Multidimensional structure of the Hypomanic Personality Scale.

The structure of the Hypomanic Personality Scale was explored in a sample of young adults (N = 884); resulting structures were validated on subsamples with measures of personality traits, internalizing symptoms, and externalizing behaviors. Hierarchical cluster analysis and estimates of general factor saturation suggested the presence of a weak general factor, as well as 3 subordinate clusters. The 3-cluster subscales (Social Vitality, Mood Volatility, and Excitement) were moderately correlated but conceptually distinct and were correlated in opposing patterns with a range of personality and psychopathology measures. Results show that cluster subscales suppress total score associations with validity measures. Recommendations are made to analyze Hypomanic Personality Scale data by subscale, and theoretical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and persistence in education: A longitudinal study.

Personality correlates of persistence in education were examined in the context of a causal model of attainment in an 8-yr study of a nationally representative sample of 2,213 high school males. Interviews and questionnaires were administered to Ss 3 times during their high school career beginning when Ss were in 10th grade. Measures included the Quick Test of General Intelligence, Ss' GPAs, and the Educational Attainment, Times 4 and 5. Results imply that low anxiety and high commitment increase persistence in education even when social background and intelligence are statistically controlled. A more detailed investigation of the schooling process showed that schooling experiences (especially grades received) are related to the development of personality characteristics that are useful in achieving later-life educational status. The causal direction of this relation was examined, showing that rewards in school operate to mold individuals' personalities. The utility of adhering to traditional reward systems is questioned. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality in adulthood: A six-year longitudinal study of self-reports and spouse ratings on the NEO Personality Inventory.

Previous longitudinal studies of personality in adulthood have been limited in the range of traits examined, have chiefly made use of self-reports, and have frequently included only men. In this study, self-reports (N?=?983) and spouse ratings (N?=?167) were gathered on the NEO Personality Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1985b), which measures all five of the major dimensions of normal personality. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses on data from men and women aged 21 to 96 years showed evidence of small declines in Activity, Positive Emotions, and openness to Actions that might be attributed to maturation, but none of these effects was replicated in sequential analyses. The 20 other scales examined showed no consistent pattern of maturational effects. In contrast, retest stability was quite high for all five dimensions in self-reports and for the three dimensions measured at both times in spouse ratings. Comparable levels of stability were seen for men and women and for younger and older subjects. The data support the position that personality is stable after age 30. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal study of the performance of hypertensive and normotensive subjects on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

Performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) was followed over 2 5- to 6-year intervals for essential hypertensive Ss (EH; n?=?22) free from medical complications and for normotensive Ss (N; n?=?20). EH were treated with adrenergic beta-blocking drugs, diuretics, or both. Mean age was 46 years (SD?=?12.6 years), initially (Time 1). Results were unaltered by adjustment for initial age. N improved modestly on the Verbal scale, from Time 1 to Time 2 only. EH neither improved nor declined on the Verbal scale. Scores remained unchanged for both EH and N Ss for the Performance scale. Overall, and at Times 2 and 3, Verbal scores were lower for the EH group. It was concluded that neither decline nor improvement in cognitive function over time are necessary outcomes of modest, carefully treated, uncomplicated hypertension in the middle years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality correlates of the Goodman Socio-Sexual Adjustment Scale.

Administered Goodman's Socio-Sexual Adjustment Scale to 71 male undergraduates, and assessed their personalities by means of the Omnibus Personality Inventory (OPI). Based on Goodman-OPI correlations of p     

A longitudinal study of blood pressure in relation to performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

A growth curve analysis was used to examine estimated longitudinal decline (over 19 years) on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS; D. Wechsler, 1955) in relation to arterial hypertension and blood pressure (BP) for 55 men and 85 women (40 to 70 years old) who were free from overt major coexisting diseases. BP was associated with longitudinal decline for Visualization-Performance (VP) ability and Speed. Hypertension was a weaker predictor of VP and was unrelated to Speed. Age effects on VP were overestimated when averaged BP level, particularly systolic BP, was not controlled statistically. It was concluded that initial BP level and hypertension predict age-related longitudinal decline in specific major abilities assessed by the WAIS but that BP averaged over examinations is a stronger predictor.     

A longitudinal study on the early development of leader-member exchanges.

Investigated the 1st 6 mo that 166 newly hired employees and their immediate supervisors worked together. Expectations, perceived similarity, liking, demographic similarity, and performance were examined as determinants of leader–member exchanges (LMXs). Leader and member expectations of each other assessed in the 1st 5 days in the life of the dyad predicted LMXs at 2 wks and at 6 wks following the 1st day of the dyads' existence. Member expectations of leaders also predicted LMXs at 6 mo. Following nearly the same pattern, perceived similarity and liking from both the leaders' and members' perspectives predicted LMXs at most time periods. Demographic similarity between leaders and members had no significant effects on LMX development, and subordinate performance ratings were relatively less important in predicting LMX than were affective variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal study of ego development.

