We assessed the extent to which attitudes to school and self-rated academic performance are linke... more We assessed the extent to which attitudes to school and self-rated academic performance are linked to the major personality dimensions as well as to perceptions of parental bonding. Respondents were 115 high school students (modal age=15 years and 9 months). Results revealed that the personality factors Conscientiousness and Psychoticism were consistently related to attitudes to school and academic performance, while the parental factors (care and overprotection) were only weakly related to outcomes. The results are discussed with reference to current knowledge of the major personality domains.
As the social distance attitudes of English-speaking South African students showed a shift toward... more As the social distance attitudes of English-speaking South African students showed a shift toward closer social contact by respondents with various racial groups in the country (2), this study determined the social distance attitudes of some Afrikaans-speaking South Africans to see whether similar trends are evident among this secrion of the white population for Afrikaners have been shown to be more conservative than English-speaking South Africans ( 4 ) . Bogardus' social distance scale measuring attitudes toward blacks, Asians, coloreds, and whites was administered after the height of the 1976 riocs to 56 Afrikaans-speaking undergraduate students in sociology (19 male, 37 female; M age 20.1 yr.) at Potchefstroom University. Scoring ( 2 ) gave social contact-distance indices as follows: toward whites: 1.1 1 ( S D = .41), toward coloreds: 3.53 ( S D = 1.67), toward Asians: 3.55 (SD = 1.65), toward blacks: 3.92 (SD = 1.69). It is clear that whites occupy the highest place and blacks the lowest place in the ethnic preference hierarchy though differences among the last three groups are much smaller. By comparison with earlier results ( 2 ) the present sample appears to display greater social distance. However, by comparison with data (1) from a group of Afrikaans-speaking students in 1972, a shift toward closer social contact by the respondents seems evident. In that study the following social contact indices were obtained: toward Afrikaans-speaking whites: 1.06; toward English-speaking whites: 1.13; toward coloreds: 4.17; toward blacks: 4.42; toward Asians: 4.48. The authors believe that these recent riocs may have played a determining role in this shift in ethnic attitudes. In a study of social distance among the general Afrikaans-speaking population of Johannesburg, Lever ( 3 ) obtained the following social-distance indices: toward Englishspeaking South Africans: 1.45; toward Afrikaans-speaking South Africans: 1.16; toward coloreds: 5.23; toward blacks: 5.40; toward Asians: 5.71. Although it appears that English-speaking and Afrikaans-speaking South African students have become more tolerant in their racial attitudes, it would be advisable to conduct research among all sections of the general white population to determine whether these shifts toward closer social contact are evident for all classes of white South Africans.
The demonstration of modest statistical associations between measures of the Type A behaviour pat... more The demonstration of modest statistical associations between measures of the Type A behaviour pattern (TABP) and some measures of authoritarianism has given rise to a view that the TABP represents little more than an attempt by some individuals to exercise the personality attribute of dominance. The present study examined this view with regard to a wide selection of measures of the authoritarian personality and found that measures of the TABP related only to measures of authoritarianism reflecting authoritarian behaviours. While such correlations indicate a facet of the TABP resembles the attribute of dominance, they do not amount to conceptual equivalence of the TABP and authoritarianism. The conceptual complexity of the TABP demands a more multidimensional view of this explanatory notion in medical psychology.
There is a plethora of research showing that empathy promotes prosocial behavior among young peop... more There is a plethora of research showing that empathy promotes prosocial behavior among young people. We examined a relatively new construct in the mindfulness literature, nonattachment, defined as a flexible way of relating to one's experiences without clinging to or suppressing them. We tested whether nonattachment could predict prosociality above and beyond empathy. Nonattachment implies high cognitive flexibility and sufficient mental resources to step out of excessive self-cherishing to be there for others in need. Multilevel Poisson models using a sample of 15-year olds (N = 1831) showed that empathy and nonattachment independently predicted prosocial behaviors of helpfulness and kindness, as judged by same-sex and opposite-sex peers, except for when boys nominated girls. The effects of nonattachment remained substantial in more conservative models including self-esteem and peer nominations of liking.
