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Personality Theories and AssessmentPersonality Theories and Assessment

March 3, 2004March 3, 2004

Class OverviewClass Overview

Personality definedPersonality defined Measuring personalityMeasuring personality Personality theoriesPersonality theories Personality traitsPersonality traits Your feedbackYour feedback

Personality DefinedPersonality Defined

““Every personality theory is concerned with Every personality theory is concerned with differences as well as the similarities among differences as well as the similarities among people” (McCrae & Costa, 1990, p. 21.).people” (McCrae & Costa, 1990, p. 21.).

The totality of a person’s psychological The totality of a person’s psychological qualities which consistently influence a qualities which consistently influence a person’s behavior, emotional experiences and person’s behavior, emotional experiences and mental processes over time and across mental processes over time and across different situations different situations

Measures of PersonalityMeasures of Personality

InterviewsInterviews Unstructured: “Tell me about yourself…”Unstructured: “Tell me about yourself…” Structured: Set list of questionsStructured: Set list of questions

ObservationObservation Objective testsObjective tests Projective testsProjective tests

Personality TheoriesPersonality Theories

PsychoanalyticPsychoanalytic HumanisticHumanistic BiologicalBiological Behavioral, social learning and cognitiveBehavioral, social learning and cognitive Trait theoriesTrait theories

Trait TheoryTrait Theory

Traits are dimensions of individual differences Traits are dimensions of individual differences in tendencies to show consistent patterns of in tendencies to show consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings and actions.thoughts, feelings and actions. TendencyTendency ConsistentConsistent

Trait personality theories suggest that a person Trait personality theories suggest that a person can be described on the basis of some number can be described on the basis of some number of personality traitsof personality traits

What is Personality?What is Personality?

An individual’s personality is aAn individual’s personality is a relatively relatively stable set of characteristics and tendencies stable set of characteristics and tendencies that are reflected in traits. Traits that have that are reflected in traits. Traits that have been formed bybeen formed by

GenesGenes Early childhoodEarly childhood

Is situation or personality more important?Is situation or personality more important? How is personality best measured?How is personality best measured? Does personality change?Does personality change?

Measuring Personality TraitsMeasuring Personality Traits

Natural language and the lexicographical Natural language and the lexicographical hypothesishypothesis Over the course of centuries, every important Over the course of centuries, every important

attribute or trait reflecting differences or attribute or trait reflecting differences or similarities among individuals will have been similarities among individuals will have been noted and namednoted and named

Allport and Odbert (1936): 18,000 trait-descriptive Allport and Odbert (1936): 18,000 trait-descriptive terms in the English languageterms in the English language

Factor analysis and the Big Five factorsFactor analysis and the Big Five factors

““Big Five” Personality FactorsBig Five” Personality Factors

NeuroticismNeuroticism Whether a person is unstable and prone to insecurityWhether a person is unstable and prone to insecurity FacetsFacets: anxiety (fear), hostility (anger), depression, self-: anxiety (fear), hostility (anger), depression, self-

consciousness, impulsiveness, vulnerability consciousness, impulsiveness, vulnerability ExtraversionExtraversion

Whether a person is sociable, outgoing and affectionateWhether a person is sociable, outgoing and affectionate FacetsFacets: warmth, gregariousness, assertiveness, positive : warmth, gregariousness, assertiveness, positive

emotions, excitement-seeking, activity emotions, excitement-seeking, activity

““Big Five” Personality FactorsBig Five” Personality Factors

Openness to ExperienceOpenness to Experience Whether a person is open to new experiencesWhether a person is open to new experiences FacetsFacets: fantasy, aesthetics, ideas, etc.: fantasy, aesthetics, ideas, etc.

AgreeablenessAgreeableness Whether a person is cooperative, trusting, and helpful Whether a person is cooperative, trusting, and helpful FacetsFacets: trust, altruism, t: trust, altruism, tender-mindednessender-mindedness etc. etc.

ConscientiousnessConscientiousness Whether a person is disciplined and responsibleWhether a person is disciplined and responsible FacetsFacets:competence, order, dutifulness, achievement-:competence, order, dutifulness, achievement-

striving, self-discipline, deliberationstriving, self-discipline, deliberation

Measuring the FFM TraitsMeasuring the FFM Traits

ExampleExample: Extraversion: Extraversion How many close friends do you have?How many close friends do you have? How much do you enjoy parties?How much do you enjoy parties? Are you often the leader of a group?Are you often the leader of a group? How active and energetic are you?How active and energetic are you? Hoe much do you crave excitementHoe much do you crave excitement Are you usually cheerful?Are you usually cheerful?

