” and “concern” (also known as “compassion”) are psychologically and physiologically distinct. These distinctions directly affect the psychometric measures used to assess empathy. A new measure called the Empathy Index (EI) has been proposed that assesses empathy strictly in terms of emotional contagion. However, this measure has not been validated using Brazilian Portuguese language. Our objective was therefore to translate, culturally adapt, and examine the psychometric properties of the EI in a Brazilian population. We also examined the EI’s relationship with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). In Study 1 (N=483), we explored the relationship between EI and IRI through factor analysis. Empathy and concern loaded on different factors. The EI subscales showed adequate Cronbrach’s alphas and concern, but not empathy, predicted contributions during an economic game. In Study 2 (N=215), confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the factorial structure of EI and its relation with IRI. Therefore, we consider that the Brazilian version of the EI showed good evidence of both validity and reliability.

Experienced well-being measures tap a distinct form of subjective well-being (SWB) and have different age-related properties than the more widely studied evaluations of life based on satisfaction. Unlike evaluations of the quality of life as a whole, experiential measures capture affective reactions soon after they occur. Recent advances in measurement have allowed for the inclusion of such experiential measures even in large-scale studies. However, respondent burden remains a concern; hence, surveys have also employed shorter experiential modules. The psychometric properties of these brief measures are not well understood. We examine the psychometric characteristics, including the factor structure and correlations with theoretically relevant criteria, of experienced wellbeing measures included in two supplements to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). The first supplement included a detailed time diary whereas the second included a brief review of the prior day. Results show that for the detailed time diaries a single index of affective experience provides a useful summary of the associations among individual affect items, both within and between participants. For the abbreviated method, two or more subscales better describe the underlying structure.

Identity research has proliferated in recent years creating a great need for theoretical clarity about the identity concept, and how to use this clarity to understand identities within specific contexts. The present article addresses this need by discussing theoretical aspects of identity development as they apply to another important, yet broad, developmental context: societies in transition. This article includes a brief background on identity research in developmental psychology, an introduction of key theoretical constructs of identity integration, and then finally application of these constructs to understanding identities in transition. The hope is that this theoretical discussion will stimulate further research on identity development in the context of individual and social transitions.

Competitive reaction time tasks (CRTTs) have been used widely in social science research, but recent criticism has been directed at the flexible quantification strategies used with this methodology. One estimate suggests that over 150 different quantification strategies have been used, and there is evidence to suggest that different operationalizations can affect the results and interpretations of experiments using CRTTs (Elson, Mohseni, Breuer, Scharkow, & Quandt, 2014). In the current investigation, we re-analyze data from four extant samples from two different sites (total N = 600) to examine how the relations between a range of personality traits and aggression vary based on how aggression is operationalized. Our results suggest that there is a modest degree of heterogeneity in effect size and direction for these relations, and that effect size and direction were more consistent for traits more generally related to lab aggression (e.g., psychopathy, low FFM Agreeableness). Additionally, profile matching analyses suggest that different operationalizations yield strong intraclass correlations with one another. These results were consistent across site, methodology, and type of sample, suggesting that these issues are likely generalizable across most labs using CRTTs. We conclude with suggestions for future directions, particularly emphasizing the need for adequately-powered samples, and for researchers to preregister a justified plan for how CRTT data will be analyzed.