Although authoritarians are generally regarded as conservative, racist, militaristic, etc., a tho... more Although authoritarians are generally regarded as conservative, racist, militaristic, etc., a thorough review of the literature would indicate that this is not always the case. Some researchers advise that a distinction be drawn between authoritarian attitudes and authoritarian behaviour. Conducting a further study among a group of Afrikaansspeaking students, if was found that, although a relationship exists between authoritarian attitudes and certain variables such as ethnocentrism, patriotism and militarism, authoritarianism of personality is not related to conservatism, militarism or patriotism.
Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 1997
This investigation sought to determine the correlates of attitudes towards the new ANC-dominated ... more This investigation sought to determine the correlates of attitudes towards the new ANC-dominated government in South Africa among two groups of White university students. To a large extent, the research replicates an earlier project conducted in 1986 which investigated the predictors of attitudes towards the ANC at a time when it was banned as were its leaders who were either imprisoned or in exile. Results indicate that conformity to group norms was of importance in the Afrikaans-speaking sample as was patriotism, authoritarian behavior and prejudiced attitudes. Conversely, attitudes in the English-speaking group seemed to be held less strongly and attitudes towards the ANC-led government appeared no longer to be related to such factors as prejudice, authoritarianism, patriotism or self-esteem. Results are understood in terms of long-standing sociopolitical differences between White English-speaking and Afrikaner groups in South Africa.
The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which authoritarianism and ethnocentrism... more The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which authoritarianism and ethnocentrism are evident among a sample of White Afrikaansspeaking students in South Africa. Form 60 of the authoritarianism scale together with the minority and patriotism subscales of the ethnocentrism scale were administered to 207 female and 27 male first-year students in psychology at the University of the Orange Free State. Because the males formed such a small part of the group it was decided to disregard their data in the statistical analysis. The testing formed part of normal class activity. The average age of the female respondents was 19.2 yr. Reliability coefficients were determined for the authoritarianism and total ethnocentrism scales. The values obtained by the split-half method were 0.78 and 0.64, raised by the Spearman-Brown formula to 0.88 and 0.78 respectively. These values compare favorably to those obtained in the original study by Adorno, et dl., namely, 0.87 and 0.90 respectively.
Researchers working fairly independently of each other have created numerous measures of social a... more Researchers working fairly independently of each other have created numerous measures of social and emotional competence (SEC). These measures tend to correlate (sometimes highly) with each other and with measures of stressful events, suggesting potential redundancy. We evaluated which, if any, SEC variables predicted unique variance in social and mental health after controlling for other SEC variables in the study and the impact of stressful events. Three-hundred and thirty-one university students participated in an anonymous, cross-sectional study. We measured stressful events, and a wide variety of SECs, including: social problem solving skill (effective problem orientation, automatic processing, and problem solving), alexithymia (difficulty identifying and describing emotions; minimising emotions), effective emotional control (low rumination, high impulse control, high aggression control, low defensive inhibiting of emotions), and level of emotional awareness. We also assessed a variety of aspects of social and mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, life satisfaction, social support). Covariance analyses revealed that all SEC measures except minimising emotions had significant incremental value over the other measures and over stressful events in predicting social and mental health. The optimal set of predictors differed depending upon the type of health predicted. These findings have important implications for the design of social and emotional intervention programs.
Very little research with adolescents has examined the extent that alexithymia is distinctive fro... more Very little research with adolescents has examined the extent that alexithymia is distinctive from other potentially overlapping self-evaluative traits, or the extent that it is related to social and emotional wellbeing. Teenagers in Grade 8 (N = 796) completed self-report measures of alexithymia, self-esteem, trait hope, social support, and emotional well-being. Teachers also rated each student's level of emotional and behavioural adjustment. Factor analysis showed that alexithymia was distinguishable from the other self-evaluative traits as well as from the positive and negative affective states. Correlation analyses found that alexithymia was associated with lower quantity and quality of social support, lower positive affect, and higher negative affect, even when controlling for self-esteem and trait hope. These findings have important implications for the assessment and consequences of alexithymia in adolescents.
The results of two studies into the "Big Five" personality factors associated with interpersonal ... more The results of two studies into the "Big Five" personality factors associated with interpersonal violence and vandalism/theft are reported. In the first, respondents were 216 high school students with a median age of 17 yr. It was found that Agreeableness and, to a lesser extent, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism were significant 'domain' correlates. Respondents in the second study were 90 university undergraduates who participated in a study for course credit. Several important 'facet' correlates were identified and multiple regression analyses showed trust and excitement-seeking to be significant predictors of both forms of delinquency. Self-discipline was found to be a significant predictor of vandalism only. The results are discussed with reference to previous research into the personality correlates to delinquency.
