Prediction of small group role behavior from personality variables.

"A sample of 819 Air Force officers was administered a test battery designed to predict the individual's role in small group situations. This battery was factor analyzed, yielding four factors: Assertiveness, Power Orientation, Rigidity, and Aggressive Nonconformity." Assertiveness correlated best with the predicted small group behavior. 24 refs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Empirical elaboration of the theory of complementary needs in mate-selection.

Personality data obtained from 25 middle class, "majority," university trained couples have been interpreted, in previous reports, as supporting the hypothesis that these husbands and wives selected each other on the basis of complementary needs. These data are here analyzed for the purpose of formulating more specific hypotheses concerning the nature of "complementariness." An important dimension of marital choice in the group sampled appears to be the assertive-receptive dimension, high "assertives" tending to marry high "receptives." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

NEO PI-R personality characteristics of high-performing entry-level police officers.

The NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO PI-R; P. T. Costa, Jr., & R. R. McRae, 1992) measures the 5-factor model of personality (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness) and 30 specific personality facets within these domains. Researchers in personnel selection are beginning to use the NEO PI-R to describe the personality characteristics of high-functioning employees, including police officers. Here, 100 field training officers (FTOs) described the "best" entry-level police officers they had supervised, using the NEO PI-R Form R (Observer form). The resulting profile was notable for low Neuroticism, high Extraversion, and high Conscientiousness. NEO PI-R profiles of very high- and very low-performing entry-level officers were then compared. The low-performing group had higher Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness scores than the high-performing group. The latter group was notable for low Neuroticism and high Conscientiousness scores that were similar to those obtained from the FTO sample. Results are relevant to identifying personality characteristics of high-performing entry-level police officers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Homogeneity of member personality and its effect on group problem-solving.

The capacity to solve problems was studied in 2 groups, one composed of Ss with similar personalities (as measured by the Guilford-Zimmerman Tempermant Survey), the "homogenous" group, and a "nonhomogenous" group. Several aspects of the solution were studied with the result that "The degree of homogeneity of personality of the members of the groups used in this study was seen to have a direct bearing on the effectiveness of the groups in producing solutions to problems," and "The results imply that a multiplicity of perceptions of a problem are productive of creative solutions." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some personality and behavioral factors related to birth order.

A study was conducted using 165 firemen in large and small firehouses to test the hypothesis that 1st borns learn to interact more successfully because of their stronger dependency and affiliation needs. It was also predicted that this greater interactional skill would become more apparent the more complex the social situation. As predicted, 1st borns had less selfconfidence. They also conformed more, were more efficient problem solvers in a group situation, and were more often the official leader of their work group. However, these group behaviors were only related to birth order in the larger and more complex groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do personality problems improve during psychodynamic supportive–expressive psychotherapy? Secondary outcome results from a randomized controlled trial for psychiatric outpatients with personality disorders.

Studies involving patients with personality disorders (PDs) have not focused on improvement of core aspects of the PD. The authors examined changes in quality of object relations, interpersonal problems, psychological mindedness, and personality traits in a sample of 156 patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) PD diagnoses being randomized to either manualized or nonmanualized dynamic psychotherapy. Effect sizes adjusted for symptomatic change and reliable change indices were calculated. The authors found that both treatments were equally effective at reducing personality pathology. Only in neuroticism did the nonmanualized group do better during the follow-up period. The largest improvement was found in quality of object relations. For the remaining variables, only small and clinically insignificant magnitudes of change were found. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are normal healthy research volunteers psychologically healthy? A pilot investigation.

Most new drug development in Phase I clinical trials relies on the use of "normal healthy research volunteers" (NHRVs); however, little is known about the personality functioning of these volunteers. Determining whether NHRVs are similar to or different from individuals with "normal" personalities can impact participant recruitment, group assignment, and statistical interpretation of study results. This pilot study was undertaken to gain insight into the demographics, personality functioning, and potential psychopathology of the volunteers who participated in a Phase I confinement clinical drug trial. NHRVs (N=28) in an all-male, Phase I clinical trial completed a battery of questions, including the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Fifty percent of the sample showed clinically significant elevations on at least one of the scales. Current findings need to be replicated and expanded through future research. Results must be interpreted with caution because of the small, all-male sample. This preliminary study suggests that there is a difference in personality functioning between NHRVs and the general population. In addition, NHRVs may purposefully distort or conceal self-report information when participating in studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality changes with a group therapeutic experience in a human relations seminar.

"This study is concerned with the changes in behavior and attitude of a group of school administrators following a group experience. It attempts to investigate the hypothesis that given a permissive setting, the individuals within the group will move in a direction of greater warmth and understanding of themselves and others." The results appear to support the hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and Negro-white intelligence.

"The hypotheses tested were confirmed: the Negro group scored lower on the ACB [Army Classification Battery] than did the whites; the Negro group manifested a greater lack of self-confidence than did the whites… . Although statements of causality cannot be made from the data… the evidence can be seen as warranting further research on the proposition that Negroes as a group, lacking support from pride in significant historical achievement, and developing in an environment of negative experiences, incorporate intellectually defeating personality traits that play a significant role in their ability to score on measures of intelligence." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between probability of endorsement and social desirability scale value for a set of 2,824 personality statements.