Using the Washington University Sentence Completion Test of Ego Development, 32 lower-class and lower-middle-class 12th graders (Group A) who had been given the test by A. Blasi (1971) as 6th graders were retested. The relationship between ego development and vocational attitudes and plans was also examined using a vocational choice questionnaire and the Career Maturity Inventory (CMI). To increase sample size, an additional 23 12th graders (Group B) were also administered the 3 measures. Results of statistical analyses show an increase at the .0005 level between 6th and 12th grades. Among Group A, sex differences at both grade levels were not significant; however, among Group B, girls had significantly higher ego levels than boys. In addition, ego development was significantly related to vocational maturity but not to reasons for vocational choices. Ego levels for 6th and 12th graders were significantly lower than those of middle- and upper-class Ss of comparable ages tested in other studies, suggesting a significant relation between ego development and socioeconomic status. Results are seen as evidence for the developmental nature of the ego, and support the sequentiality hypothesis, which suggests that stages follow in an invariant order. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal study of friendship development.

At 3-wk intervals during their 1st term at the university, 53 female and 31 male freshmen completed questionnaires regarding their relationships with 2 same-sex individuals whom they had just met. Results showed that dyads that successfully developed into close friendships by the end of the fall school term differed behaviorally and attitudinally from dyads that did not progress. As the friendships developed, the intimacy level of dyadic interaction accounted for an increasing percentage of the variance in ratings of friendship intensity beyond that accounted for by the sheer quantity of interaction. Ratings of relationship benefits were consistently positively correlated with friendship intensity and increased as the relationship progressed. There were no differences in ratings of relationship costs between close and nonclose friends. Dyadic behavior patterns and attitude ratings at the end of the fall school term were good predictors of friendship status 3 mo later. Motivational and situational factors were also correlated with friendship outcomes. Sex differences were noted: Females engaged in more casual affection behaviors with their close than with their nonclose friends. Males engaged in little casual affection with their friends, regardless of their degree of closeness. Results replicate the major findings of R. B. Hays (1984). (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Detection of youth at high risk for substance use disorders: A longitudinal study.

This study extends prior research (D. Clark, J. Cornelius, L. Kirisci, & R. Tarter, 2005) by determining whether variation in the developmental trajectories of liability to substance use disorder (SUD) is contributed by neurobehavioral disinhibition, parental substance use involvement, and demographic variables. The sample, participants in a long-term prospective investigation, consisted of 351 boys, evaluated at ages 10-12, 12-14, 16, 19, and 22, whose parents either had SUD or no adult psychiatric disorder. Neurobehavioral disinhibition in childhood, in conjunction with parental lifetime substance use/SUD, place the child at very high risk for SUD by age 22 if psychosocial maladjustment progresses in severity in early adolescence. These results indicate that monitoring social adjustment during the transition from childhood to mid-adolescence is important for identifying youth at very high risk for succumbing to SUD by young adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal study of the effects of undergraduate training on reasoning.

The effects of undergraduate training in the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences on inductive reasoning requiring the use of statistical and methodological principles and on reasoning about problems in conditional logic were examined. Social science training produced large effects on statistical and methodological reasoning, whereas natural sciences and humanities training produced smaller, but still marginally significant, effects. Natural science and humanities training produced large effects on ability to reason about problems in conditional logic, whereas social science training did not. The improvement in conditional reasoning among natural science students appears to be due, in large part, to knowledge gained in mathematics courses. The results indicate that inferential rule systems, as taught by various fields, can affect reasoning about a wide range of problems. The findings lend support to a version of the premodern formal discipline hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prosocial development: A longitudinal study.

Examined, using a longitudinal methodology, (1) the development of prosocial moral judgment and (2) the relation between prosocial moral judgment and both prohibition-oriented moral judgment and maternal childrearing practices. Three samples were tested: 33 82–99 mo olds were interviewed 3 times; 16 49–67 mo olds were interviewed twice; and 30 2nd graders were interviewed once. From preschool to elementary school years, needs-oriented (empathic) reasoning increased in frequency of use, whereas hedonistic reasoning decreased. Significant changes continued from the preschool years to 2nd grade, although change could be noted even before entry into school (over a 1-yr period from ages 4–5 to 5–6 yrs). The relation between level of prosocial reasoning and prohibition-oriented reasoning was low to moderate, depending on the measures that were intercorrelated. Level of reasoning was related to nonauthoritarian, nonpunitive maternal practices, but the role of empathic, supportive maternal practices appeared to change with age. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal study of top-level executive performance.

Competency ratings were obtained from a hybrid selection system on 98 top-level executives in a predictive validity design. Hierarchical linear modeling results indicated that "resource problem-solving-oriented" competency ratings predicted initial performance. "People-oriented" competency ratings predicted subsequent performance trends. Utility estimates suggested that the system generated an additional $3 million in annual profit per candidate selected. Groups of executives with similar performance trends were identified who had encountered qualitatively different situational circumstances. Findings imply that a model of executive performance must contain main effects for person (competencies) and situation (economic–industrial) characteristics on both subsequent performance and performance trends. Future research needs to examine which situational circumstances moderate relationships between executive competencies and initial performance or subsequent performance trends. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Incremental Validity of the Frame-of-Reference Effect in Personality Scale Scores: A Replication and Extension.