This study explored the relationships between perceived family processes (parental bonding and pa... more This study explored the relationships between perceived family processes (parental bonding and parental discipline styles) and adolescent emotional and behavioural adjustment among a sample of youth. Respondents were 92 (53 female, 39 male) high school students, aged 13±17 years. Signi®cant sex dierences were noted regarding levels of self-reported delinquency and parental induction style. After controlling for sex, perceptions of low care and love withdrawal were signi®cantly related to delinquency, while low care, overprotectiveness and love withdrawal were found to be related to poor well being. Structural equation modelling was used to further assess the relationships between perceptions of family life and the outcome variables. It was concluded that adolescent perceptions of family processes form a coherent and integrated network with implications for behavioural and emotional adjustment.
This study aims to extend Gallagher (1990)'s research on students' personality traits of neurotic... more This study aims to extend Gallagher (1990)'s research on students' personality traits of neuroticism (N) and extraversion (E) and their academic work appraisals using a diathesis-stress model of depression and an adolescent sample. An anonymous survey was conducted with 323 (120 male and 203 female) public secondary school students from Canberra, Australia. As expected, the study found that a higher level of N was associated with a greater amount of threat appraisal and a higher level of depressive symptoms, while a higher level of E was associated with a greater amount of challenge appraisal and a lower level of depressive symptoms. Regression analysis revealed N as the strongest predictor of depressive symptoms, followed by threat and challenge appraisals. The effect of gender on depressive symptoms disappeared when individuals' neuroticism was taken into account. Challenge appraisal was found to mediate the effect of E on depression, although threat appraisal did not mediate the effect of N on depressive symptoms. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
... Consequently, it was decided to partial out the effects of scores on the Lie subscale. ... Ne... more ... Consequently, it was decided to partial out the effects of scores on the Lie subscale. ... Neuroticism 0.45 0.45 0.20 0.20 24.88 0.01 Psychoticism 0.31 0.54 0.29 0.09 20.14 0.01 Males Neurnticicm 0;3 0 33 Oil Oil 11.12 0.01 492 PATRICK CL HEAVEN GENERAL DISCUSSION ...
We assessed the links between the five major personality dimensions and perceptions of conflict c... more We assessed the links between the five major personality dimensions and perceptions of conflict communication patterns within cohabiting heterosexual couples. Participants were 79 couples (N = 158) who completed the International Personality Item Pool (Goldberg, 1999) and ...
Objective Personality dimensions are known to predict mortality and other health outcomes, but al... more Objective Personality dimensions are known to predict mortality and other health outcomes, but almost no research has assessed the effects of changes in personality traits on physical and mental health outcomes. In this article, we examined the effects of changes in the Big Five personality dimensions on health as assessed by the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Method Respondents were 11,105 Australian adults aged 2079 years (52.7% female). Latent difference score modeling was used to examine whether personality change over a 4-year period was associated with mental and physical health, and whether these effects were moderated by birth cohort. Results Increases in Conscientiousness and Extraversion were found to be associated with improved mental and physical health, whereas increased Neuroticism was linked with poorer health. The nature of these associations varied significantly by birth cohort. Conclusion The findings have implications for understanding how changes in personality traits over time are related to health, and could be used to aid the development of effective health promotion strategies targeted to specific personality traits and birth cohorts.
Background: Almost no research has examined the impact of explanatory style on social adjustment.... more Background: Almost no research has examined the impact of explanatory style on social adjustment. We hypothesised that adolescents with a pessimistic style would be less likely to develop and maintain social support networks. Methods: Seven hundred and nineteen students (351 males and 366 females; 2 unknown; M AGE = 12.28, SD = .49) completed an anonymous survey in Grades 7 through 10. Explanatory style was assessed in Grades 7 and 9, sadness was assessed in Grades 7 through 10, and quantity and quality of social support was assessed in Grades 8, 9, and 10. Results: Structural equation modelling was used to conduct cross-lagged panel analyses of the four waves of data. Pessimistic explanatory style predicted lower levels of social support, and lower social support from the family predicted higher levels of pessimistic explanatory style. Additional analyses suggested that the effects could not be explained by sadness or by assuming that pessimistic adolescents where less liked by their peers. Conclusions: Pessimistic adolescents feel unable to influence their social worlds in positive ways and consequently may not take actions to develop and maintain social support networks.
