Coping with cancer: The role of different sources of psychosocial support and the personality of patients with cancer in (mal)adaptive coping strategies

ObjectivesCancer is a serious event in a person's life. However, certain coping strategies in relation to selected social, emotional and personality factors appear to manage the disease.MethodsSources of social support were tested in cancer survivors (N = 696) using hierarchical linear regression. Selected personality variables in terms of sociodemographic, clinical, and emotional factors were used as predictors of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies.Results It was found that adaptive coping strategies were more frequent in younger patients, in patients who attended cancer support groups and those with a greater level of optimism. Maladaptive coping was related to the higher level of experience of pain and sadness, neuroticism, and pessimism. The absence of a relapse and the time since the disease had been diagnosed were also important factors in coping with cancer.Conclusions The results point to the importance of considering various individual factors in the process of intervention to facilitate adaptive coping and to reduce maladaptive coping.

Entrepreneurship attitudes and the Big Five: A cross-cultural comparison between Spain and the United States

Culture may interact with personality to facilitate or inhibit entrepreneurial behaviors. 296 undergraduates in the United States and 257 in Spain completed the Big Five Personality Inventory and the Entrepreneurial Attitudes Scale for Students (Mean age = 20.16 years; SD = 3.39). We hypothesized that across cultures, conscientiousness and openness would predict greater risk taking whereas neuroticism and agreeableness would be a negative correlate. Personality variables explained a larger proportion of the variance in entrepreneurial attitudes in the U.S. data. The associations between the personality dimensions and entrepreneurship varied considerably by country and gender. Significant positive correlations were found between conscientiousness and risk taking only for Spanish men. Neuroticism was significantly and negatively correlated with risk taking only for American participants. La cultura puede interactuar con la personalidad para facilitar o inhibir las conductas emprendedoras. 296 estudiantes universitarios en Estados Unidos y 257 en España completaron el inventario de los Cinco Grandes de Personalidad y la escala de Actitudes Emprendedoras para Estudiantes (Media de edad = 20.16 años; DT = 3.39). Se hipotetiza que, a través de culturas, conciencia y apertura serán predictores de mayor toma de riesgos, mientras neuroticismo y amigabilidad lo harán en negativo. Las variables de personalidad explican una mayor proporción de varianza en actitudes emprendedoras en los datos estadounidenses. Las asociaciones entre las dimensiones de personalidad y emprendimiento varían considerablemente por país y género. Se encontraron correlaciones positivas significativas entre conciencia y toma de riesgos solo en hombres españoles. El neuroticismo correlaciona negativa y significativamente con la toma de riesgos, solo en el caso de los participantes americanos.

Prožívaná smysluplnost v kontextu osobnostních rysů budoucích učitelů

Background. The individually experienced fulfilment of one's own life is utterly unique. It is a very important experience with regard to the quality of life of each individual and their mental health and work performance. This topic has attracted increased research interest in the Czech Republic in recent decades, especially in the discourses of psychology and pedagogy. Methods. The research study documented in this contribution deals with the experience of life fulfilment and existential grounding in a group of university students who were future teachers (n = 346, of whom 294 were women) aged 19–27 years. Two questionnaires were used to collect the data, specifically the Logo-test and the NEO five-factor personality inventory. The data that was obtained was analysed in the context of selected personality traits (extraversion, friendliness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience); other factors that were observed were differences between the sexes, age, year of study, and form of study. The complementary qualitative processing of the data that was obtained also included free subjective statements about the life stories of 282 of the respondents. Results. The determined level of lived meaningfulness of life was correlated with selected personality variables of the respondents by means of statistical processing. The results of the research show a significant positive link between the degree of lived meaningfulness and the representation of the personality traits of extraversion, friendliness, openness to experience, and conscientiousness. A negative relationship was found between the personality variable of neuroticism and the degree of meaningfulness that was experienced. Conclusions. The results of the survey can be considered very favourable; they convincingly demonstrate a sufficiently meaningful and existentially rooted life for the majority of the respondents from the ranks of future teachers (95.6% of the respondents). A level of experienced meaningfulness which is questionable and thus endangers the further development of the individualʼs personality or the respondent lacks it altogether was only found in a negligible part of the sample (4.4%). In connection with the future profession of the group of people who were observed, in which they will wield a significant influence on the personality of their pupils and students, it can be concluded that our results are pleasing.

