Personality tests are widely used in South Africa. The application of personality assessment techniques for clinical and personnel decisions has been a major activity for psychologists. All main personality models have ken developed in a Western context: the question therefore arises whether these models are adequate and sufficient for South Africa. There is a need to develop personality tests that are based on South African cultures. In South Africa the continuous use of Western-based personality tests raise a challenge. The challenge also lies with the current legislation with regard to the use of psychological tests. The challenge is to construct an inventory suited to the local needs while retaining the standards of validity and reliability expected of established assessment instruments. Our socially diverse society and its wide implications for the cultural dynamics of personality evaluations that we find in South Africa warrant further research. A qualitative research design was used in this study, including interviewing as a data gathering method. A total of 120 Tshivenda speaking people from the Thohoyandou district in Limpopo province and Pretoria in Gauteng province were interviewed. A total of 4 722 personality descriptors with a view to Tshivenda speaking people were obtained from the participants, and then translated into English. Content analysis was used to analyse, interpret and reduce these descriptors to a total of 150 personality characteristics which are the most important perspectives of personality for the Tshivenda speaking individuals. The personality characteristics were divided into eight categories, namely interpersonal relatedness, sociability, conscientiousness, emotionality, meanness, intellect, dominance and a category for other traits. The interpersonal relatedness factor in the Vhavenda personality characteristics could be regarded as a cultural factor. The Tshivenda speaking people are also sociable with a preference for companionship, social skills and numerous friendships. They also have a strong sense of purpose and high inspiration levels. The Tshivenda speaking people also experience emotions and feelings related to situations that they face. Intellect characteristics could also be extrapolated from the personality characteristics of the Vhavenda people. The findings of this study were compared to the five factor model, and evidence was found for extraversion and conscientiousness in particular. Very few characteristics of openness on the five factor model correspond to that of the Tshivenda speaking people, except in the cases of a few personality characteristics that were labelled under the category of intellect. Recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

The thesis contains four chapters on the structure and predictability of individual differences Chapter 1. Re-analyses data from Holt and Laury's (2002) risk aversion experiments. Shows that big-stakes hypothetical payoffs are better than small-stakes real-money payoffs for predicting choices in big-stakes real-money gambles (in spite of the presence of hypothetical bias). Argues that hypothetical bias is a problem for calibration of mean preferences but not for prediction of the rank order of subjects' preferences. Chapter 2. Describes an experiment: Participants were given personality tests and played a series of dictator and response games over a two week period. It was found that social preferences are one-dimensional, stable across a two-week interval and significantly related to the Big Five personality traits. Suggestions are given about ways to modify existing theories of social preference to accommodate these findings. Chapter 3. Applies a novel statistical technique (spectral clustering) to a personality data set for the first time. Finds the HEXACO six-factor structure in an English-language five-factor questionnaire for the first time. Argues that the emphasis placed on weak relationships is critical to settling the dimensionality debate within personality theory, and that spectral clustering provides a more useful perspective on personality data than does traditional factor analysis. Chapter 4. Outlines the relevance of extraversion for economics, and sets up a model to argue that personality differences in extraversion may have evolved through something akin to a war of attrition. This model implies a positive relationship between extraversion and risk aversion, and a U-shaped relationship between extraversion and loss aversion.

A range of electronic databases and two journals were subjected to a detailed literature search, focusing on studies evaluating psychological interventions with children aged 0-5 years of age. Outcome studies, utilising experimental design, were included for critical review. The search strategy revealed predominantly attachment-informed intervention studies, prompting a review of this aspect of the literature. A total of twelve studies were identified for closer scrutiny: five with a preventative focus; four describing interventions with clinical populations and three detailing large-scale intervention programmes. This review found evidence that early interventions are effective in altering maternal sensitivity and insecure patterns of attachment. Moreover, interventions were effective in reducing the effects of postnatal depression on attachment security, reducing the incidence of placement breakdown in fostered and adopted children and preventing behaviour difficulties in school-age children. These findings indicate a burgeoning evidence base for attachment-based intervention models for the prevention or treatment of infant or child psychopathology.

