There is a lacuna in the field of positive psychology as far as the conceptualisation of influences of environmental contexts on psychological well-being is concerned, and there is also a lack of credible empirical findings on the dynamics of processes involved. The aim of the current study was to test various models on the possible mediating role of subjective perceptions of health, personality factors and spirituality in the dynamics of context and psychological well-being. Psychological well-being was conceptualised and measured multi-dimensionally as defined from a general psychological well-being, hedonic, and eudaimonic perspective. Context was defined in terms of the historical stratification in South African society by socioeconomic differentials pertaining to race, socioeconomic indices and infrastructural resources. An availability sample of 5 14 participants from Potchefstroom (n=384) and Mafikeng (n=130) completed questionnaires on psychological well-being, subjective perceptions of health, personality factors and spirituality after informed consent was obtained. Psychological well-being was measured with the Affectometer 2 (Kammann & Flett, 1983), the Sense of Coherence Scale (Antonovsky, 1987) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Larsen and Griffin, 1985). General psychological well-being was defined and operationalised in terms of the degree of sense of coherence, satisfaction with life and affect balance; hedonic well-being in terms of the degree of satisfaction with life and affect balance, and eudaimonic well-being in terms of the degree of sense of coherence and satisfaction with life. Subjective perceptions of physical health was measure with the General Health Questionnaire of Goldberg and Hillier (1979); Agreeableness and Extraversion as personality factors with the NEO- Personality Inventory - Revised of Costa and McCrae (1992); and Spirituality with the Spiritual Well-being Scale of Paloutzian and Ellison's (1979). The findings indicate, firstly, that perceptions of physical health (article I), personality factors (article 2) and spirituality (article 3) mediate the relationship between contexts and psychological well-being. Secondly, that the hedonic model of psychological well-being (albeit variably conceptualised in article 1 and articles 2 and 3) overall, yielded the highest amounts of variance. Thirdly, the results also indicated differences among the two predominantly black and white samples in terms of the roles played by subjective perceptions of health, personality factors and spirituality in the relationship between contexts and psychological well-being. It is concluded that due consideration must be given to social context and the dynamics of interaction between social ecology and individual factors in order to make a meaningful contribution to the understanding and promotion of psychological well-being. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are indicated. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Self-determination theory (SDT) has been used to study motivation and motivational strategies within many different domains one of the most pertinent being academia. The theory emphasizes the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs and places a strong emphasis on environmental factors as both fostering and impeding of motivational energies, while simultaneously giving less importance to intrapersonal determinants of motivation such as personality and attachment. This gap in the literature was addressed in this study by investigating that aspect of academic motivation which has not been of a salient interest to SDT. To test the hypotheses that Neuroticism, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and attachment styles are associated with Intrinsic Motivation, with attachment being a stronger predictor, 272 participants at a midsize university completed a survey including scales assessing personality traits, attachment style, and academic motivation. Data were analyzed using correlation, regression, and moderation analyses and as hypothesized, all three personality traits were significantly associated with Anxiety and Avoidance attachment dimensions, which in turn were related to Intrinsic Motivation, though only partially. Attachment Avoidance emerged as the most important dimension of attachment accounting for a significant amount of variance in Intrinsic Motivation beyond personality and illustrating the relatedness component of self-determination theory. Implications of these results include both theoretical (example, conceptualizing relatedness in terms of attachment Avoidance), and practical (example, suggestions for instructors on methods for increasing student Intrinsic Motivation) aspects.