We investigated the links between perceived family relationships, parental discipline style, locu... more We investigated the links between perceived family relationships, parental discipline style, locus of control, self-esteem and self-reported delinquency among 177 Australian teenagers. The prediction that locus of control and self-esteem would mediate the effects of family process on delinquency was tested using structural equation modelling. Although there appeared to be a good fit between the data and the proposed model, the amount of variance explained by the predictor variables was not large. Among females, the best predictor of low levels of self-reported delinquency was an inductive discipline style, whilst for males high levels of self-reported delinquency were best predicted by a punitive discipline style. Among males, positive family relations was a significant predictor of high self-esteem. No mediating effects of self-esteem and locus of control were observed. The findings are discussed with reference to previous research, and some implications for clinical practice are also noted.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is the most common psychiatric disorder of child... more Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is the most common psychiatric disorder of childhood, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that more than half the childhood sufferers will continue to manifest symptoms of the disorder as adults. While the EEG of children with AD/HD has been extensively examined, comparatively little research has been conducted into the EEG of adults with the disorder. This study thus investigated the EEG of 20 adult males with AD/HD, and an age-and gender-matched control group, during an eyes-closed resting condition. The EEG was Fourier transformed to provide absolute and relative power estimates for the delta, theta, alpha and beta bands. The AD/HD group had significantly less absolute delta and more relative theta, across the entire scalp, than the control group. In absolute beta, the AD/HD group had less power at the midline, and an enhancement in power in the right posterior region. These results are similar to those found in children with AD/HD, and may suggest the presence of a processing deficit. A right posterior elevation in beta activity was also found, which could be related to the ongoing presence of reading disabilities in these subjects.
We assessed the extent to which attitudes to school and self-rated academic performance are linke... more We assessed the extent to which attitudes to school and self-rated academic performance are linked to the major personality dimensions as well as to perceptions of parental bonding. Respondents were 115 high school students (modal age=15 years and 9 months). Results revealed that the personality factors Conscientiousness and Psychoticism were consistently related to attitudes to school and academic performance, while the parental factors (care and overprotection) were only weakly related to outcomes. The results are discussed with reference to current knowledge of the major personality domains.
As the social distance attitudes of English-speaking South African students showed a shift toward... more As the social distance attitudes of English-speaking South African students showed a shift toward closer social contact by respondents with various racial groups in the country (2), this study determined the social distance attitudes of some Afrikaans-speaking South Africans to see whether similar trends are evident among this secrion of the white population for Afrikaners have been shown to be more conservative than English-speaking South Africans ( 4 ) . Bogardus' social distance scale measuring attitudes toward blacks, Asians, coloreds, and whites was administered after the height of the 1976 riocs to 56 Afrikaans-speaking undergraduate students in sociology (19 male, 37 female; M age 20.1 yr.) at Potchefstroom University. Scoring ( 2 ) gave social contact-distance indices as follows: toward whites: 1.1 1 ( S D = .41), toward coloreds: 3.53 ( S D = 1.67), toward Asians: 3.55 (SD = 1.65), toward blacks: 3.92 (SD = 1.69). It is clear that whites occupy the highest place and blacks the lowest place in the ethnic preference hierarchy though differences among the last three groups are much smaller. By comparison with earlier results ( 2 ) the present sample appears to display greater social distance. However, by comparison with data (1) from a group of Afrikaans-speaking students in 1972, a shift toward closer social contact by the respondents seems evident. In that study the following social contact indices were obtained: toward Afrikaans-speaking whites: 1.06; toward English-speaking whites: 1.13; toward coloreds: 4.17; toward blacks: 4.42; toward Asians: 4.48. The authors believe that these recent riocs may have played a determining role in this shift in ethnic attitudes. In a study of social distance among the general Afrikaans-speaking population of Johannesburg, Lever ( 3 ) obtained the following social-distance indices: toward Englishspeaking South Africans: 1.45; toward Afrikaans-speaking South Africans: 1.16; toward coloreds: 5.23; toward blacks: 5.40; toward Asians: 5.71. Although it appears that English-speaking and Afrikaans-speaking South African students have become more tolerant in their racial attitudes, it would be advisable to conduct research among all sections of the general white population to determine whether these shifts toward closer social contact are evident for all classes of white South Africans.
