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The present study aims to disentangle the state and trait components of prosocial goal realisation, defined as a set of personally meaningful prosocial actions undertaken in natural settings. Based on a diary study with seven daily measurements from 180 participants (a total of 1005 data points), we performed temporal variance decomposition using the STARTS model. The observed individual scores are explained by: ST-a common trait factor, capturing variance stable across days; ART-a unique autoregressive trait factor, capturing variance changing from 1 day to the next; and S-state factors, a series of uncorrelated factors reflecting occasion-specific variance. The results demonstrate the relative stability of prosocial goal realisation, extending the knowledge on the state/trait distinction in actual prosocial behaviour.

The frequency with which Internalizing and Externalizing symptoms co-occur suggests that, behind both domains, there may be a common susceptibility represented by a general psychopathology factor. However, it’s still unclear whether this common susceptibility is affected by age-related variations. Internalizing (i.e., Fear and Distress) and Externalizing symptoms were evaluated in 803 twin pairs from the population-based Italian Twin Registry. Model-fitting analysis was performed separately in the 6–14 and 15–18 age groups to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to the covariance among symptoms. For the 6–14 group, a multivariate Cholesky model best fitted the data, while, for the 15–18 group, the best fit was provided by a Common Pathway model in which nearly 50% of total variance of each trait was mediated by common genetic factors. Our findings support a common susceptibility behind Internalizing and Externalizing symptoms, mainly genetic in origin, that becomes more evident at the beginning of puberty.

Effortful control (EC) has been conceptualized as a higher-order construct defined by a class of self-regulatory mechanisms. However, the developmental higher-order structure of EC has seldom been investigated with a thorough psychometric analysis. To begin to fill this gap in the literature, data were obtained from parents and teachers of 185 children (age at T1: M = 9.43 y/o, SD = 1.17) every 2 years for 8 years.We used a structural equation modeling approach for assessing if EC develops as a higher-order factor superordinate to three commonly studied self-regulatory mechanisms, namely inhibitory control (IC), attention focusing (AF), and attention shifting (AS).Results showed that (a) IC, AF, and AS followed a similar pattern of growth, (b) EC displayed an acceptable degree of scalar longitudinal invariance when operationalized as a latent variable indicated by IC, AF, and AS, (c) a higher-order structure explained the co-development of IC, AF, and AS, and (d) stability and change in EC negatively predicted externalizing symptoms, much better than the stability and change of IC, AF, and AS, but only for parents' reports.Overall, the higher-order structure of EC was supported, but our results also indicated that there is a certain degree of uniqueness in its facets.

Prosocial behavior is undertaken voluntarily to benefit others and includes a range of actions, such as helping, sharing, caring, and comforting. Our study concerned psychological mechanisms stimulating prosocial behavior explaining it from both the within-individual (daily fluctuations) and inter-individual (individual differences) perspectives. We tested a model in which positive orientation and positive affect directly predict within-individual variability in prosocial behavior and in which positive affect mediates the relationship between positive orientation and daily prosocial behavior. These two-level mediation mechanisms were investigated using an intensive longitudinal study design with seven daily measurements on a sample of 181 undergraduates and 1119 daily observations. The results confirm that, with personality traits, sex, and prosocial behavior during the previous day adjusted for, inter- and within-individual variability in positive orientation predict daily prosocial behavior. Inter-individual variability in positive affect is a significant predictor of prosocial behavior and a mediator between positive orientation and daily prosocial behavior. No such mediation mechanism was detected for within-individual variability in positive affect. These results suggest several recommendations on how to stimulate prosocial behavior. By stimulating the general tendency to cultivate positive affective experiences and to view life in a positive light, it may be possible to prepare people to notice and respond to the needs of others.

The present study focused on the mediating role of positivity in the relationship between emotional stability, conscientiousness, with positive affect, negative affect, and anxiety, among priests a...