Estudar a personalidade de artistas através do método de Rorschach é tarefa conhecida na psicologia clássica, observar evolução de fatores de personalidade, é tarefa rara, visto a necessidade de manter contato com os mesmos sujeitos, utilizar as mesmas metodologias, visando aprimorar o conhecimento de áreas específicas que fazem parte do desenvolvimento da criatividade, da psicologia e da arte. Com finalidade de caracterizar os fatores de personalidade e suas diferentes manifestações, sob a influência da maturidade, treino e experiência profissional e aspectos psicossociais, foi realizado o teste de Rorscharh em quatro artistas do sexo feminino, individualmente, em dois momentos distintos da vida das mesmas, 1988 e 2005. Em relação ao trabalho mental, foi observado um aumento da produtividade e da qualidade; assim como a percepção tornou-se mais prática e equilibrada. A adaptação para com a média intelectual diminuiu em contraposição ao aumento do contato com a realidade, da objetividade e da aceitação das normas grupais. Os indivíduos testados apresentaram personalidade flexível com múltiplos recursos: criatividade crescente, capacidade reflexiva, sensibilidade emocional crescente e evolução das respostas afetivas. Na análise do tipo de vivência observou-se maior introversão, e na dinâmica psíquica houve o predomínio do pólo intelectual em relação ao emocional. Interesses diversificados deslocando-se dos interesses centrais para os de cotidiano, primários e intelectuais. Outros resultados importantes destacados são: crescimento da atuação no meio e aumento da subjetividade, diminuição da impulsividade. Vale ressaltar que os indivíduos testados apresentaram grande número de mecanismos inusuais de reação nos dois momentos do estudo. A produtividade e outros sinais correlatos foram sensíveis à mobilização afetiva e ao tempo. A aplicação do teste de Rorscharch em artistas permitiu a elaboração de um conjunto de fatores representativos da personalidade dos mesmos. Evidenciou-se como contra-ponto marcante: produção criativa com estilo próprio versus forte subjetivação desadaptativa. / To study the artists personality by means of the Rorschach method is, for Classic Psychology, a known task. To observe the evolution of the factors related to the personality is very rare due to the need to keep in touch with the same individuals, and to employ the same methodologies, with the goal of enhancing the know-how of specific subjects that are connected to the development of creativity, psychology, and art. With the objective of characterizing personality traits and their distinct manifestations under the influence of: maturity, practice, professional experience and psychosocial aspects, four female artists, were individually submitted to the Rorschach Test, in two distinct moments of their lives: 1988 and 2005. An increase in productivity and quality was observed in regards to intellectual activities, with the individual having a more practical and balanced perception. As the contact with reality, objectivity, and acceptance of group guidelines increased there was a decrease in the adaptation of the average intellect. The individuals submitted to the test demonstrated to have a flexible personality with multiple resources: increased creativity, reasoning capacity, a growing emotional sensitivity, and an evolution of the affectionate responses. In analyzing this type of life we observed a greater introversion, and in the psychic dynamic there was a predominance of the intellect side in detriment of the emotional one. Diverse interests flowing from core ones to those related to: daily, primary, and intellectual ones. Other important results that are important to mention are: increased activity, increased subjectivity, and decrease in the impulsiveness. It is important to mention that the individuals, submitted to the test, demonstrated many unusual reaction mechanisms during the Studys two phases. The productivity and other corresponding signs showed sensitivity to the demonstration of affection and the passage of time. The application of the Rorscharch Test in Artists produced a group of factors that were representative of their respective personalities. A marked counterpoint became evident: creative productivity with own style versus a strong un-adaptive subjectivity.

Globalization has created tremendous opportunities for organizations, but also created challenges due to cultural diversity, highlighting the importance of cross-cultural competencies in becoming successful nowadays. Cultural Intelligence (CQ) has emerged as an important concept describing the individual capabilities needed to effectively interact across cultures. Utilizing the theory of evolutionary personality psychology, several relationships are predicted between certain personality traits and factors of CQ. In addition, social learning theory is applied to explain the expected relationships between international experience and CQ. Thirdly, several hypotheses are developed to investigate if international experience strengthens the relationship between certain personality traits and elements of CQ. Based on a sample size of 197 employees from a financial services company, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses validate the theorized four-factor CQ model. The results, based on stepwise regression analyses, confirm the expected relationship between international experience and all factors of CQ, except BCQ. In addition, the results reveal several significant relationships between personality factors and CQ. Novel for the research on CQ is the confirmation of several significant correlations between “dark-side“ personality traits (which have been characterized as ineffective behaviours) and elements of CQ. This study also shows several moderating relationships, providing new insights and posing important questions for future research, contributing to the accumulating literature on CQ. In addition, the results of this study provide interesting suggestions for practice, emphasizing the importance of adapting Human Resources policies to recruit, enable and retain those employees who are likely to successfully grasp the opportunities that globalization offers. In order to achieve this, organizations should rely on a broad range of assessment and development tools, focussing on CQ, personality traits and previous international experience, when selecting and preparing individuals for cross-cultural careers.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychology / Ronald G. Downey / Literature on work and family, the two important domains in an individual’s life, has focused heavily on the conflicts that could occur when individuals try to juggle between their responsibilities in the two domains. Lately, there has been enthusiasm to also study the facilitation aspects that could result from being engaged in both domains. This dissertation empirically tests the Resources-Development-Gain model (RGD), a recently developed work and family facilitation model, which include work and non-work factors that can bring facilitation. Over 500 academic faculty members from four universities completed an online survey comprised of demographic items, family and work variables, variables to measure facilitation, outcome variables in both domains, and personality variables. The hypothesized model (model 1) was analyzed using AMOS, and was found to be a poor fit. Personality factors included as moderators in the facilitation process were found to be non-significant and hence dropped from the modified model (Model 2). This was a significantly better fit. Model 3 was analyzed to see if a better fit would be obtained when personality variables were directly connected to outcome variables. As Model 3 did not add anything significant, Model 2 was accepted. The findings suggest that faculty tenure influenced their turnover intentions, with new academic faculty and full professors showing lower turnover intentions. Family support brought facilitation from one’s family to work and contributed to life satisfaction, while organizational support contributed to facilitation from one’s work to non-work life. No significant overlaps were found between work and family domains in the facilitation stage, but were observed at the outcome levels. Thus, job satisfaction in the work domain contributed to overall life satisfaction in the family domain. Satisfaction in one’s personal relations also tended to influence one’s turnover decisions. Future directions for research and recommendations are discussed.