The United States suffered a rather severe diplomatic defeat in the collapse of the Nationalist government of China following World War II. It may be possible, by reducing the policy to its essential elements, to determine if a course of action in one given component of the policy was correct or in error, or if it is the usual gray area--neither black nor white, neither totally correct nor totally in error--that defies a valid conclusion.

This study explored psychopathic personality traits among a non-criminal, college undergraduate sample. Much research has been done on conceptualizing the construct of psychopathy, but this work has been conducted primarily with incarcerated individuals using a structured interview, The Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 1991, 2003). The goal of the current study was to assess psychopathic traits among non-criminal individuals using The Self-Report Psychopathy Scale - Version Four (SRP-IV; Paulhus, Neumann, & Hare, in press), and compare how SRP-IV scores were associated with a well recognized semi-structured interview for psychopathy, The Psychopathy Checklist – Screening Version (PCL: SV; Hart, Cox, & Hare, 1995). The study also examined whether psychopathic personality traits could be predicted using a measure of normal-range personality, based on the five-factor model (FFM; Digman, 1990), and a measure developed by Loevinger (1976) related to ego development. Five-Factor Model Rating Form (FFMRF; Mullins-Sweat, Jamerson, Samuel, Olson, & Widiger, 2006) scores and Total Protocol Ratings (TPR score) on the Washington University Sentence Completion Test (WUSCT; Hy & Loevinger, 1996) were used to predict psychopathy scores. Correlations of SRP-IV scores and PCL: SV scores with FFMRF scores and WUSCT TPR scores were also examined for their uniformity. As predicted, there were significant, negative correlations between FFM domains, Agreeableness and Conscientious, and SRP-IV scores, as well as significant, negative correlations between WUSCT TPR scores and SRP-IV scores. These correlations ranged from small to strong for both SRP-IV overall scores and for SRP-IV factor scores (i.e., Interpersonal Manipulation, Callous Affect, Erratic Lifestyle, and Criminal Tendencies). Additionally, FFM domain scores and WUSCT TPR scores significantly predicted SRP-IV scores. FFM domains, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, and WUSCT TPR scores, were the strongest predictors of SRP-IV scores. Similar results were found when FFM domain scores and WUSCT TPR scores predicted SRP-IV factor scores. Results also indicated Agreeableness and Conscientious explained an additional 24% of the variance in psychopathy scores, after controlling for WUSCT TPR scores. Conversely, WUSCT TPR scores explained an additional 5% of the variance in psychopathy scores after controlling for Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. Finally, as predicted, the differences in correlations between psychopathy scores (i.e., PCL: SV, SRP-IV), and Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and WUSCT TPR scores were not statistically significant providing evidence that correlates of psychopathic traits can be measured among non-criminal individuals using a self-report measure, the SRP-IV, and that these findings are concordant with those based on a standardized structured assessment for psychopathy. Limitations of the study, implications, and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

TESIS PARA OPTAR AL GRADO DE INGENIERO COMERCIAL, MENCION EN ECONOM IA / Los rasgos de personalidad (Big Five) resultan relevantes como predictores del rendimiento acad emico, permitiendo anticipar a qu e per l de estudiante obtendr a mejores cali caciones. Las instituciones de educaci on superior podr an utilizar estos estudios para articular t ecnicas de evaluaci on enfocadas en el per l de egreso que persigue el programa educativo. Por lo tanto, ser a de inter es responder en qu e medida y sobre qu e condiciones BF in uye en el rendimiento acad emico. Nuestro objetivo es probar, por medio de evidencia emp rica, c omo la responsabilidad y la extroversi on responden de forma diferenciada a distintas formas de evaluaci on. Encontramos que los estudiantes m as responsables obtienen mejores cali caciones en aquellas evaluaciones en las cuales el tiempo de estudio es reducido, situaci on que se desvanece cuando la evaluaci on es de car acter novedoso. Tambi en encontramos que los estudiantes m as extrovertidos, obtienen cali caciones m as bajas en las evaluaciones que ocurren dentro de periodos con poco tiempo de estudio. Basados en esta evidencia, concluimos que la responsabilidad y la extroversi on no siempre responden de la forma que muestra la literatura, ya que su in uencia en el rendimiento acad emico, se ver a condicionado al tipo de evaluaci on y las condiciones bajo las cuales se realizan. Adem as, mediante descomposiciones de Oaxaca-Blinder encontramos una brecha de g enero, que se arrastra desde la educaci on media, que bene cia a hombres, en pruebas de selecci on m ultiple. Por otro lado, mujeres responden mejor a evaluaciones de respuesta abierta en periodos tiempo de estudio acotado. Del mismo modo, mediante regresiones de cuantiles encontramos heterogeneidad en el efecto de estas variables dependiendo del porcentaje de logro del alumno. Los resultados ac a expuestos pueden ser bene cios a la hora de dise~nar mecanismos de evaluaci on que busquen per les de egresados determinados.

