Digital Commons Network^™

Social Networking Sites And Personnel Selection: An Initial Validity Assessment, Travis J. Schneider

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this dissertation was to add to the literature on the use of social networking sites (SNSs) for personnel selection. The first goal was to evaluate whether SNSs have the potential to be used as a valid source of information for selection. Specific SNS Indicator scales were created to test whether they have better validity evidence than the more traditionally-used Global SNS Rating. In a study of 141 undergraduate students at a large Canadian university, the Specific SNS Indicators demonstrated fairly weak evidence of interrater reliability, but some evidence of structural validity, and construct validity (convergent and discriminant). …

Identity As A Sexual Minority In The Workplace: A Look At Personality And Contextual Factors, Samuel Resende

HIM 1990-2015

Sexual identity in the workplace is an exploratory topic in an age when sexuality is becoming a topic of discussion. However, protection of sexual minorities (Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals) is not universal despite evidence that heterosexist climates are disadvantageous for employers. In this study, I examined if sexual minorities who perceive their place of employment to be relatively free of heterosexism would be more satisfied with their jobs, perceive more organizational fit, and report less work stress. In addition, I sought to determine if selected personality variables would mediate the relations among critical study variables. The personality variables were internalized …

An Investigation Of Key Personality Traits Of Managers And Executives, Kanwarjit Pahwa

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study examined the key personality traits of executives and managers, and its relationship with their career satisfaction. Executives and managers consists of the top management and their personality has important implications for the performance and development of an organization. The present study attempted to understand the commonalities and differences between the broad and narrow personality traits of executives and managers. Archival data on personality traits and career satisfaction of executives and managers working in different industries around the United States was extracted from eCareerfit.com. Data was analyzed using Independent t-test, Pearson correlation and Fisher’s Z test. The overall …

A Latent Profile Analysis Of Romantic Relationship Quality And Its Associations With Personality, Partner Support, And Psychological Well-Being, Samantha Chen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The current study investigated the number of relationship quality profiles that emerge from a latent profile analysis and subsequently examined the nature of each subgroup using predictors of partner social support and personality, as well as outcomes of psychological well-being. The application of latent profile analysis resulted in three profiles of low, moderate, and high relationship quality among a sample of university students. Additionally, predictors and outcomes of profile membership were incorporated to provide a greater descriptive understanding of the latent profiles. Results showed that the relationship between intimacy and passion and the relationship between relationship satisfaction and received esteem …

Cyber-Psychopathy: Examining The Relationship Between Dark E-Personality And Online Misconduct, Andrew D. Nevin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Currently, there is a lack of research investigating how the unique structural conditions of cyberspace may influence the expression of ‘dark’ personality and the role of such e-personality in explaining instances of online misconduct. Using a theoretical framework of context-dependent personality, this study seeks to fill a gap in the literature by using self-report survey data to explore whether the internet may decrease, increase, or intensify the expression of psychopathy. Quantitative data analysis in this study shows that when controlling for social context, internet users exhibit higher levels of psychopathy online than offline, which is especially pronounced in male subsamples. …

Cultural Context's Influence On The Relationships Between Leadership Personality And Subordinate Perceptions, Victoria J. Smoak

Doctoral Dissertations

Fascination with leadership and the pursuit of its understanding have been common across disciplines throughout history (Bass & Stogdill, 1990). Studying leadership in an organization provides value in understanding its relation to outcomes such as employee attitudes (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, & Bommer, 1996), individual performance (Tierney, Farmer, & Graen, 1999) and organizational performance (Day & Lord, 1988; Sully de Luque, Washburn, Waldman, & House, 2008). Leadership is suggested to be the underlying human factor key to organizational effectiveness (Hogan & Kaiser, 2005). In spite of the vast body of literature, much remains to be understood, especially understanding context (McCall & Hollenbeck, …

Bright Or Dark, Or Virtues And Vices? A Reexamination Of The Big Five And Job Performance, Christopher M. Castille

Doctoral Dissertations

Personality research in industrial/organizational psychology has been dominated by the description of personality traits and outcomes as either bright or dark. Unfortunately, research has shown that bright traits have dark outcomes and vice versa, suggesting that a paradox is plaguing the literature. To resolve this paradox, I propose that a different heuristic stemming from positive psychology be utilized: virtues and vices. Virtues refer to exercises of human excellence while vices refer to actions of human failure. Drawing on the virtue ethics concept of the Aristotelian mean, dark traits are viewed as extreme or elevated levels of bright personality traits, allowing …

Crystallized Intelligence And Openness To Experience: Drawing On Intellectual-Investment Theories To Predict Job Performance Longitudinally, Christopher B. Patton

Doctoral Dissertations

Various approaches to conceptualizing and measuring intelligence have been utilized throughout history. Despite the plethora of intelligence theories, the field of industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology has been largely dominated by the psychometric tradition of intelligence and Spearman's general factor theory of intelligence (g). Moreover, other approaches to intelligence (e.g., the developmental perspective) have generally been ignored by I-O psychology. This is puzzling given the widespread acceptance among I-O psychologists of intelligence's substantial and increasing importance in the modern workplace.

