An integrative typology of personality assessment for aggression: Implications for predicting counterproductive workplace behavior.

This study presents an integrative typology of personality assessment for aggression. In this typology, self-report and conditional reasoning (L. R. James, 1998) methodologies are used to assess 2 separate, yet often congruent, components of aggressive personalities. Specifically, self-report is used to assess explicit components of aggressive tendencies, such as self-perceived aggression, whereas conditional reasoning is used to assess implicit components, in particular, the unconscious biases in reasoning that are used to justify aggressive acts. These 2 separate components are then integrated to form a new theoretical typology of personality assessment for aggression. Empirical tests of the typology were subsequently conducted using data gathered across 3 samples in laboratory and field settings and reveal that explicit and implicit components of aggression can interact in the prediction of counterproductive, deviant, and prosocial behaviors. These empirical tests also reveal that when either the self-report or conditional reasoning methodology is used in isolation, the resulting assessment of aggression may be incomplete. Implications for personnel selection, team composition, and executive coaching are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Jungian personality typology and the recall of everyday and archetypal dreams.

Tested hypotheses concerning the relations among personality types, neuroticism, and the recall of archetypal dreams that were derived from Jungian theory. Dream records were obtained from a nonclinical population in 2 stages: first, recall of the most recent, most vivid, and earliest remembered dreams from 146 university students; and then dream recall on awakening, over an average of 23 nights, from 30 of the 1st-sample Ss. A total of 697 dreams was recorded. Ss also completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI), the Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory, and a dreaming questionnaire. Dream archetypality was rated in accordance with procedures of H.Y. Kluger (see record 1975-25510-001). The distribution of archetypal dreams across 106 earliest, 105 most vivid, and 102 most recent dream types matched Kluger's earlier results. The dream diary recall data showed that Jungian intuitives, as measured via Myers-Briggs continuous scores, recalled more archetypal dreams; introverts, as measured via Myers-Briggs continuous scores, recalled more everyday dreams; high EPI neuroticism scorers recalled fewer archetypal dreams. Results support several propositions of Jungian personality theory. (49 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple methods of personality assessment.

"Multiple personality assessment procedures have been analyzed with respect to their primary purpose and the validation strategy used. Problems that arise in the attempt to use personality assessment for selection were discussed with respect to the problem of clinical versus statistical predictions, the problem of conditional factors that affect the criteria, and the value of using multiple tests and more than one assessor." 42 refs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward a concept of personality integration.

A central idea in thinking about effective behavior is "organismic integration" which suggests an inclusive phenomenon and suggests also "some form of interaction which takes place among subsystems of the organism—more specifically, an interaction which is adaptive or self-enhancing." Personality integration "is a many vectored thing, that is defined by events which go on within a variety of specific behavioral planes within the organism." Systems are grouped "on a continuum ranging from microcosmic to macrocosmic, or from molecular to molar, or even from the inside of the organism out… . The model covers events from a single heartbeat to the behavior of peoples… . The variables tentatively identified as relevant to personality integration include stability, high environmental contact, high internal communication, and affective complexity." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

African American dreaming and the beast of racism: The cultural unconscious in Jungian analysis.

This article is an interpretation of the dream of an African American woman. The purpose is to discuss the contribution that contemporary Jungian analysis might make to the attempt by psychoanalysis to serve historically disenfranchised populations-- in particular, African Americans. The dreamer encounters racism in the image of a lion and other beasts. The interpretation takes into account both the archetypal level and the cultural level of the dream. Important concepts are the cultural unconscious and history-residues. The article argues that Jungian analysis-- as well as all other varieties of psychoanalysis-- will remain ineffective in addressing the concerns of disenfranchised populations until analysts make a serious effort to become culturally knowledgeable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An abilities conception of personality: Some implications for personality measurement.

Most "psychologists have tended to regard the domains of personality and ability as separate. This unfortunate separation has resulted in a necessary confounding of 2 important response properties in personality research, i.e., response predisposition and response capability… . In the measurement of abilities, attempts are made to elicit indices of maximal performance under optimal conditions of measurement." On the other hand, personality tests based on "psychoanalytic notions of projection would imply the more ambiguity the better." Predisposition conceptions of personality "can lead to operations which are clearly at odds with those demanded by an abilities conception." From an abilities conception, "the usefulness of any measuring instrument would decrease as ambiguity in the measuring instrument is increased." The choice, to search for man "as he really is" or in terms of those things "of which he is capable" is of utmost importance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based assessment of personality disorders.