Abstract. The purpose of the present paper is to introduce the Military Academic Motivation Scale (MAMS), a short and reliable instrument for assessing the different types of motivation among military cadets. Three representative samples of military cadets completed the MAMS. In Study 1 ( N = 452), the hypothesized five-factor structure of the MAMS was empirically tested and supported. In Study 2 ( N = 1,372), the factorial invariance across both gender and cohorts of the MAMS was explored and confirmed. Study 3 ( N = 520) provided evidence of the external validity of the five MAMS factors with respect to important organizational outcomes (work engagement, organizational commitment, job performance, extra-role behaviors, burnout, and intention to quit). The potential applications of the MAMS were extensively discussed, and recommendations for use in the military academy setting were given.

Despite the clear theoretical link between promotions and job performance, the few studies that have tested this relationship have instead found that the role of job performance level in determining promotions is much less than might be expected. In 4 studies, we propose and test a different way of thinking about the performance-promotion relationship. Prospect theory, spiraling theory, and sponsored and contest mobility were used to support the notion that change in performance is at least as important to the prediction of promotion decisions as is absolute level of performance. In Study 1, performance and promotion data were collected for 563 white-collar employees at each of 4 time points spread over 6 years. As hypothesized, change in job performance significantly predicted change in workers' hierarchical level (i.e., promotion) beyond previous performance level. In Study 2, we found that upward trends are associated with ratings of future performance expectation and promotability through their effects on attributions of conscientiousness, proactive personality, and job dedication. In Study 3, we replicated the findings of Study 2 and found no evidence of a performance trend by performance level interaction. In Study 4, we showed that those with upward trends are preferred even to those with performance that is consistent and strong. Taken together, our results suggest that the reason for the modest performance-promotion relationships found in previous research may be that performance trends are seen by decision makers as containing at least as much promotion-relevant information as do performance averages or recent performance levels. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

IntroductionPrevious studies examined the trajectory of self-esteem during critical developmental periods and over the life-span. However, little is known about how self-esteem changes during the school-to-work transition.MethodWe examined the effect of beginning a job for the first time on self-esteem development, using data from 368 adolescents assessed up to six times across a 14-year time span. Specifically, we analyzed the pattern of self-esteem change during the transition to work and whether the self-esteem trajectory varied as a function of several school- and job-related variables, while controlling for important covariates.ResultsResults revealed linear increases in self-esteem across the 14-year study period, with partial support that the rate of increase slowed slightly after the school-to-work transition. We found significantly greater variability in the slopes after the transition, supporting the idea that people differ in the way they cope with the developmental tasks associated with important life transitions. We also found evidence for an interaction between college graduation and educational expectations, such that the positive effect of college graduation on self-esteem change was stronger for those who graduated with low (vs. high) educational expectations.ConclusionSchool-to-work transition has an effect on self-esteem development. Developmental processes of findings were discussed.

In this study, we addressed the relevance of the state‐trait variance decomposition of global self‐esteem (GSE) in organizational research. We used a longitudinal sample of 393 military cadets followed for 2 years (n = 376) and adopted Latent Curve—Latent State‐Trait models for separating stable and transient factors in GSE and in three work‐related variables (e.g., work engagement, affective commitment, in‐role/extra‐role performance). Although literature often considered GSE a trait‐like variable, our results showed that it has a significant state variance that positively covaried with the state components of all three work‐related variables included in our study. Thus, we suggest rejecting the rigid separation between “state‐constructs” and “trait‐constructs”, and recommend a paradigm that focuses on the trait and state components of each psychological construct.

A large variety of positive outcomes including social adjustment, psychological well-being and health, have been recently closely associated with positivity (POS). On the assumption that differences in the POS degree might be associated with different individual neuroendocrine assets that enables people to cope effectively with stress, the present study examined the association between POS, salivary cortisol and α-Amylase (α-Amy) production in a group of healthy male volunteers university students, respectively scoring high (POS-H, N = 10) and low (POS-L, N = 10) in POS. Participants were selected from a larger sample of 300 students of the Medical School at Sapienza University of Rome on the basis of their positivity level: POS was analysed and the upper and lower 25% were invited to participate in this new study. The findings report a distinct salivary cortisol and α-Amy production in the study population: in comparison to the POS-H group, the POS-L subjects presented a lower salivary cortisol awake response (CAR) and a flattened α-Amy production at 30 and 60 min after awakening. In addition, salivary cortisol and α-Amy areas under the curve (AUCs), which were calculated as indicators of the two subclinical biomarkers production during the first hour after awakening, resulted significantly lower in the POS-L group in comparison to the POS-H group. Further studies on larger and different populations are needed to definitively confirm that the different cortisol and α-Amy secretion patterns between POS-H and POS-L individuals is associated with a potentially better capacity to preserving an adequate quality of life in individuals being equipped with a system apparently able to better respond to external and/or internal stimuli. Lastly, a better understanding of the biological correlates of POS is crucial to design psychological interventions able to take advantage of individuals’ assets and thus to integrate and strengthen the efficacy of traditional medications.