The demonstration of modest statistical associations between measures of the Type A behaviour pat... more The demonstration of modest statistical associations between measures of the Type A behaviour pattern (TABP) and some measures of authoritarianism has given rise to a view that the TABP represents little more than an attempt by some individuals to exercise the personality attribute of dominance. The present study examined this view with regard to a wide selection of measures of the authoritarian personality and found that measures of the TABP related only to measures of authoritarianism reflecting authoritarian behaviours. While such correlations indicate a facet of the TABP resembles the attribute of dominance, they do not amount to conceptual equivalence of the TABP and authoritarianism. The conceptual complexity of the TABP demands a more multidimensional view of this explanatory notion in medical psychology.
There is a plethora of research showing that empathy promotes prosocial behavior among young peop... more There is a plethora of research showing that empathy promotes prosocial behavior among young people. We examined a relatively new construct in the mindfulness literature, nonattachment, defined as a flexible way of relating to one's experiences without clinging to or suppressing them. We tested whether nonattachment could predict prosociality above and beyond empathy. Nonattachment implies high cognitive flexibility and sufficient mental resources to step out of excessive self-cherishing to be there for others in need. Multilevel Poisson models using a sample of 15-year olds (N = 1831) showed that empathy and nonattachment independently predicted prosocial behaviors of helpfulness and kindness, as judged by same-sex and opposite-sex peers, except for when boys nominated girls. The effects of nonattachment remained substantial in more conservative models including self-esteem and peer nominations of liking.
Although authoritarians are generally regarded as conservative, racist, militaristic, etc., a tho... more Although authoritarians are generally regarded as conservative, racist, militaristic, etc., a thorough review of the literature would indicate that this is not always the case. Some researchers advise that a distinction be drawn between authoritarian attitudes and authoritarian behaviour. Conducting a further study among a group of Afrikaansspeaking students, if was found that, although a relationship exists between authoritarian attitudes and certain variables such as ethnocentrism, patriotism and militarism, authoritarianism of personality is not related to conservatism, militarism or patriotism.
Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 1997
This investigation sought to determine the correlates of attitudes towards the new ANC-dominated ... more This investigation sought to determine the correlates of attitudes towards the new ANC-dominated government in South Africa among two groups of White university students. To a large extent, the research replicates an earlier project conducted in 1986 which investigated the predictors of attitudes towards the ANC at a time when it was banned as were its leaders who were either imprisoned or in exile. Results indicate that conformity to group norms was of importance in the Afrikaans-speaking sample as was patriotism, authoritarian behavior and prejudiced attitudes. Conversely, attitudes in the English-speaking group seemed to be held less strongly and attitudes towards the ANC-led government appeared no longer to be related to such factors as prejudice, authoritarianism, patriotism or self-esteem. Results are understood in terms of long-standing sociopolitical differences between White English-speaking and Afrikaner groups in South Africa.
The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which authoritarianism and ethnocentrism... more The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which authoritarianism and ethnocentrism are evident among a sample of White Afrikaansspeaking students in South Africa. Form 60 of the authoritarianism scale together with the minority and patriotism subscales of the ethnocentrism scale were administered to 207 female and 27 male first-year students in psychology at the University of the Orange Free State. Because the males formed such a small part of the group it was decided to disregard their data in the statistical analysis. The testing formed part of normal class activity. The average age of the female respondents was 19.2 yr. Reliability coefficients were determined for the authoritarianism and total ethnocentrism scales. The values obtained by the split-half method were 0.78 and 0.64, raised by the Spearman-Brown formula to 0.88 and 0.78 respectively. These values compare favorably to those obtained in the original study by Adorno, et dl., namely, 0.87 and 0.90 respectively.
Researchers working fairly independently of each other have created numerous measures of social a... more Researchers working fairly independently of each other have created numerous measures of social and emotional competence (SEC). These measures tend to correlate (sometimes highly) with each other and with measures of stressful events, suggesting potential redundancy. We evaluated which, if any, SEC variables predicted unique variance in social and mental health after controlling for other SEC variables in the study and the impact of stressful events. Three-hundred and thirty-one university students participated in an anonymous, cross-sectional study. We measured stressful events, and a wide variety of SECs, including: social problem solving skill (effective problem orientation, automatic processing, and problem solving), alexithymia (difficulty identifying and describing emotions; minimising emotions), effective emotional control (low rumination, high impulse control, high aggression control, low defensive inhibiting of emotions), and level of emotional awareness. We also assessed a variety of aspects of social and mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, life satisfaction, social support). Covariance analyses revealed that all SEC measures except minimising emotions had significant incremental value over the other measures and over stressful events in predicting social and mental health. The optimal set of predictors differed depending upon the type of health predicted. These findings have important implications for the design of social and emotional intervention programs.