Objective: Treating clinicians provide the majority of mental health diagnoses, yet little is known about the validity of their routine diagnoses, including the agreement with clients’ self-reports. This is particularly notable for personality disorders (PDs) as the literature suggests weak agreement between therapists and clients. Existing research has been limited by a focus on PD categories and brief therapist-report measures. Furthermore, although self-reports of PD have been criticized for under-reporting, very few data have compared them to therapist-report in terms of mean-level. Method: We addressed these limitations by collecting dimensional trait ratings from 54 therapist-client dyads within outpatient clinics. The clients (52% women, 94% Caucasian, 39.8 years) provided ratings of dimensional PD traits via the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) while therapists (72% female, 89% Caucasian) completed the Informant version of the same measure. Results: Employing systematic measures of traits yielded higher rank-order agreement than observed in prior studies, with a median correlation of .41 across the PID-5 domains. Most interestingly, mean-level comparisons indicated that clients reported significantly higher levels of PD pathology than did their therapists. This effect was most notable for the domain of Psychoticism, which had the lowest rank-order agreement (r = .16) and the largest mean-level discrepancies. Conclusions: When clinicians utilized systematic measures of dimensional traits their agreement with client was higher than reported in past studies. Furthermore, clients reported significantly more PD pathology than was noted by their therapists suggesting concerns about invalid self-reports due to under-reporting have been overstated.

Objectives The dual-hormone hypothesis suggests that associations of testosterone (T) with certain behavioral tendencies are stronger when cortisol (C) levels are low simultaneously. A range of studies provided supporting evidence for TxC interaction effects for example on dominance and risk-taking behaviors. However, concerning perceptions of facial characteristics the evidence is mixed, with a recent study reporting a positive association between perceived facial dominance and T among men with higher C.Methods We sought to further examine links of observer-rated facial attractiveness, dominance and health (based on photographs of N = 165 men) with baseline T, competition-induced T reactivity, and their interaction with baseline C.Results There was some evidence that baseline T and the interaction of T reactivity with baseline C positively predicted facial dominance, however these were not robust when including control variables.Conclusions Since no effects were found for attractiveness and health, our results suggest that associations of perceived facial characteristics with baseline T, T reactivity and their interactions with baseline C are rather weak.

Self-regulation constrains the expression of prejudice, but when self-regulation falters, the immediate environment can act as an external source of prejudice regulation. This hypothesis derives from work demonstrating that external controls and internal self-regulation can prompt goal pursuit in the absence of self-imposed controls. Across four studies we found support for this complementary model of prejudice regulation. In Study 1, self-regulatory fatigue resulted in less motivation to be non-prejudiced, compared to a non-fatigued control. In Study 2, strong (vs. weak) perceived social pressure was related to greater motivation to be non-prejudiced. In Study 3, dispositional self-regulation predicted non-prejudice motivation when perceived social pressure was weak or moderate, but not when it was strong. Finally, in Study 4 self-regulatory fatigue increased prejudice when social pressure was weak but not when it was strong.

Most people report that they are superior to the average person on various moral traits. The psychological causes and social consequences of this phenomenon have received considerable empirical attention. The behavioral correlates of self-perceived moral superiority, however, remain unknown. We present the results of two preregistered studies (Study 1, N=827; Study 2, N=825) in which we indirectly assessed participants’ self-perceived moral superiority, and used two incentivized economic games to measure their engagement in moral behavior. Across studies, self-perceived moral superiority was unrelated to trust in others and to trustworthiness, as measured by the Trust Game; and unrelated to fairness, as measured by the Dictator Game. This pattern of findings was robust to a range of analyses, and, in both studies, Bayesian analyses indicated moderate support for the null over the alternative hypotheses. We interpret and discuss these findings, and highlight interesting avenues for future research on this topic.

The Triarchic Model of Psychopathy (Patrick, Krueger, & Fowles, 2009) is a recently developed model of psychopathy that identifies three primary domains: Boldness, Meanness, and Disinhibition. These traits overlap substantially with general and pathological five-factor models (FFM) of personality (Boldness = low Neuroticism + high Extraversion; Meanness = low Agreeableness; Disinhibition = low Conscientiousness). In the current study, (total N = 1,266) we compare domains from the triarchic model of psychopathy and FFM in relation to self- and informant-report of external criteria (e.g., pathological traits, antisocial behavior), and quantified their absolute similarity using a profile matching approach. The corresponding traits from these models show large interrelations and very similar convergent and divergent relations, suggesting that un-altered traits from one can be considered excellent representations of the other. Results are discussed in terms of the benefits of using a unifying trait-based model to study psychopathy, as well as personality disorders more broadly.