A group of 47 male and 48 female judges rated 2824 personality statements for social desirability using a 9-point rating scale. Another group of 110 male and 111 female Ss described themselves in terms of the same set of 2824 statements by answering each "true" or "false." The correlation between probability of a "true" response and social desirability scale value for the combined sex groups was .892. The distribution of the social desirability scale values of the 2824 statements was distinctly bimodal. These results are in accord with another large-scale study in which 1647 personality statements were investigated. In view of the large number of personality statements involved in these 2 studies, it is suggested that a correlation of .90 between probability of endorsement and social desirability scale value and a bimodal distribution of the scale values of personality statements may be characteristic of the population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Les conceptions cognitives de la personnalite.

Reviews the book, Les conceptions cognitives de la personnalité by Michel Huteau (1985). This book discusses the various approaches to cognitive psychology relative to personality development. Three chapters are of paramount importance: one in which the author presents his fundamental arguments, one on the "cognitivisation" of dynamic personality theories, and one that addresses the cognitive "personalization" of the theories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of amount of possession of the trait of hostility on accuracy of perception of hostility in others.

Some theories of personality hold that an individual's perception of others is influenced by his own personality characteristics; more specifically, that a trait of low social value will be projected more into others, and that insight into the possession of these characteristics reduces this distortion. These 2 hypotheses were tested by having a group of college students rate each other (including themselves) on degree of friendliness or hostility. Agreement with group rating about self yielded the insight score. In general, the hypotheses were supported; the "friendly" Ss were most accurate in their perception of others, and insight was positively associated with accurate perception. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4HL16M. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality and situational determinants of conformity.

"This study investigated the relationships between dispositional tendencies to respond to interpersonal communications in terms of either (a) the source of the communication, or (b) the message or content of the communication, and yielding to group influence as a function of (a) the amount of discrepancy between group judgment and the individual's own judgment, and (b) the difficulty of the behavioral task in which the individual is engaged. A source-oriented group and a message-oriented group of S's were differentiated on the basis of their habitual manner of interpreting interpersonally communicated information by means of objective analysis of sentence completions." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of individuals versus groups in judging personality.

186 individuals divided into 62 groups of 3 persons each tried to predict the responses of people seen in moving pictures. Individual and independent predictions were first made; and then after group discussion, the consensus predictions were made. "A comparison was made of the accuracy of (a) the average of the total accuracy scores of the independent predictions made by each of the three persons composing the group, (b) the group consensus predictions, (c) the accuracy of an 'artificial group' derived through the statistical combination of the independent item by item predictions of these same three persons, and (d) the accuracy of the 'best judge' from each group. The results indicated that the average accuracy of the individuals is significantly inferior to any of the three procedures… . the pooling of several independent judges' ratings (by items) appeared to be the most satisfactory procedure." From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4HE50C. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extreme response tendency as a function of emotional adjustment.

3 pairs of groups each consisting of an "adjusted" and "maladjusted" group were compared on their tendency to use the extreme, neutral, and intermediate points on semantic differential rating scales applied to unstructured materials. As suggested by several theories of cognitive development, maladjusted groups tended to use extreme points more and intermediate points less often than their adjusted controls. Besides supporting certain theoretical positions these findings were described as holding implications for a new approach to personality assessment. (16 ref.) (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)     

Psychology in the northern countries.

"Psychology enjoys a healthy and growing vitality in Finland and in the Scandinavian countries." Emphasis is on "… classical problems and methodology though there is much interest in personality theory and psychometrics." Student selection is rigorous; emphasis is placed on individual work by students; psychological organizations are small; a bimonthly multilingual journal, Nordisk Psykologi, is published. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of An object-relations theory of the personality.

Reviews the book, An object-relations theory of the personality by W. Ronald D. Fairbairn (see record 1955-00532-000). In a series of lectures delivered in the 1940's, the author developed what for him was a renovation of Freud's libido theory and Abraham's "developmental phase" theory. It is these lectures which appear in the first portion of this book; in succeeding sections there appear three case histories which are used to illustrate the author's resynthesis, and a group of miscellaneous papers. For many classical psychoanalysts, the author will probably represent a particularly repugnant type of heresy in his disavowal of "accepted" basic principles. To the neo-Freudian, his dynamics may appear too far removed from the social world to be considered practicable. Finally, for those who demand of a conceptualization that the referents be clear, and that labels and names not be treated as entities, there will be little incentive to read beyond the first chapter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conformity and character.

In 1953 "… one hundred men visited the Institute of Personality Assessment and Research… to participate in an intensive three-day assessment of those qualities related to superior functioning in their profession." Conformity is discussed with regard to individual differences, relations to personality variables, conformity behavior in different populations, psychological processes involved in expressions of conformity to group pressure, and the reinforcement of conformity behavior. The author suggests that "… we have what appears to be a powerful new research technique, enabling the study of conformity behavior within a setting which effectively stimulates genuine group interaction, yet preserves the essential requirements of objective measurement." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)