Context-specific personality items provide respondents with a common frame of reference unlike more traditional, noncontextual personality items. The common frame of reference standardizes item interpretation and has been shown to reduce measurement error while increasing validity in comparison to noncontextual items (M. J. Schmit, A. M. Ryan. S. L. Stierwalt. & S. L. Powell, 1995). Although the frame-of-reference effect on personality scales scores has been well investigated (e.g., M. J. Schmit et al., 1995), the ability of this innovation to obtain incremental validity above and beyond the well-established, noncontextual personality scale scores has yet to be examined. The current study replicates and extends work by M. J. Schmit et al. (1995) to determine the incremental validity of the frame-of-reference effect. The results indicate that context-specific personality items do indeed obtain incremental validity above and beyond both noncontextual items and cognitive ability, and in spite of socially desirable responding induced by applicant instructions. The implications of these findings for personnel selection are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rethinking the effects of stressors: A longitudinal study on personal initiative.

This study examined the relationship between stressors at work and personal initiative (PI), one proactive concept of extra-role performance. Using a control theory framework to describe the stress process, the authors hypothesized that stressors should be positively related to PI. This departs from findings of negative relationships between stressors and other types of performance. Furthermore, curvilinear relationships were tested. The analyses, based on 4 measurement waves of a longitudinal field study with 172 to 193 participants, showed that stressors were positively related to subsequent changes in PI; there was no support for a curvilinear relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A validation study of the Harvey Impostor Phenomenon Scale.

Factor analyzed the 14 scale items of the Harvey Impostor Phenomenon Scale (HIPS) by J. C. Harvey and C. Katz (1985). 104 postgraduates completed the HIPS and a brief demographic survey. Three factors accounted for 54.7% of the variance; these factors reflected feelings of being an impostor, unworthiness, and inadequacy. Findings point to the general construct validity of the impostor phenomenon as measured by the HIPS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of networking on career success: A longitudinal study.

Previous research has reported effects of networking, defined as building, maintaining, and using relationships, on career success. However, empirical studies have relied exclusively on concurrent or retrospective designs that rest upon strong assumptions about the causal direction of this relation and depict a static snapshot of the relation at a given point in time. This study provides a dynamic perspective on the effects of networking on career success and reports results of a longitudinal study. Networking was assessed with 6 subscales that resulted from combining measures of the facets of (a) internal versus external networking and (b) building versus maintaining versus using contacts. Objective (salary) and subjective (career satisfaction) measures of career success were obtained for 3 consecutive years. Multilevel analyses showed that networking is related to concurrent salary and that it is related to the growth rate of salary over time. Networking is also related to concurrent career satisfaction. As satisfaction remained stable over time, no effects of networking on the growth of career satisfaction were found. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extreme academic talent: Profiles of perfect scorers.

This study provides information on characteristics of students who scored perfectly on at least one subtest of the American College Testing Assessment Program (English, Mathematics, Social Studies, or Natural Sciences). The sample consisted of 5,615 perfect scorers from a total population of 729,606 high school juniors and seniors. Boys had a higher incidence of perfect scores in each subtest except English. Asians and Whites were overepresented among perfect scorers, and all other ethnic groups were underrepresented. "Perfection" in one academic area did not assure comparable high performance in other academic areas. Few perfect scorers planned college majors or careers in the disciplines in which they attained perfect scores. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality types in adolescence: Change and stability and links with adjustment and relationships: A five-wave longitudinal study.

We examined change and stability of the 3 personality types identified by Block and Block (1980) and studied their links with adjustment and relationships. We used data from a 5-wave study of 923 early-to-middle and 390 middle-to-late adolescents, thereby covering the ages of 12–20 years. In Study 1, systematic evidence for personality change was found, in that the number of overcontrollers and undercontrollers decreased, whereas the number of resilients increased. Undercontrol, in particular, was found to peak in early-to-middle adolescence. We also found substantial stability of personality types, because 73.5% of the adolescents had the same personality type across the 5 waves. Personality change was mainly characterized by 2 transitions: overcontrol → resiliency and undercontrol → resiliency. The transitional analyses implied that the resilient type serves more often as the end point of personality development in adolescence than do overcontrol and undercontrol. Analyses of the personality type trajectories also revealed that the majority of adolescents who change personality type across 5 years made only 1 transition. Study 2 revealed systematic differences between resilients and overcontrollers in anxiety. Stable resilients were less anxious over time than were stable overcontrollers. Further, change from overcontrol to the resilient type was accompanied by decreases in anxiety, whereas change from the resilient type to overcontrol was accompanied by an increase in anxiety. Similarly, systematic differences between personality types were found in the formation of intimate relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)