The purpose of this article is to provide a foundation for the development of evidence-based guidelines for the assessment of personality disorders, focusing in particular on integrated assessment strategies. The general strategy recommended herein is to first administer a self-report inventory to alert oneself to the potential presence of particular maladaptive personality traits followed by a semistructured interview to verify their presence. This strategy is guided by the existing research that suggests particular strengths of self-report inventories and semistructured interviews relative to unstructured clinical interviews. However, the authors also consider research that suggests that further improvements to the existing instruments can be made. The authors emphasize, in particular, a consideration of age of onset, distortions in self-perception and presentation, gender bias, culture and ethnicity, and personality change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expectancy influences the operation of personality on behavior.

The authors investigated the moderating effect of expectancies on personality for 2 different addictive behavior processes: (a) drinking and (b) binge eating and purging characteristic of bulimia nervosa. Study 1 found that positive expectancies for social facilitation from drinking moderated the effect of extraversion on drinking behavior among undergraduate men and women. Study 2 found that the expectancy that eating will help manage negative affect moderated the effect of trait urgency on bulimic symptoms among undergraduate women. Thus, the relationships of the trait risk factors to these 2 addictive behaviors are stronger if one also holds certain expectancies for reinforcement from those behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement of personality and behavior changes following psychotherapy.

Effects of psychotherapy are assessed in terms of criteria based on client behavior both within and outside of the therapy situation. There is a need, on both a methodological and a theoretical level, for improved criteria. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The matching of behavior rating and questionnaire personality factors.

A review of evidence leads the author to chalenge the assertion that a one-to-one matching of behavior rating and questionnaire factors has been proved. Many of the technical, statistical, and psychological issues involved are discussed. The author recommends the development of a single questionnaire which can be scored in terms of either a self-perception-factor or in terms of a behavior factor criterion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extending the search for folk personality constructs: The dimensionality of the personality-relevant proverb domain.

College students (95 men and 264 women) rated how well 211 familiar proverbs described their behavior and beliefs. A factor analysis of these data yielded 7 major dimensions; many of the factors were similar to recognized lexical personality factors. Big Five Conscientiousness and Neuroticism were each strongly associated with a single proverb dimension (interpreted as Restraint and Enjoys Life, respectively). Big Five Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Intellect/Imagination were all associated with several proverb dimensions. Agreeableness was most strongly associated with proverb dimensions representing Machiavellian behavior and strong Group Ties, and both Extraversion and Intellect showed particularly notable associations with an Achievement Striving dimension. The 2 remaining proverb dimensions, which represented a belief that Life is Fair and an attitude of Cynicism, could not be accounted for by the Big Five. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special issue on personality and psychopathology.

The goal of this Special Issue is to enhance this reintegration of normal-range personality and abnormal psychology, 30 years after they were split apart. The articles in the Issue examine the topic from a variety of approaches, but each of them addresses the central problem of how normal-range individual differences are related to abnormal behavior. Seven of these articles examine personality in relation to specific types of psychopathology: personality disorders, alcoholism and antisocial personality, mood and anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders, somatoform disorders, eating disorders, and schizophrenia. It is impossible to summarize the wealth of findings that are contained in these articles; each deserves to be examined carefully. However, we can note some general conclusions here. First, it is abundantly clear that personality traits and psychopathological disorders are, in fact, empirically related. Second, although the observed relations tend to be orderly and psychologically meaningful, they also are relatively nonspecific. That is, one does not see a one-to-one correspondence between a given trait and a specific disorder; rather, each of the extensively studied traits is associated with several diagnostic categories. Third, due to a paucity of relevant data, the nature of these observed relations is still largely unclear. Several different explanatory models have been proposed, and each has received at least suggestive support in the literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reactions to stress: A reflection of personality trait organization.

Speech errors produced by the stress of delayed auditory feedback are analyzed to establish the degree of relationship with perception of the stress and personality traits. The manner in which the S's reacted to the stress is consistent with subjective reports of their feelings during stress and their interpretation of the auditory stress situation. It is probable that stress behavior reflects a hierarchical level of trait organization which is dependent upon the pattern of traits which are operant at that time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consistency of the adult personality.