FFM and PerformanceFFM and Performance

Conscientiousness and neuroticism are the Conscientiousness and neuroticism are the strongest personality predictors of job strongest personality predictors of job performance; extraversion predicts performance; extraversion predicts performance for some jobsperformance for some jobs

Meta-analytic correlations:Meta-analytic correlations: r = .25r = .25 for conscientiousness and task performance for conscientiousness and task performance r = -.15r = -.15 for neuroticism and task performance for neuroticism and task performance Correlations are almost twice as strong for Correlations are almost twice as strong for

citizenship performance and counterproductive citizenship performance and counterproductive behaviorsbehaviors

FFM and Job SatisfactionFFM and Job Satisfaction

Judge, Heller, and Mount (2002) meta-analysis (163 Judge, Heller, and Mount (2002) meta-analysis (163 samples): samples): Two traits were Two traits were consistentlyconsistently correlated with job correlated with job

satisfaction:satisfaction: Neuroticism – Neuroticism – r = -.29r = -.29 Extraversion – Extraversion – r = .25r = .25

Two other traits were correlated with satisfaction but the Two other traits were correlated with satisfaction but the relationships were more relationships were more variablevariable across studies across studies

Agreeableness – Agreeableness – r = .17r = .17 Conscientiousness – Conscientiousness – r = .26r = .26

Why do these traits predict job satisfaction?Why do these traits predict job satisfaction?

FFM and MotivationFFM and Motivation

Judge and Ilies (2002): meta-analysis of the relationships Judge and Ilies (2002): meta-analysis of the relationships between personality and motivation as conceptualized by between personality and motivation as conceptualized by three theories:three theories: Goal-SettingGoal-Setting

Neuroticism – Neuroticism – r = -.29r = -.29 Conscientiousness – Conscientiousness – r = .28r = .28

ExpectancyExpectancy Neuroticism – Neuroticism – r = -.29r = -.29 Conscientiousness – Conscientiousness – r = .23r = .23

Self-EfficacySelf-Efficacy Neuroticism – Neuroticism – r = -.35r = -.35 Conscientiousness – Conscientiousness – r = .22r = .22

Why do these traits predict motivation?Why do these traits predict motivation?

Personality and LeadershipPersonality and Leadership

Meta-analysis by Judge, Bono, Ilies, and Gerhardt Meta-analysis by Judge, Bono, Ilies, and Gerhardt (2002) integrated 222 correlations (2002) integrated 222 correlations reported in 60 reported in 60 studies (73 independent samples). studies (73 independent samples).

NeuroticismNeuroticism r = -.24r = -.24 ExtraversionExtraversion r = .41r = .41 Openness to ExperienceOpenness to Experience r = .24r = .24 AgreeablenessAgreeableness r = .08r = .08 ConscientiousnessConscientiousness r = .28r = .28

Ilies, Gerhardt, and Le (in press) showed that 17% of Ilies, Gerhardt, and Le (in press) showed that 17% of the differences between how likely are individuals to the differences between how likely are individuals to become leaders are is influenced genetic differences become leaders are is influenced genetic differences

Other TraitsOther Traits

Positive self-conceptPositive self-concept A favorable self-regard; its core is self-esteemA favorable self-regard; its core is self-esteem Core self-evaluationsCore self-evaluations are “fundamental, are “fundamental,

subconscious conclusions individuals reach subconscious conclusions individuals reach about themselves, other people, and the world” about themselves, other people, and the world” (Judge, Locke, Durham, & Kluger, 1998, p.18)(Judge, Locke, Durham, & Kluger, 1998, p.18)

Affective traitsAffective traits Positive affectivityPositive affectivity Negative affectivity Negative affectivity

Personality FeedbackPersonality Feedback

FFM traitsFFM traits Positive and Negative AffectivityPositive and Negative Affectivity Core Self-EvaluationsCore Self-Evaluations

Evaluating Trait TheoryEvaluating Trait Theory

Trait theory, especially the FFM, is able to Trait theory, especially the FFM, is able to describe personalitydescribe personality Cross-cultural studies find good agreement for the Big Cross-cultural studies find good agreement for the Big

Five model in many culturesFive model in many cultures The FFM is useful in describing the aspect of The FFM is useful in describing the aspect of

personality that are important in the workplacepersonality that are important in the workplace Problems with trait theory include:Problems with trait theory include:

Explanation as to WHY traits developExplanation as to WHY traits develop

Next TimeNext Time

Leadership developmentLeadership development Please complete the leadership surveyPlease complete the leadership survey Readings:Readings:

Zalaznic (1992)Zalaznic (1992) Zemke and Zemke (2001)Zemke and Zemke (2001) Bass (1998)Bass (1998)