Objective. Personality traits influence human behaviour across a broad range of situations and are consequently relevant to many theoretical and applied disciplines. In this perspective piece, we provide an overview of the logic underpinning personality measurement and review major personality taxonomies. We provide an extensive set of recommendations for researchers and practitioners on when and how to use measures of personality traits. Method. We overview a range of taxonomic representations of personality structure focusing particularly on hierarchical representations and five and six factor models such as the Big Five and HEXACO models. We review the various strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Results. The review outlines the major reasons for the dominance of the Big Five model, and suggests it is a good descriptive framework for studying personality in general. However we suggest that researchers and practitioners also consider alternative taxonomic personality representations such as the HEXACO. We provide a range of scenarios whereby alternative frameworks will be more appropriate than the Big Five and offer recommendations both for choosing measures in general and for implementing studies examining personality facets. Conclusions. Whilst the Big Five represents an excellent general personality framework that is appropriate across multiple situations, researchers and practitioners should be aware of alternative measures and utilise them where appropriate.

Boundary goals specify the minimum performance level that an individual must attain to subjectively experience success. The current research integrates boundary goals into the hierarchical model of achievement motivation (A. Elliot, 2006) by positing that boundary goals are a sub-goal in the goal hierarchy. We predicted that performance approach goals would be associated with higher boundary goals, whereas performance avoidance goals would be associated with lower boundary goals. We further predicted that boundary goals would mediate the association between achievement goals and performance, independent of other target goals (i.e., levels of aspiration). We also evaluated whether boundary goals served a similar role in explaining associations between mastery goals and performance. We tested these predictions by tracking the performance of 347 college students across the semester. As predicted, performance approach goals were positively associated with boundary goals (beta = .32) whereas performance avoidance goals were negatively associated with boundary goals (beta = -.11). Further, we found that mastery approach goals had positive associations with boundary goals (beta = .29) whereas the opposite pattern occurred for mastery avoidance goals (beta = -.25). Boundary goals were positively linked to exam scores (beta = .32) and mediated the associations between performance approach, mastery approach, and mastery avoidance goals and grades. These statistical effects were independent of the effects of level of aspiration. In short, boundary goals seem to play an important role in the achievement motivation process and may therefore serve as a potentially useful focus for interventions.

I discuss the function of social identity signaling in facilitating cooperative group formation, and how the nature of that function changes with the structure of social organization. I propose that signals of social identity facilitate assortment for successful coordination in large-scale societies, and that the multidimensional, context-dependent nature of social identity is crucial for successful coordination when individuals have to cooperate in different contexts. Furthermore, the structure of social identity is tied to the structure of society, so that as societies grow larger and more interconnected, the landscape of social identities grows more heterogeneous. This discussion bears directly on the need to articulate the dynamics of emergent, ephemeral groups as a major factor in human cultural evolution.

The current study investigated whether personality traits and facets predicted levels ofInterleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and Fibrinogen and whether physical activity mediated therelationship between personality and these biomarkers of health. High harm avoidance and low neuroticism were associated with elevated IL-6, while high social potency, high control, and low achievement were associated with elevated FGN. Mediation models suggested that physicalactivity mediated the association between higher levels of achievement and lower IL-6. Physical activity is an important factor in the health behavior model, and explains some of the associations between personality and downstream inflammation.