Data "… concerning consistency of selected personality variables in the adult personality" were studied in a sample originally composed of 300 engaged couples. "Each of these 600 individuals was assessed with an elaborate battery of techniques including anthropometric measures, blood groupings, a battery of psychological tests, and a 36-variable personality rating scale." Retesting occurred after a lapse of 16 to 18 years. "Our findings indicate that significant changes in the human personality may continue to occur during the years of adulthood. Such changes… are potentially of sufficient magnitude to offer a basis of fact for those who hope for continued psychological growth during the adult years." 20 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Specifying the impulsivity of female inmates with borderline personality disorder.

Impulsivity is regarded as a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD; M. C. Zanarini, J. G. Gunderson, & F. R. Frankenburg, 1989) despite lack of evidence from laboratory research (D. M. Dougherty, J. M Bjork, H. C. G. Huckabee, F. G. Moeller, & A. C. Swann, 1999). This study examined impulsivity in incarcerated women with BPD using a passive avoidance task (J. P. Newman & W. A. Schmitt, 1998) and the Impulsiveness-Monotony Avoidance-Detachment inventory (IMD; D. Schalling, 1978). As predicted, incarcerated women diagnosed with BPD committed more passive avoidance errors and reported more impulsivity on the IMI than controls. These findings identify disinhibition as a potentially important component of the impulsivity that characterizes BPD. Specifying the impulsive behavior identified with BPD may contribute to the effective assessment and management of the disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An experimental investigation of emotion dysregulation in borderline personality disorder.

Despite the prominent role of emotion dysregulation in theoretical accounts of borderline personality disorder (BPD), few studies have examined emotion dysregulation in BPD. This study extends extant research by providing an experimental investigation of emotion dysregulation among outpatients with BPD. Specifically, this study modified an experimental measure of distress tolerance to examine differences between outpatients with BPD (n = 17) and those without a personality disorder (n = 18) in 2 aspects of emotion dysregulation: (a) the unwillingness to experience emotional distress in order to pursue goal-directed behavior and (b) the inability to engage in goal-directed behavior when distressed. As hypothesized, BPD participants were less willing to experience distress in order to pursue goal-directed behavior. However, BPD participants did not evidence greater difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior when distressed. Results highlight directions for future research and suggest that particular aspects of emotion dysregulation may be more or less relevant to BPD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Simulation of normal and psychopathic MMPI personality patterns.

Previous work with the simulation of normalcy on personality tests has suggested that good adjustment involves an adequate understanding of socially approved behavior. 27 well-adjusted and 42 maladjusted college males took the MMPI under instructions to simulate very good adjustment, and again under instructions to simulate psychopathic personality. Both groups simulated very good adjustment satisfactorily; however, well-adjusted Ss were superior to maladjusted Ss in the simulation of psychopathic personality. The findings were consistent with the literature on role-taking and empathy, supporting the view that good adjustment involves an ability to understand and predict socially adequate and inadequate behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Borderline personality disorder from the perspective of general personality functioning.

The authors extended previous work on the hypothesis that borderline personality disorder (BPD) can be understood as a maladaptive variant of personality traits included within the 5-factor model (FFM) of personality. In each of 3 samples, an empirically derived prototypic FFM borderline profile was correlated with individuals' FFM profiles to yield a similarity score, an FFM borderline index. Results across all samples indicated that the FFM borderline index correlated as highly with existing borderline measures as they correlated with one another, and the FFM borderline index correlated as highly with measures of dysfunction, history of childhood abuse, and parental psychopathology as did traditional measures of BPD. Findings support the hypothesis that BPD is a maladaptive variant of FFM personality traits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A review of the relationships between personality and performance in small groups.

Studies included cover the period from 1900 to October 1957 and do not include those studies wherein children constitute the sample. The review is concerned with 7 personality characteristics (introversion-extraversion, dominance, interpersonal sensitivity, masculinity-feminity, conservatism, intelligence, and adjustment) and their relationship to such group behavior variables as leadership, popularity, conformity, task activity, total activity, and social-emotional activity. Most of the studies yielded low positive relationships, intelligence being the best predictor of individual behavior in the group. Considering the studies as a whole, the author is encouraged by the many clear trends which emerge. 151 refs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)