Background: The five-factor model is the most prominent theory in personality science which aspire to understand the thoughts, feelings and behavior of individuals, determined by five relatively stable domains. Neuroticism, defined as a higher threat reactivity and susceptibility to negative affect, is one domain which has proven problematic for well-being, and has estimated societal costs of approximately 2.5 times that of common mental disorder per 1 million inhabitants. Problem: The neural correlates of neuroticism could supply research with a fundamental base of understanding the trait, however, due to scattered founding’s of segregated activity in brain structures relative to neuroticism, meta-analyses argue that increased understanding of global rather than local organization, could be more fruitful for the investigation. Methodology: Since neuroticism is convergent with emotional instability, two structures of interest with regards to global organization are the amygdala, crucial for emotion generation, and the prefrontal cortex (PFC), responsible for emotion interpretation and emotion regulation. Reviewing brain imaging research conducted with emphasis on integrative communication between the amygdala and the PFC in individuals with high trait neuroticism has therefore been the main objective of this thesis. Results/conclusion: According to the investigated research there is compromised structural integrity correlated with neuroticism, while the research on functional communication between the structures explored is not yet sufficiently covered to supply a satisfactory answer. Some of these neurobiological findings are in line with personality science observation in neuroticism, and could hence contribute to the investigation. However, more research is warranted in this field of neuroscience.

The Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality is one of the prominent models in contemporary psychology and defines personality in terms of five broad factors, namely, Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Recent research, however, questions the applicability of the FFM in non-Western cultures, suggesting that it is not exhaustive enough and that it does not account for some other personality factors, most notably Individualism/Collectivism. Therefore, this study investigated whether the FFM of personality is related to Individualism/Collectivism in a sample of South African students. A total of 176 questionnaires were completed by students from the University of the Witwatersrand. The questionnaire contained the individualism/collectivism (INDCOL) scales and the Basic Traits Inventory (BTI) which is a South African instrument based on the FFM. Results indicate that there were no significant relationships between the five factors and Individualism/Collectivism. In addition no significant difference was found between race and the five factors and Individualism/Collectivism. There were also no significant differences between home language and the five factors and Individualism/Collectivism.

The study explores language bias in the NEO-PI-R both quantitatively and qualitatively. A sample of 28 postgraduate psychology student volunteers completed a questionnaire containing the NEO-PI-R and two open-ended questions about the instrument. These responses were then analysed across English first language and second language speakers to explore issues of bias. Reliability of the NEO-PI-R appeared to be robust at a domain level. The reliability of the facets, while appropriate for the most part, still yielded low alpha coefficients for the Excitement-seeking, Actions, Values and Straightforwardness facets. ANOVA’s at the domain and facet scale levels indicated no significant differences across home language. However ANOVA’s at the item level yielded 33 in total that were problematic, comprising of 12 items that were significant at the 5% level of significance and 21 items at the 10% level of significance. These items were primarily from the N and E domains. Thematic analysis of the open-ended questions of the questionnaire indicated 26 items were difficult to understand and/or inappropriate for the South African context. These items were primarily from the E and A domains. From the original sample of 28 volunteers, two focus groups were formed, comprising of volunteers from the initial sample. The focus groups explored several qualitative issues, including concepts of personality, language and culture and the applicability of the NEO-PI-R for South African user groups. It was perceived that there is a presence of American socio-cultural references within the use of language, grammar and socio-cultural context in the instrument. Thus the results show evidence of language bias in the NEO-PI-R, and subsequently identify particular aspects and items of the instrument that are especially problematic for a South African user group. The present study suggests that the NEO-PI-R would need to be revised to suit the South African context by changing the problematic items.