Mediated Communication and Customer Service Experiences

People around the world who seek to interact with large organisations increasingly find they must do so via mediated and automated communication. Organisations often deploy both mediated and automated platforms, such as instant messaging and interactive voice response systems (IVRs), for efficiency and cost-savings. Customer and client responses to these systems range from delight to frustration. To better understand the factors affecting people's satisfaction with these systems, we conducted a representative U.S. national survey (N = 1321). We found that people overwhelmingly like and trust in-person customer service compared to mediated and automated modalities. As to demographic attitude predictors, age was important (older respondents liked mediated systems less), but income and education were not strong attitude predictors. For personality variables, innovativeness was positively associated with mediated system satisfaction. However, communication apprehensiveness, which we expected to be related to satisfaction, was not. We conclude by discussing implications for the burgeoning field of human-machine communication, as well as social policy, equity, and the pullulating digital services divide.

Integrating trauma, self-disturbances, cognitive biases, and personality into a model for the risk of psychosis: a longitudinal study in a non-clinical sample

The hypothesis of the psychosis continuum enables to study the mechanisms of psychosis risk not only in clinical samples but in non-clinical as well. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate self-disturbances (SD), a risk factor that has attracted substantial interest over the last two decades, in combination with trauma, cognitive biases and personality, and to test whether SD are associated with subclinical positive symptoms (PS) over a 12-month follow-up period. Our study was conducted in a non-clinical sample of 139 Polish young adults (81 females, age M = 25.32, SD = 4.51) who were selected for frequent experience of subclinical PS. Participants completed self-report questionnaires for the evaluation of SD (IPASE), trauma (CECA.Q), cognitive biases (DACOBS) and personality (TCI), and were interviewed for subclinical PS (CAARMS). SD and subclinical PS were re-assessed 12 months after baseline measurement. The hypothesized model for psychosis risk was tested using path analysis. The change in SD and subclinical PS over the 12-month period was investigated with non-parametric equivalent of dependent sample t-tests. The models with self-transcendence (ST) and harm avoidance (HA) as personality variables were found to be well-fitted and explained 34% of the variance in subclinical PS at follow-up. Moreover, we found a significant reduction of SD and subclinical PS after 12 months. Our study suggests that combining trauma, cognitive biases, SD and personality traits such as ST and HA into one model can enhance our understanding of appearance as well as maintenance of subclinical PS.

Preprint and additional materials for: Positivity in peer perceptions over time: Personality explains variation at zero-acquaintance, popularity explains differential change.

People have characteristic ways of perceiving others’ personalities. When judging others on several traits, some perceivers tend to form globally positive and others tend to form globally negative impressions. These differences, often termed perceiver effects, have mostly been conceptualized as a static construct that taps perceivers’ personal stereotypes about the average other. Here, we assessed perceiver effects repeatedly in small groups of strangers who got to know each other over the course of 2 to 3 weeks and examined the degree to which positivity differences were stable vs. developed systematically over time. Using second order latent growth curve modelling, we tested whether initial positivity (i.e., random intercepts) could be explained by several personality variables and whether change (i.e., random slopes) could be explained by these personality variables and by perceivers’ social experiences within the group. Across three studies (ns = 439, 257, and 311), personality variables characterized by specific beliefs about others, such as agreeableness and narcissistic rivalry, were found to explain initial positivity but personality was not reliably linked to changes in positivity over time. Instead, feeling liked and, to a lesser extent, being liked by one’s peers, partially explained changes in positivity. The results suggest that perceiver effects are best conceptualized as reflecting personal generalized stereotypes at an initial encounter but group-specific stereotypes that are fueled by social experiences as groups get acquainted. More generally, these findings suggest that perceiver effects might be a key variable to understanding reciprocal dynamics of small groups and interpersonal functioning.