Supported by a vast amount of research, g has often been recognized as the single best predictor of …

Examining The Incremental Validity Of Personality-Based Implicit Association Tests Designed To Predict Behavior Related To Integrity, Maryann Elaine Stassen

MSU Graduate Theses

The present study examined the incremental predictive validity of four personality-based Implicit Association Tests (IATs) for behavior related to integrity and character. Unlike overt-based IATs, the personality-based IATs assess attributes related to dark-side personality syndromes. A temptation manipulation provided opportunities for subjects to follow or break rules and blow the whistle or remain silent when queried about the rule compliance of a confederate and the theft of a wallet. In addition to the four personality-based IATs, subjects also completed five explicit (self-report) overt and personality-based integrity measures and two overt-based IAT measures. Findings generally supported the incremental validity of the …

The Knowledge Of Others' Perceptions (Kop) Model: Practical Accuracy Among The Well-Acquainted, Brittany C. Solomon

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is possible that people, especially those who are well-acquainted, have information about others that goes beyond their own impressions. While previous studies primarily focus on the accuracy of a perceiver's own impressions of a target, they may miss information about the perceiver's knowledge of a target's identity and reputation. The present study is based on the notion that there may be more to knowing a person than having an accurate perception of his/her personality in the traditional sense. From a practical standpoint, it might also be important to know when others' impressions of a close other, such as a …

Judging Laura, Rebecca E. Richardson

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Laura Audax is a sixteen-year-old girl who has an interesting set of characteristics. She is a dynamic mixture of compassion, stubbornness, brilliance, recklessness, imagination, and arrogance. The way the world understands these personality traits has transformed and evolved over time. If a girl like Laura lived in four different time periods, society would react differently to her in each era, but the overall question is how different these reactions really are. Does the definition of what makes certain personality traits “good” or “bad” change over time?

The following four stories take place in 1850, 1920, 2015, and 2100 respectively, and …

The Development Of Character Adaptation System (Cast) Intervention, Lauren Mays

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The primary objective of this dissertation was to explore the feasibility and utility of an individualized intervention derived from a group therapy manual grounded in Henriques’ (2011) Unified Theory of Psychology. This framework serves to translate terminology from different theoretical perspectives and map their overlap and distinctive qualities onto human functioning. This project provides a more directive educational approach to explore whether and how clients can be directed to understand these systems and benefit from them. The second goal was to explore the appropriateness and impact of this manual on a client presentation typically seen in college outpatient treatment. These …

Personality And Happiness, Brianna L. Kirkpatrick

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The connection between personality, emotions, and experience have been of interest to researchers for many years. The present study was designed to assess the specific connection between personality, happiness, and happiness inducing behaviors (HIB) within individuals. This study also extends previous research by assessing whether any or all of these variables were connected to the recommendations an individual would make to improve the mood of a hypothetical other. The data from 424 university students were analyzed to determine the relationship between self-reported extraversion and neuroticism and self-reported affect, engagement in HIB, and the recommendations provided. The results revealed the expected …

Dementia Caregiver Personality Traits And Coping Strategies: Association With Care Recipient Outcomes, Christine M. Snyder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the potential impact of dementia caregivers’ personality traits and utilization of coping strategies on care recipients’ development of severe dementia, institutionalization, and mortality. Generally, the personality traits and coping strategies were not predictive of care recipient outcomes, especially related to the institutionalization of care recipients. However, increased caregiver use of Avoidance predicted time to care recipient development of severe dementia, while increased use of Counting Blessings reduced risk of mortality.