Author(s): Alessandri, Guido; Perinelli, Enrico; Robins, Richard W; Vecchione, Michele; Filosa, Lorenzo | Abstract: ObjectiveThis study investigates associations between Big Five personality trait change, organizational socialization, and organizational identification during a 3-year police officer training program (N = 416 police officer cadets).MethodParticipants completed a questionnaire measuring the Big Five personality traits when they entered the training academy, and then, completed the same personality questionnaire, along with measures of organizational socialization and identification, during their 2nd (n = 360) and 3rd (n = 397) year of training.ResultsResults corroborated the hypotheses that (a) the Big Five traits can show systematic changes even across a relatively short time period and (b) this change is functional, given that the latent difference scores of all Big Five traits significantly predicted increases in organizational socialization and identification.ConclusionThe Big five personality traits showed significant mean level changes across the 3-year training program. Although these changes were not fully consistent with theoretical expectations, they did predict two aspects of organizational adjustment (socialization and identification). The theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.

We examine the structural overlap of the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) and the Behavioral Approach System (BAS) with Stability and Plasticity, the two higher-order factors encompassing the Big Five. Carver and White's BIS/BAS and the Big Five Inventory were administered to a sample of 330 adults, serving both as targets and informants. Self- and other-ratings were modeled by using the Correlated Trait-Correlated Method model. BIS and BAS correlated highly with metatraits, after method variance and measurement error were partialled out: BIS was positively related to Stability, while BAS was positively related to Plasticity and negatively related to Stability. After the higher-order factors were controlled, the BIS was highly and positively related to Emotional stability, whereas the BAS had a small but significant relationship with Extraversion. Findings are discussed with regard to the most appropriate level of generality/specificity at which the personality correlates of BIS and BAS can be investigated.

Abstract. Despite the relatively intuitive link between working hard and achievements at work, results from empirical studies tend to characterize workaholics more often as hard workers rather than smart workers. Indeed, the link between workaholism and job performance is not obvious. In this paper, we investigated the link between workaholism and a core component of contextual performance, namely, prosocial organizational citizenship behavior (P-OCB). More in detail, we posited a mediational model in which workaholic tendencies negatively predicted P-OCB indirectly through an increased perception of job demands. This model was tested using longitudinal data from a sample of 85 police officers assessed once every two weeks for three months. Results from multilevel structural equation analyses demonstrated the model's good fit and corroborated the mediated effect. All in all, our results point to an organizational cost of workaholism, represented by its aversive impact on P-OCB.

The Contingencies of Self-Worth Scale (CSWS) is a widely used personality self-report questionnaire developed for measuring the domains in which self-esteem is sustained by successes and achievements as well as threatened by obstacles and failures. Two studies (Nstudy1 = 453, Nstudy2 = 293) aimed to further refine our knowledge of its psychometric properties. Results attested that, at the first-order level, the originally hypothesized seven-factor model proved to be the best-fitting one, but the inclusion of a method factor significantly improved the fit to the data. At the second-order level, the model with two higher-order variables representing private sphere and public sphere of CSW fit better than alternative models. Finally, there was evidence that first- and second-order domains had a good degree of construct and discriminant validity. Overall, these studies provided a step forward in refining the psychometric structure of the CSWS.