Diese Promotion befasst sich in drei unterschiedlichen Studien mit der Vorhersage schulischer Leistungen in der chinesischen Kultur. Die Arbeit befasst sich demzufolge sowohl mit Konstrukten der fluiden Intelligenz (Gf), den Persönlichkeitsdomänen (Big Five), schmaler gefassten Persönlichkeitskonstrukten (Glaube an sich Selbst, Lernstrategien) sowie dem komplexen Zusammenspiel dieser Konstrukte als Prädiktoren für schulische Leistungen. Nach einer generellen Einführung und der Herleitung des Big Five Narrow Trait (B5NT) Modells werden die drei Studien dargestellt. Studie 1 untersucht bei chinesischen Sekundarschülern figurale Verarbeitungsfähigkeit als Indikator für Gf und Persönlichkeitseigenschaften als Indikatoren für Schulnoten in den Fächern Mathematik, Chinesisch und Englisch sowie mögliche Interaktionen. Die zweite Studie integriert diese Ergebnisse in das B5NT Modell, das zudem mit anderen Modellen, wie etwa dem Double Mediation model (DM), verglichen wird. Der Glaube an sich selbst sowie Lernstrategien werden in den Analysen als wichtige Mediatoren betrachtet. Studie 3 überprüft die Ergebnisse in einem längsschnittlichen Design. Während bereits in Studie 2 starke Evidenz für das B5NT Modell gefunden werden konnte, kann dies auch in Studie 3 repliziert werden. Zudem können in einem Revisionsmodell reziproke Effekte von Performanz auf Persönlichkeitsdomänen angenommen werden. Die Promotion stellt daher ein theoretisches Modell zur Verfügung, das den Einfluss von den Big Five Domänen auf die schulischen Leistungen erklärt und durch querschnittliche sowie längsschnittliche Daten gestützt wird / This dissertation deals with the prediction of scholastic performance in Chinese culture. The thesis uses the constructs of fluid intelligence (Gf), broad personality traits (Big Five), narrow personality traits (i.e., self-beliefs and learning approaches), and their complex interplay as predictors of scholastic performance. Following a general introduction summarizing the theoretical foundations as well as outlining the derivation of the Big Five Narrow Trait (B5NT) Model, three papers are presented. In the context of Chinese secondary school students, Paper 1 examined the predictive power of figural reasoning as an indicator of Gf and personality traits on school grades in three subjects (i.e., Mathematics, Chinese, and English), and further investigated their potential interactions. Paper 2 integrated the findings of Paper 1 with the aforementioned B5NT. Within the study, the B5NT is empirically tested and compared to an alternative model proposed in earlier work, the Double Mediation model [DM]. Self-beliefs and learning approaches were considered as relevant mediators within those analyses. In this cross-sectional study, the B5NT model was strongly supported, whereas the DM model did not find strong empirical support. In order to empirically verify the underlying processes from a longitudinal perspective, Paper 3 expanded on the B5NT related findings in a three-wave longitudinal panel design. The findings supported the B5NT model and further warranted a revision model in which reciprocal effects from performance to big traits are suggested. Thus, the presented thesis provides a theoretical model explaining the influence of the Big Five on scholastic performance. Moreover, empirical support for the proposed model from cross-sectional and longitudinal data was found. Finally, integrating interactions with cognitive ability rounds off the perspective.