Income inequality gained increasing attention in public discourse. Promoting upward mobility is a potential solution to income inequality. The current study tested whether upward mobility predicts greater well-being, whether upward mobility attenuates the negative effects of income inequality, and whether gender differences in upward mobility differentially predict well-being for men and women. Upward mobility was operationalized as changes in income rank across generations for families in the lowest income quartile. In a pre-registered study on 917,331 US workers, results supported neither the main effect of upward mobility nor the moderating role of upward mobility on the association between income inequality and life satisfaction. Gender differences in upward mobility did not consistently predict well-being of men or women. The null results were robust across measures of well-being, measures of upward mobility, and different analytical strategies. The results consistently indicated that regional upward mobility may have little to no association with well-being.

Across three studies, Murray, Rose, Bellavia, Holmes, and Kusche (2002) found that low self-esteem individuals responded in a negative manner compared to those high in self-esteem in the face of relationship threat, perceiving their partners and relationships less positively. This was the first empirical support for the hypothesized dynamics of a dependency regulation perspective, and has had a significant impact on the field of relationship science. In the present research, we sought to reproduce the methods and procedures of Study 3 of Murray et al. (2002) to further test the two-way interaction between individual differences in self-esteem and situational relationship threat. Manipulation check effects replicated the original study, but no interaction between self-esteem and experimental condition was observed for any primary study outcomes.

To be famous is to be widely known, and honored for one’s achievements. The process by which researchers achieve fame or eminence is skewed by heuristics that influence visibility; implications of these heuristics are magnified by a snowball effect, in which current fame leads to bias in ostensibly objective metrics of merit, including the distribution of resources that support future excellence. This effect may disproportionately hurt women and minorities, who struggle with both external and internalized implicit biases regarding competence and worth. While some solutions to this problem are available, they will not address the deeper problems of defining what it means for research to “make a difference” in our field and in society, and consistently holding our work to that criterion.

Two large samples were collected to evaluate the structure of traits in the temperament domain. In both samples, participants were administered random subsets of public-domain personality items from a larger pool of approximately 700 items. These data broadly cover the most widely used, public-domain measures of personality (though this breadth is not likely free of theoretical bias). When combined with a third, previously-shared dataset that used the same methodological design, the sample includes more than 125,000 participants from more than 220 countries and regions. Re-use potential includes many types of structural, correlational, and network analyses of personality and a wide range of demographic and psychographic constructs. The data are available in both rdata and csv formats.

The inclusion of psychosocial variables into electronic health records provides a unique opportunity for the translation of findings from social, psychological, and behavioral domains into patient care. This commentary is a response to the recommendations of a committee convened by the Institute of Medicine to address this opportunity (Matthews, Adler, Forrest, & Stead, 2016). We concur with the committee that the inclusion of psychosocial variables in electronic health records will broadly benefit researchers, practitioners, and patients and that there is clear need for a recommended panel of psychosocial measures that is ready for implementation in clinical settings. In fact, it seems likely that these recommendations will have lasting consequences. Given this, our response highlights several concerns about the recommendations and criteria. We suggest further clarification of the audience for these recommendations, reconsideration of the overly restrictive inclusion criteria, and more extensive engagement of psychosocial researchers to achieve broader consensus. (PsycINFO Database Record

Narcissism is one of the oldest personality constructs, and yet debates about itsdefinition and structure have been a topic of intense debate over the past decade. Recent independent reviews of the literature have proposed conceptually identical triarchic structural models of individual differences in pathological narcissism. In each model entitlement serves as the core of the construct, and its expression is moderated by basic personality/temperament to manifest in exhibitionism or vulnerability. However, the clinical observation that individuals high in pathological narcissism vacillate between grandiose and vulnerable states remains understudied and poorly understood. We review the recent research that has driven the contentious debates, emerging points of consensus, and necessary future directions for research.

Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is the first, and arguably most influential, lifespan theory of development. Erikson’s writings are extensive and complicated, covering quite a bit of conceptual ground. He mixed detailed treatments with vague proclamations, and returned to the same themes repeatedly throughout his career. These qualities of his work have led some to refer to his work as having “Rorschach-like” qualities, where different readers glean and interpret his words based on their own interests and views. Thus, it is a fool’s task to attempt to represent Erikson in full or to detail the “true” nature of Erikson’s theory. Accordingly, this article contains a description of the primary thematic elements of the theory.