This research was conducted using extant data from a community-wide study examining factors that affect dementia progression. All data were collected by a research nurse and a …

Narcissism And Late Adolescent Friendships: Perceived Closeness, Cooperation, Competitiveness, And Friendship Quality, Suzanne Chinyere Amadi

Honors Theses

Pathological and non-pathological dimensions of narcissism are correlated with indices of adolescent internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors, especially in the context of peer relationships. The current study examined 219 (181 females, 38 males) 18 year-olds’ perceptions of their friendships, including closeness, cooperation, competitiveness, and friendship quality in relation to pathological (i.e., grandiose, vulnerable) and non-pathological (i.e., normal) narcissism. Data were collected through online, self-report questionnaires. Grandiose narcissism was significantly correlated with perceived closeness, cooperation, and competitiveness but not with friendship quality. Vulnerable narcissism was significantly positively correlated with perceived competitiveness but unassociated with perceptions of closeness, cooperation, and friendship quality. …

Do Narcissists Tend To Create A Physically Attractive Veneer?, Julie Odom-Dixon

Honors College Theses

Are people high in the Dark Triad are inherently attractive or are they simply more likely to dress up in ways that make themselves more attractive? This study is a partial replication of Holtzman and Strube (2013). We photographed participants (valid N = 65) in the state in which they entered the lab (Adorned Condition). The participants changed into standard gray attire provided for them (Unadorned Condition). Females removed their make-up and jewelry as well as pulled their hair back. Males shaved their beards. After being photographed, participants were asked to complete several Dark Triad surveys. Consistent with Holtzman and …

Physiological And Subjective Aspects Of Positive Mood In Relation To Executive Functioning: The Potential Moderating Role Of Personality, Luz Helena Ospina

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Positive affect has been demonstrated to improve aspects of cognition. However, recent studies reveal that positive affect may hinder the same cognitive processes, such as executive functioning, memory and creativity. These discrepant findings may be due to differing levels of physiological arousal, a component of the circumplex model of affect, which has been largely ignored in affective research. For example, one recent study suggests that positive valence coupled with varying levels of physiological arousal (i.e., low, moderate, and high) may differentially affect performance on tasks of verbal fluency and memory. Furthermore, one other explanation for these inconsistent findings may relate …

Personality Test Faking: Detection And Selection Rates, David J. Wolfe

Theses and Dissertations

This study will examine the utility of Kuncel & Borneman's (2007) novel approach to faking detection using unusual item responses, after having addressed several limitations of their previous study. Their approach will be applied to a group of Romanian professionals that took a personality test (the NEO-PI-R) on two occasions 12-24 months apart. This within-subjects design using real job applicants will allow for evaluation of faking at real-world individual levels, as well as offer the ability to analyze Kuncel and Borneman's (2007) proposed technique with a prevalent selection tool that uses a more conventional five-option response set. Following the theory …

Identifying The Prevalence Of The “Dark Triad” Personality Traits In Law Students: Eradicating An Unwarranted Stereotype, Jacob I. Newton

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The personalities of lawyers are often categorized to be immoral, at least more so than those of other professionals. An abundance of literature parallels this generalization and depicts lawyers’ personalities as narcissistic, psychopathic and high in Machiavellian attitudes. Together, these three traits form the “Dark Triad” of personality. 53 law students from 3 law schools in Ontario completed a survey measuring their levels on the “Dark Triad”. Results show that the law students from the present sample do not display any “Dark Triad” trait significantly greater than the general population. It found that male law students were not significantly “darker” …

Internal Attributes That Mitigate Perceived Job Insecurity: Improving Employee Satisfaction, Shelly Leigh Rogers-Sharer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee satisfaction has been found to have a strong relationship with perceived job security. This study explored job insecurity in an unstable global economy. Specifically, it examined internal attributes of employees, hypothesizing that such attributes would enable employees to better cope with work-related stressors such as job insecurity. Specific attributes of personality and employability were assessed as potential moderators of job satisfaction and security, utilizing the theory of work adjustment and person-environment correspondence as theoretical frameworks. The specific attributes included facets of conscientiousness and neuroticism as well as dispositions of employability including openness to change at work, work and career …

A Framework For The Pursuit Of Happiness: Personality As It Relates To Subjective Well-Being, Emma B. Ludlum

CMC Senior Theses

This paper is a framework for the pursuit of happiness. It uses psychological data, philosophical theories, and trends in neuroscience to support the idea that anyone can be happy. It first discusses personality psychology, biology of personality, and the relationship between personality and happiness. From there it explains positive illusions and Depressive Realism to show how one can implement both to increase personal happiness.