Using data from four different samples of full-time employees (Ntotal = 2474), the present study was aimed to introduce and demonstrate the validity and reliability of the Organizational-Based General Self-esteem Scale (OB-GSE) a new six-item self-report scale to measure organizational-based self-esteem at work. Results provided evidence of (1) validity (internal, external, and convergent), (2) reliability and (3) temporal stability of the OB-GSE scale. All in all, results attested the usefulness and the effectiveness of the OB-GSE scale.

ispartof: Applied Psychology-An International Review-Psychologie Appliquee-Revue Internationale vol:71 issue:2 pages:380-406 status: published

This study explored the relationships between self-esteem level and self-esteem variability at work with parameters of diurnal cortisol rhythm, using intensive longitudinal data collected during two consecutive working days from N = 166 workers. Participants self-reported measures of sex, height, weight, self-esteem, neuroticism, and negative events at T0. Then, they answered a single item of self-esteem 4 times per day. Self-esteem variability was assessed by means of the relative variability index approach proposed by Mestdagh et al. (2018). Further, participants collected salivary samples at specific time points for analysis of diurnal cortisol patterns. Self-esteem average levels and a specific form of self-esteem variability were associated with diurnal cortisol parameters. In particular, results showed a relationship between low self-esteem and blunted cortisol awakening response, specifically when low self-esteem levels were stable over time. Moreover, self-esteem variability predicted a lower diurnal cortisol decline and a smaller magnitude of overall cortisol production. Present findings highlight the neuroendocrine correlates of self-esteem level and variation at work, suggesting potential pathways by which short-term variability in self-esteem states may impact hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning and long-term workers' health and well-being.

No previous research explored the genetic and environmental structure of Big Five dimensions of personality and higher-order factors in a single twin study, except, in part, for just one study. We used the twin design to estimate the effects of genes and environment on both Five Factor model and related second- and third-order factors (i.e., Alpha [stability], Beta [plasticity], and GFP [general factor of personality]). We analyzed data from 314 adult twins (157 pairs: 83 monozygotic, 74 dizygotic; mean age: 52 years) enrolled in the Italian Twin Register. Participants underwent clinical and instrumental evaluations, and completed a 25-adjective list drawn from the Short Adjectives Checklist to Measure Big Five (SACBIF). We applied quantitative genetic models to unravel the sources of variation and covariation for the Big Five and higher-order factors. We found a similar etiological architecture across the different levels of analysis, with moderate to substantial non-additive genetic and unique environmental influences on all the personality traits, and no shared environmental contribution for any of them. We also detected significant genetic correlations for the Big Five dimensions and the Alpha and Beta super-factors. With some limitations, our results suggest that the etiological architecture of personality may be invariant to the factor level of analysis.

Past research on age-related differences in job performance have focused primarily between-person comparisons. In the present study, we examine within-individual changes in supervisor-rated job performance to examine the influence of age-related trends, cycles, and event-driven factors. Our analysis is based on an eight-wave dataset from a multiple-cohort sample of employees (N = 750) varying in age from 25 to 65 years. We used an age-sequential design to disentangle maturation effects from historical effects. Results showed that population-level, within-individual change in a general measure of job performance was characterized by an increase in the first phase of the career (workers of 25–30 years), and then by a progressive decline. Within-individual levels of job performance were generally higher for younger workers than for older workers, and mostly reflected the influence of population-level trends but some even-driven effects as well. Results were in line with predictions from Baltes and Baltes’s (1990) meta-theory of selective optimization with compensation and the effects of age-related losses on performance. Results also provide insights into understanding the job performance trajectory over the career span.

Abstract. Positive orientation (PO) is a basic predisposition that consists in a positive outlook toward oneself, one’s life, and one’s future, which is associated to many desirable outcomes connected to health and to the general quality of life. We performed a lexical study for identifying a set of markers of PO, developed an Implicit Association Test (the PO-IAT), and investigated its psychometric properties. The PO-IAT proved to be a reliable measure with a clear pattern of convergent validity, both with respect to self-report scales connected to PO and with respect to an indirect measure of self-esteem. A secondary aim of our studies was to validate a new brief adjective scale to assess PO, the POAS. Our results show that both the PO-IAT and the self-reported PO predict the frequency of depressive symptoms and of self-perceived intelligence.