With this cross-sectional study we investigated how individual differences regarding present- and future-oriented mental processes are related to the experience of time in the seconds and minutes range. A sample of students (N = 100) filled out self-report measures of time perspective (ZTPI), mindfulness (FMI), impulsiveness (BIS), and the daydreaming frequency scale (DDFS). Furthermore they were asked to (a) retrospectively judge the duration of a waiting period of five minutes, and (b) to prospectively perform an visual duration reproduction task with intervals of 3, 6, and 9 seconds. Regression models show that (a) being more present fatalistic (ZTPI) and more impulsive are related to longer duration estimates of the waiting period, and (b) having a stronger propensity to daydream leads to a stronger under-reproduction of temporal intervals. These findings show how personality traits related to present orientation are associated with the state-like perception of duration.

The maturity principle and cumulative continuity principle have been fundamental in understanding adult development of personality traits. We tested new predictions derived from both principles for Honesty-Propriety, a factor from the newer Big Six model, as well as for the original Big Five domains. We also tested hypotheses about lower-order Big Five aspects, gender differences in change, and a plateau in rank-order stability in early and middle adulthood. Data came from a national sample of U.S. adults (N = 858) who were assessed via both self- and informant reports in an accelerated longitudinal design with four annual waves. Consistent with the maturity principle, self-reports of Honesty-Propriety increased with age; changes in informant reports were directionally similar but nonsignificant. We also replicated previous findings supporting the maturity principle: Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Stability all increased with age. Analyses of lower-order aspects showed largely similar patterns of change at a different level of the personality taxonomy. Women increased in Emotional Stability more than men did. In tests of the cumulative continuity principle, we did not find evidence of increasing rank-order stability from age 18 to 58. This suggests a modification to the cumulative continuity principle in which rank-order stability is relatively unchanging across this period of life, what we term the working years plateau.

According to Silvan Tomkins’ polarity theory, ideological thought is universally structured by a clash between two opposing worldviews. On the left, a humanistic worldview seeks to uphold the intrinsic value of the person; on the right, a normative worldview holds that human worth is contingent upon conformity to rules. In this article, we situate humanism and normativism within the context of contemporary models of political ideology as a function of motivated social cognition, personality traits, and moral intuitions. In four studies conducted in the U.S. and Sweden, the association between normativism and rightist orientation was statistically mediated by resistance to change, acceptance of inequality, social dominance orientation, and right-wing authoritarianism, and the associations between normativism and these four constructs were further mediated by system justification, dangerous- and competitive-world beliefs, conservative moral intuitions, low openness, and low honesty-humility. The association between humanism and leftist orientation was statistically mediated by preference for equality and low social dominance, and the association between humanism and these two constructs were mediated by cooperative-world beliefs, liberal moral intuitions, honesty-humility, and emotionality. We conclude that polarity theory possesses tremendous potential for integrating seemingly disparate models of political ideology to explain how and why socio-political attitudes under a variety of historical and cultural contexts come to be structured along a single, left-right ideological dimension.

Emerging adulthood, defined for many by the college years, is an active period of personality development; less is known about goal change during these years. We investigated stability and change in the 2 × 2 model of achievement goals over 4 years (N = 527). We evaluated rank-order stability and mean-level change, and tested goal coupling hypotheses—the idea that early changes in goals predict later change in other goals—using multivariate latent difference score models. Achievement goals showed moderate rank-order stability over 4 years. Three of four goals demonstrated small normative declines, excepting performance approach goals. A change in mastery approach goals was associated with levels of the other three goals; these goals jointly acted to slow the decline of mastery goals. Trajectories for the other three goals were largely independent. Results suggest that goals are relatively stable individual differences during the college years.