The Relationship Between Personality Type And Exercise Motivation, Kayla Michelle Bowman

Online Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide further understanding of the complex nature of physical activity motivation. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to analyze personality type and internal/external autonomous regulation. Method: Subjects were college students age 18 years and older who attended the Fitness Five Project. Data collected from the Ten-Item Personality Inventory and the RM 4-FM: Motivation for Physical Activity Questionnaire were analyzed using a bivariate correlation. Results: Statistical analyses revealed the personality traits extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability were positively associated with intrinsic motivation. Results showed the personality trait openness to experience was …

Identifying Functional Characteristics That Influence Team Outcomes, Eduardo Diego Diaz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Industry and research have shown that, in addition to the knowledge, skills, and abilities of individuals, other factors play an influential role in the efficiency of a team. The research questions for this study examined the influence of functional characteristics, defined as the cognitive and evaluative processes such as intentions, emotions, planning, and perception that influence decisions, on team outcomes and the time it takes to complete a task. Using a quantitative, experimental research design, the research questions were grounded in personality systems interactions as the theoretical framework. Analysis of variance was applied to evaluate the hypotheses with an independent …

Comparison In Personality Profiles Between Child Abusers Versus Child Neglectors, Jodi R. Cuneo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children who suffered parental abuse or neglect can be returned home if their safety can be ensured following offender treatment. However, some caregivers will continue to abuse or neglect their children upon return home, leading to additional treatment, state involvement, and harm to the child. This study assessed personality differences between child abusers and neglectors who were caregivers by applying a binary logistical regression analysis to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition (MMPI-2) scores sampled from archival data for 215 caregivers. Analysis showed that the abusers had statistically significant higher scores on the F Scale ('Faking Bad'), but significantly …

Correlation Between Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, Personality, Fear Of Success, And Self-Defeating Behaviors Of Performing Artists, Albert C. Bramante

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is substantial evidence that self-defeating behaviors appear regularly among populations considered psychologically stable. While there has been abundant research on self-esteem, self-efficacy, personality traits, and fear of success as independent constructs, little is known regarding the combined effect of these constructs on the self-defeating behaviors of performing artists. Examining self-defeating behaviors among performing artists is significant because this population is susceptible to self-sabotaging behaviors, underscoring the need to understand their behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine whether self-esteem, self-efficacy, personality, and fear of success predicted self-defeating behaviors among performing artists. Bandura's self-efficacy theory and …

Biopsychosocial Factors That Discriminate Between White Collar Offenders And Business Professionals, Susan Lynn Zukowski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

White collar crime is pervasive with a larger financial impact to society than violent or street crime, yet it has been understudied. Violent and street offender research has moved beyond the examination of motive and opportunity to study personality, demographics, sociological influences, and psychological influences on development and criminal behavior; however, the bulk of white collar offender research has focused on greed as a motivator and organizational opportunity. Legislative efforts have attempted to curtail white collar crime, but incidents of crime continue to rise, resulting in a continued need to understand white collar offenders and the influences on offender behavior. …

Personality, Coping, And Burnout In Online Doctoral Psychology Students, Michelle Linn Grigsby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Completion times for doctoral psychology students are twice as long as those of other disciplines, and the attrition rate is over half of the matriculated students. Research indicates that (a) burnout plays an integral part in delayed completion and attrition for doctoral students and (b) personality and coping influence the development of burnout. In an effort to support prevention and intervention strategies, this study explored the gap in research regarding moderating effects of coping styles on the relationship between personality traits and burnout levels in online doctoral psychology students, as this population is growing at a significant rate and possesses …

A Measure Of Social Behavior In Team-Based, Multiplayer Online Games: The Sociality In Multiplayer Online Games Scale (Smog), Chelsea M. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

Video games have become a new platform for social interaction. I review the sociality of video games and the relationship between virtual- and real-world behaviors. I review and address the pros and cons of methods of measuring social behavior. Finally, I present two studies drawn from internet populations. In Study 1 (N = 250), I develop a scale, The Sociality in Multiplayer Online Games Scale (SMOG), which measures the frequency of social gaming behaviors in team-based, multiplayer online games. I hypothesized these to align on dominance and affiliation dimensions of social interaction (Kiesler, 1982). In Study 2 (N …

The Influence Of Flow On Standard And Adaptive Performance In Teams, Jennifer N. Baumgartner

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine flow as it relates to different types of performance in teams. Participants (N = 165) in teams of five engaged in an airport simulation that included an unforeseen change during the second session. Flow was expected to be positively correlated with standard and adaptive performance and predict performance along with cognitive ability and personality. Positive affect was expected to mediate the relationship between flow and performance. Flow was positively correlated with the number of aircraft departed under standard conditions, negatively correlated with aircraft departed under adaptive conditions, and positively correlated with subjective …

A Study Of Exercise: Intentions And Behavior, Michael Raymond Hoepf

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Health concerns associated with obesity are becoming an increasingly large societal problem. Engaging in physical exercise is one effective way to combat obesity, but most people do not exercise enough to derive significant health benefits. In order to increase participation in exercise activities, it is first necessary to have a good understanding of why people are not exercising. The current research builds on prior research by investigating the proposition that conflict from work, family, and school roles can reduce time spent exercising. To accomplish this goal, I created exercise conflict scales by taking existing items from the work-family conflict literature …