Religious Homogamy Affects the Connections of Personality and Marriage Qualities to Unforgiving Motives: Implications for Couple Therapy

In Ghana, collectivism holds people together in marital relationships, even if partners are religiously different. Married partners still hurt, betray, or offend each other and might develop avoidance or vengeful (i.e., unforgiving) motives. We investigated whether religious homogamy moderated connections of personality and marriage variables to unforgiving motives. Heterosexual married couples (N = 176 heterosexual married couples; N = 352 individuals; mean marriage duration 10.89 years) participated. Most identified as Christian (83.5% males; 82.3% females) or Muslim (11.9% males; 14.3% females). Couple religious homogamy was related directly to lower unforgiving motives. Religious homogamy did not moderate the connection between some personality variables (i.e., agreeableness and trait forgivingness) and unforgiving motives. Religiously unmatched couples tended to have greater unforgiveness at higher levels of neuroticism and lower forbearing, marital satisfaction, and marital commitment relative to religiously matched couples. One implication is that couple therapists need to assess partner neuroticism, marriage climate (i.e., satisfaction and commitment), and the general tendency to forbear when offended. Those can combine to produce unforgiving relationships, which might make progress in couple therapy improbable.

Personality Dimensions Drive Achievement Levels of Cricket Players: A Study on the Five-Factor Model

Aim of study. Cricket is considered a mental game among elite level performers. Specific personality traits characterize elite-level endeavors and high-potential athletes. Previous studies on psychological characteristics of cricket players reported that more skilful cricketers deal more consistently and effectively with their emotions and pressure. Therefore the objective of the present study was analysis of personality traits of cricket players at national, state, and district levels with the help of Five-Factor Model. Materials and Methods. Sample size included 120 male subjects (60 batsmen and 60 pace bowlers) recruited from cricket academies/training facilities/competition venues in India. Big-Five Personality Inventory (BFI-44) was utilized to measure personality dimensions. Differences among personality variables at different competition levels of batsmen and pace bowlers were analyzed using One-way MANOVAs. Results. National level pace bowlers scored high on openness (national vs. district, Mean Difference (MD) = 4.25, p < 0.05; national vs. state, MD = 2.75, p < 0.05) and agreeableness (national vs. district, MD = 4.70, p < 0.05; national vs. state, MD = 3.40, p < 0.05). Similarly, national level batsmen scored high on extraversion (national vs. district; MD = 4.350; p < 0.05), agreeableness (national vs. state; MD = 3.70; p < 0.05), and conscientiousness (national ns. district, MD = 3.25, p < 0.05; national vs. state, MD = 3.450, p < 0.05). Conclusions. National level pace bowlers exhibited greater agreeableness and openness whereas similar level batsmen showed greater agreeableness, openness, extraversion, and conscientiousness as compared to lower levels of participation. Since the concept of “Form” demands multi-factorial approach in the game of cricket, other facets of personality such as focus, mental toughness, self-belief, optimism etc. should also be explored for effective talent identification and coaching in cricket.

PENGARUH KEPRIBADIAN DAN PERBEDAAN GENDER TERHADAP PERENCANAAN KEUANGAN PRIBADI

This study wants to understand, test, and prove the impact of personality also gender differences on personal financial planning. This study implements the “quantitative approach”. The information’s collected in this study is using “primary data” that collected through questionnaire surveys directly. The sample in this research using “2016 UPN student Accounting department "Veteran" East Java”. Sample selection using the incidental sampling method. Data analysis uses “partial least square (PLS)” which uses “SmartPLS 3.2.9” for personality and gender hypothesis. The findings indicate that “personality variables” were having “significant effect” on “personal financial planning” while “gender variables” had “no significant effect” on “financial planning”.

Motivational and personality variables distinguish academic underachievers from high achievers, low achievers, and overachievers

Previous studies have associated several variables concerning motivation and other domains with underachievement, i. e. a student's academic achievement falling short of what their cognitive abilities, as the best predictor of academic performance, would indicate. The present study extends these findings using a more rigorous approach in defining underachievers and suitable control groups. Using discriminant analysis, underachievers identified in a German twin family study were compared not only to achievers with comparable IQ scores, but also with students of lower aptitude, but comparably low grades, as well as overachieving students. Results confirm previous findings that compared to successful students, underachievers report lower levels of motivation and parental support; beyond this comparison, underachievers also differed from other low achievers, mostly in terms of their personality. In total, 40% of the variance between the groups were explained. Additionally, the data shed doubt on the common assumption that underachievers are an unusually heterogenous group of students.