The United States is experiencing a severe shortage of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) paramedics. The job outlook for paramedics (EMT-P) for the years 2012-2022 is predicted to increase by 23%-33%, which is much faster than the 4% average increase of other first-response professions. The average tenure of paramedics is less than 4 years. There is a significant gap in the literature concerning paramedic personality traits and tenure. The primary objective of the current study is to provide empirical data on the personality traits possessed by long-term paramedics (5+ years), and compare them to those with shorter tenure (< 5 years). Using Allport's Trait Theory, I predicted that personality would affect paramedic longevity. The 6 personality traits tested were warmth, reasoning, emotional stability, liveliness, social boldness and openness to change. A socio-demographic questionnaire, determined the length of their EMS career, while the 16PF® Assessment, tested their personality traits. Using t tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and a set of regression analyses, data were examined to determine if length of career and personality traits predicted paramedic tenure. The research sample consisted of long term paramedics and former paramedics. The results showed that of the 6 personality traits, only warmth was a significant predictor of paramedic tenure. A logistic regression showed for every additional point in warmth, the odds of leaving EMS prior to 5 years increased by a factor of 2.77. This study provides support for positive social change by helping EMS to learn how to increase recruitment and tenure. It also helps by advising EMS agencies to attend to the mental and emotional health of their paramedics by being aware of the level of their warmth personality trait.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlates and predictors of hazard perception skill among drivers. Specifically, it was examined whether novice and experienced drivers would differ from each other in terms of hazard perception skill. In addition, the role of personality factors and driving skills in predicting hazard perception among drivers was inspected. Drivers&rsquo / hazard perception skills were assessed by using both a computer-based hazard perception latency test (Turkish Hazard Perception Test in Traffic) which consists 31 video clips recorded in real traffic, and a self-report measure (Self-Reported Hazard Perception Scale). Following the completion of hazard perception measures, Turkish drivers (N = 135 / 90 males, 45 females) also responded to the measures of driving skills, big five personality factors, and sensation seeking. The results of the study indicated that both computer-based and self-reported hazard perception measures significantly differentiated novice and experienced drivers after controlling for the effects of age. Results of the regression analyses demonstrated that computer-based hazard perception skills were significantly predicted by perceptual motor skills subscale of the Driving Skill Inventory. Self-reported hazard perception skill was also strongly predicted by age and perceptual motor skills. The results further revealed that sensation seeking and big five traits did not predict either the computer-based or the self-reported hazard perception skill among drivers. It was concluded that the effects of personality factors could be more observable in on-road assessment of hazard perception. However, the significant difference between novice and experienced drivers showed that hazard perception training should be included to the driver-training curriculum in Turkey as an intervention to promote young novice drivers safety. The findings of the present study were argued in the light of the literature and in relation to the implications for traffic safety in Turkey. Additionally, limitations of the study and suggestions for future researches were discussed.

The current study investigated relationships between youth offending, family factors, and personality factors. As a follow-up study to McLoughlin et al, one of the primary focus of this study was to examine whether callous-unemotional traits and aggression could predict offending. The second primary focus of this study was to determine whether family factors also predict offending in combination with callous-unemotional traits and aggression. Police records of 126 youths were obtained, and these were analysed along with the responses that were collected in the previous years during 2007-2010. Several theories involving crime and family factors were also addressed. The results revealed that callous-unemotional trait and aggression were both related to offending. Family factors, particularly ones related to parenting were correlated with youth offending and antisocial behavioural traits.

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This study investigated the relationships between personality, ability, biographical and sociographical factors on the one hand and criterion measures of job-relevant behaviour on the other. The aim of the study was to isolate success-predicting factors for a Personal Financial Advisor in a South African Bancassurance operation. The research was done by means of a criterion-related concurrent validation study. The sample consisted of 185 advisors with two years or longer sales tenure in the position. Predictor variables included measurement on a 20-dimension competency model, an ability assessment and 17 biographical and sociographical variables related to the position. Criterion variables included production figures and managerial ratings on advisor performance. Meaningful predictors for the success of financial advisors were found for personality, ability, biographical and sociographical variables, and the results confirmed the hypothesised competency model derived from a job analysis. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)