Existing research suggests that attaining passion for work involves engaging in activities that people both “like” and see as “important.” We show that these two components of work passion have opposing effects on whether people report passion gaps, defined as the experience of having less work passion than desired. Through five studies using correlational, field, and experimental designs, we find that people who believe work passion means pursuing what they “like” (i.e., adopting a feelings mindset) experience larger passion gaps, in comparison to people who believe work passion means pursuing what they see as “important” (i.e., a values mindset). Feeling less passion for work than desired holds organizational relevance: people suffering from larger passion gaps are more likely to consider quitting their job. The current research furthers scholars’ understanding of work passion, and suggests practical ways to help individuals attain desired levels of work passion.

Why are trait extraversion and extraverted behaviors both associated with greater positive affect? Across 3 studies, we examined whether 2 aspects of social experience-perceived social contribution and social power-mediate the relation between extraversion and positive affect. Study 1 (N = 205) showed that trait measures of social contribution and power mediated the relation between trait extraversion and trait positive affect. Study 2 (N = 78) showed that state social contribution and power helped to explain the greater levels of state positive affect reported by participants who were instructed to enact extraverted behaviors. Finally, Study 3 (N = 62) showed that social contribution and power mediated the relation between natural fluctuations in extraverted behavior and positive affect states in daily life. In all 3 studies, multiple-mediator models showed that social contribution, but not power, independently mediated the relations that trait and state extraversion had with positive affect. This suggests that perceptions of positive influence-more so than a general sense of power-help to explain why extraverts and extraverted moments are happier. We link these findings to emerging trends in the study of personality dynamics and the potential benefits of acting "out of character." (PsycINFO Database Record

Here, we provide you with supplemental material (additional tables, data, R-Codes) and a Preprint to the manuscript "Zooming into Real-Life Extraversion - How Personality and Context Shape Sociability in Social Interactions" by Breil et al. (under review). Abstract:What predicts sociable behavior? While main effects of personality and situation characteristics on sociability are well established, the determinants of sociable behavior within real-life social interactions are understudied. Moreover, although such effects are often hypothesized, there is to date little evidence of person-situation interaction effects. Finally, previous research focused on self-reported behavior ratings, and less is known on the partner’s social perspective, i.e. how partners perceive and influence an actor’s behavior. In the current research we investigated predictors of sociable behavior in real-life social interactions across social perspectives, including person and situation main effects as well as person-situation interaction effects. In two experience-sampling studies (Study 1: N = 394, US, time-based; Study 2: N = 124, Germany, event-based), we assessed personality traits with self- and informant reports, self-reported sociable behavior during real-life social interaction, and corresponding information on the situation (dimensional ratings of situation characteristics and categorical situation classifications). In Study 2, we additionally assessed interaction partner-reported behavior. Multilevel analyses provided consistent evidence for main effects of personality and situation features, and for person-situation interaction effects. First, extraverts acted more sociable in general. Second, individuals behaved more sociable in hedonic/positive/low-duty situations (vs. eudaimonic/negative/high-duty situations). Third, the latter was particularly true for extraverts. Further specific interaction effects were found for the other social perspectives. These results are discussed regarding the complex interplay of persons and situations in shaping human behavior.

Respondents at an Internet website completed over 600,000 Implicit Association Tests (IATs) between October 1998 and April 2000 to measure attitudes toward and stereotypes of social groups (www.yale.edu/implicit). Their responses demonstrated, on average, implicit preference for white over black and young over old, and stereotypic associations linking male with science and career, and female with liberal arts and family. The main purpose was to provide a demonstration site at which respondents could experience their implicit attitudes and stereotypes toward social groups. Nevertheless, the data collected are rich in information regarding the operation of attitudes and stereotypes, most notably the strength of implicit attitudes, the association and dissociation between implicit and explicit attitudes, and the effects of group membership on attitudes and stereotypes.

Summary of research on interpersonal accuracy of trait judgments.