Spiritual Crisis as a Unique Causal Predictor of Emotional and Characterological Impairment in Atheists and Agnostics: Numinous Motivations as Universal Psychological Qualities

While there is a tremendous literature documenting the positive value of religious and spiritual (R/S) constructs on an array of psychosocial outcomes (e.g., health, resilience, coping ability), Spiritual Crisis (SC) reflects the negative side of the numinous in a way that stresses the value and importance of R/S constructs for psychological functioning. This study examined whether numinous constructs are more relevant to theists or represent universal psychological qualities. Using an MTurk-based sample comprising both theists and atheists (N = 1399; 800 women and 595 men, four gave no response), the predictive ability of SC on both affective and characterological distress was examined using both regression and SEM analyses. The results indicated that both theists and atheists understood the numinous in similar ways and that scores on SC were of equal incremental predictiveness for both groups. SEM analyses supported the causal model that understood SC to be a unique and independent (from the personality domains of the Five-Factor Model) predictor of these clinical outcomes. These findings stress the value of the numinous for understanding all clients and that psychological assessment needs to systematically address numinous constructs in order to ensure comprehensive treatment of psychological impairment.

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Predicting work Performance through selection interview ratings and Psychological assessment

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology ◽

10.4102/sajip.v34i3.750 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Liziwe Nzama ◽

Marie De Beer ◽

Delene Visser

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Processing ◽

Psychological Assessment ◽

Cognitive Process ◽

Work Performance ◽

Factor Model ◽

Five Factor Model ◽

Psychological Assessments ◽

Selection Interview ◽

Selection Interviews ◽

Competency Based

The aim of the study was to establish whether selection interviews used in conjunction with psychological assessments of personality traits and cognitive functioning contribute to predicting work performance. The sample consisted of 102 managers who were appointed recently in a retail organisation. The independent variables were selection interview ratings obtained on the basis of structured competency-based interview schedules by interviewing panels, fve broad dimensions of personality defned by the Five Factor Model as measured by the 15 Factor Questionnaire (15FQ+), and cognitive processing variables (current level of work, potential level of work, and 12 processing competencies) measured by the Cognitive Process Profle (CPP). Work performance was measured through annual performance ratings that focused on measurable outputs of performance objectives. Only two predictor variables correlated statistically signifcantly with the criterion variable, namely interview ratings (r = 0.31) and CPP Verbal Abstraction (r = 0.34). Following multiple regression, only these variables contributed signifcantly to predicting work performance, but only 17.8% of the variance of the criterion was accounted for.

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Breastfeeding and Adult Personality

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1002/per.2030 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 30 (5) ◽

pp. 484-491 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Angelina R. Sutin ◽

Yannick Stephan ◽

Antonio Terracciano

Keyword(s):

Psychological Functioning ◽

Early Life ◽

Factor Model ◽

Life Experiences ◽

Five Factor Model ◽

Well Being ◽

Adult Health ◽

Psychological Benefits ◽

Adult Personality

Five–Factor Model personality traits are implicated in long–term health–risk behaviours and outcomes. Less research has addressed how early life experiences are associated with individual differences in these traits in adulthood. We examine whether having been breastfed is associated with adult personality and well–being in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. At Wave 1, caregivers reported whether the target child had been breastfed. At Wave 4, participants ( N = 13,113; 53% female; Mage = 28.98) completed measures of psychological functioning. We tested for mean–level differences in the traits by breastfeeding status (yes/no) and by the duration of breastfeeding, controlling for basic demographic factors and early life factors that could confound the breastfeeding–personality association (e.g. mother education). Participants who had been breastfed scored lower in neuroticism, anxiety, and hostility and higher in openness and optimism than those not breastfed. A curvilinear relation suggested that neuroticism was lowest for those breastfed for 9–12 months and highest for those either breastfed for >24 months or exclusively bottle–fed. Breastfeeding was unrelated to conscientiousness or state psychological functioning. This research suggests long–term psychological benefits to breastfeeding and indicates that early life experiences are associated with traits that are consequential for adult health. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Personality Psychology

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Social Desirability in Personality Inventories

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000138 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 144-157 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Martin Bäckström ◽

Fredrik Björklund

Keyword(s):

Social Desirability ◽

Big Five ◽

Work Performance ◽

Factor Model ◽

Five Factor Model ◽

Peer Ratings ◽

Personality Inventories ◽

Model Study ◽

The Difference ◽

New Variables

The difference between evaluatively loaded and evaluatively neutralized five-factor inventory items was used to create new variables, one for each factor in the five-factor model. Study 1 showed that these variables can be represented in terms of a general evaluative factor which is related to social desirability measures and indicated that the factor may equally well be represented as separate from the Big Five as superordinate to them. Study 2 revealed an evaluative factor in self-ratings and peer ratings of the Big Five, but the evaluative factor in self-reports did not correlate with such a factor in ratings by peers. In Study 3 the evaluative factor contributed above the Big Five in predicting work performance, indicating a substance component. The results are discussed in relation to measurement issues and self-serving biases.

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Construction and Validation of a Short Adjectives Checklist to Measure Big Five (SACBIF)

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759.12.1.33 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 33-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Marco Perugini ◽

Luigi Leone

Keyword(s):

Construct Validity ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Big Five ◽

Factor Model ◽

Five Factor Model ◽

Selection Procedure ◽

Factorial Structure ◽

Personality Dimensions

The aim of this contribution is to present a new short adjective-based measure of the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality, the Short Adjectives Checklist of BIg Five (SACBIF). We present the various steps of the construction and the validation of this instrument. First, 50 adjectives were selected with a selection procedure, the “Lining Up Technique” (LUT), specifically used to identify the best factorial markers of the FFM. Then, the factorial structure and the psychometric properties of the SACBIF were investigated. Finally, the SACBIF factorial structure was correlated with some main measures of the FFM to establish its construct validity and with some other personality dimensions to investigate how well these dimensions could be represented in the SACBIF factorial space.

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Factorial Invariance of Child Self-Report Across English and Spanish Language Groups in a Hispanic Population Utilizing the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000026 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 194-202 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Daniel A. Newman ◽

Christine A. Limbers ◽

James W. Varni

Keyword(s):

Health Care Services ◽

Factor Model ◽

Five Factor Model ◽

Well Being ◽

Factorial Invariance ◽

Spanish Language ◽

Self Report ◽

Hispanic Population ◽

Language Groups ◽

Related Quality

The measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children has witnessed significant international growth over the past decade in an effort to improve pediatric health and well-being, and to determine the value of health-care services. In order to compare international HRQOL research findings across language groups, it is important to demonstrate factorial invariance, i.e., that the items have an equivalent meaning across the language groups studied. This study examined the factorial invariance of child self-reported HRQOL across English- and Spanish-language groups in a Hispanic population of 2,899 children ages 8–18 utilizing the 23-item PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed specifying a five-factor model across language groups. The findings support an equivalent 5-factor structure across English- and Spanish-language groups. Based on these data, it can be concluded that children across the two languages studied interpreted the instrument in a similar manner. The multigroup CFA statistical methods utilized in the present study have important implications for cross-cultural assessment research in children in which different language groups are compared.

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