Abstract. Recent research has pointed to the benefits of positive emotions and their appropriate modulation in buffering the impact of negative experience, and in promoting well-being. Two studies examined the psychometric properties of a new scale that was designed to assess perceived self-efficacy in using memories of positive emotional experiences and humor to face challenges and to cope with stressful experiences. In the first study, we examined the factor structure and internal validity of two scales in youths from the United States (N = 1,277), Italy (N = 363), and Spain (N = 223). In the second study, we examined correlations of the two scales with positive affect, as well as other indicators of well-being and adjustment in the three countries (US: N = 499; Italian and Spanish samples of Study 1). The results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported two distinct factors and showed acceptable partial invariance of the scales across countries. Correlations supported the scales’ construct and discriminant validity. Overall, the findings corroborated the psychometric properties of the two scales and the view of retrieval of positive emotional experiences and humor as distinct self-regulatory strategies.

Inspired by the Conservation of Resource theory (Hobfoll, 1989), this study investigated the role of a broad set of personal vulnerabilities, social, and work-related stressors and resources as predictors of workers’ well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants were 594 workers in Italy. Results showed that personality predispostions, such as positivity, neuroticism and conscientiousness as well as key aspects of the individuals’ relationship with their work (such as job insecurity, type of employment contract or trust in the organization) emerged as factors promoting (or hampering) workers’ adjustment during the COVID -19 outbreak. Interactions between stressors and resources were also found and discussed. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-02408-w.

In this study we investigated whether regulatory emotional self-efficacy beliefs (RESE) indirectly predict turnover intentions (TI) through organizational socialization (OS) and organizational identification (OI). Three waves of data (1-year lag) were collected on a representative sample of 890 military newcomers belonging to two different cohorts. We tested our hypotheses using a multigroup autoregressive cross-lagged panel model (MG-ACLP) and results fully confirmed the posited theoretical model. Regulatory emotional self-efficacy beliefs reduced intentions to quit indirectly, via organizational socialization and identification. The present study contributes to fill several literature gaps by offering a complete picture of the socialization process. Moreover, it offers insights about how to support the military newcomers’ work adjustment and retention by fostering and developing their regulatory emotional self-efficacy beliefs. Limitations as well as directions for future research are discussed.

Youth unemployment is a relevant issue among most European countries, therefore, it is important to understand its individual and situational determinants. This study aimed to investigate a conceptual model that explains the associations among positivity (POS), perceived support from employment agencies, perceived employability (PE), and employment status in a sample of 317 unemployed Italian youth involved in the Youth Guarantee program. In particular, this study investigated the relationships between POS and PE and between PE and employment. Moreover, we analyzed whether the relationship between POS and employment status was mediated by PE and whether the relationship between POS and PE was moderated by perceived support from employment agencies. Results showed that PE totally mediated the relationship between POS and employment status. Furthermore, the moderating role of perceived support from agencies was confirmed, when high, it boosted the relationship between POS and PE. In sum, this study contributes to understanding the key impact of POS on PE, as well as the role played by employment agencies as a “catalyst” of this relationship, allowing, with their support, unemployed youth to maximize their opportunity to find a job. Implications for both research and practice are discussed.

By drawing on effort-recovery theory, we conducted two studies to explore the short-term process through which workaholism may affect health and to assess the implications of such a process for job performance. In Study 1 we hypothesised that workaholic tendencies would affect daily workload and that daily workload would mediate the relationship between workaholic tendencies and daily emotional exhaustion. Data were provided by 102 workers consisting mostly of entrepreneurs, managers and self-employed individuals, who were followed for ten consecutive working days. Multilevel structural equation modelling, controlling for the general level of workload, neuroticism and conscientiousness, supported the hypotheses. Building on the results of Study 1, in Study 2 we hypothesised that workaholism would lead in the long run to a decline in job performance. Study 2 considered 519 employees of a large organisation and focused on their supervisors’ performance ratings in two successive years. Workaholism was used to predict change in work performance. Work engagement was included in the model as a concurrent predictor of work performance. Contrary to what was hypothesised, workaholism did not affect performance; only work engagement did so, and in a positive way. The implications of the obtained results for further research on workaholism are discussed.