Very little research with adolescents has examined the extent that alexithymia is distinctive fro... more Very little research with adolescents has examined the extent that alexithymia is distinctive from other potentially overlapping self-evaluative traits, or the extent that it is related to social and emotional wellbeing. Teenagers in Grade 8 (N = 796) completed self-report measures of alexithymia, self-esteem, trait hope, social support, and emotional well-being. Teachers also rated each student's level of emotional and behavioural adjustment. Factor analysis showed that alexithymia was distinguishable from the other self-evaluative traits as well as from the positive and negative affective states. Correlation analyses found that alexithymia was associated with lower quantity and quality of social support, lower positive affect, and higher negative affect, even when controlling for self-esteem and trait hope. These findings have important implications for the assessment and consequences of alexithymia in adolescents.
The results of two studies into the "Big Five" personality factors associated with interpersonal ... more The results of two studies into the "Big Five" personality factors associated with interpersonal violence and vandalism/theft are reported. In the first, respondents were 216 high school students with a median age of 17 yr. It was found that Agreeableness and, to a lesser extent, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism were significant 'domain' correlates. Respondents in the second study were 90 university undergraduates who participated in a study for course credit. Several important 'facet' correlates were identified and multiple regression analyses showed trust and excitement-seeking to be significant predictors of both forms of delinquency. Self-discipline was found to be a significant predictor of vandalism only. The results are discussed with reference to previous research into the personality correlates to delinquency.
This study explored the relationships between perceived family processes (parental bonding and pa... more This study explored the relationships between perceived family processes (parental bonding and parental discipline styles) and adolescent emotional and behavioural adjustment among a sample of youth. Respondents were 92 (53 female, 39 male) high school students, aged 13±17 years. Signi®cant sex dierences were noted regarding levels of self-reported delinquency and parental induction style. After controlling for sex, perceptions of low care and love withdrawal were signi®cantly related to delinquency, while low care, overprotectiveness and love withdrawal were found to be related to poor well being. Structural equation modelling was used to further assess the relationships between perceptions of family life and the outcome variables. It was concluded that adolescent perceptions of family processes form a coherent and integrated network with implications for behavioural and emotional adjustment.
This study aims to extend Gallagher (1990)'s research on students' personality traits of neurotic... more This study aims to extend Gallagher (1990)'s research on students' personality traits of neuroticism (N) and extraversion (E) and their academic work appraisals using a diathesis-stress model of depression and an adolescent sample. An anonymous survey was conducted with 323 (120 male and 203 female) public secondary school students from Canberra, Australia. As expected, the study found that a higher level of N was associated with a greater amount of threat appraisal and a higher level of depressive symptoms, while a higher level of E was associated with a greater amount of challenge appraisal and a lower level of depressive symptoms. Regression analysis revealed N as the strongest predictor of depressive symptoms, followed by threat and challenge appraisals. The effect of gender on depressive symptoms disappeared when individuals' neuroticism was taken into account. Challenge appraisal was found to mediate the effect of E on depression, although threat appraisal did not mediate the effect of N on depressive symptoms. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
... Consequently, it was decided to partial out the effects of scores on the Lie subscale. ... Ne... more ... Consequently, it was decided to partial out the effects of scores on the Lie subscale. ... Neuroticism 0.45 0.45 0.20 0.20 24.88 0.01 Psychoticism 0.31 0.54 0.29 0.09 20.14 0.01 Males Neurnticicm 0;3 0 33 Oil Oil 11.12 0.01 492 PATRICK CL HEAVEN GENERAL DISCUSSION ...
We assessed the links between the five major personality dimensions and perceptions of conflict c... more We assessed the links between the five major personality dimensions and perceptions of conflict communication patterns within cohabiting heterosexual couples. Participants were 79 couples (N = 158) who completed the International Personality Item Pool (Goldberg, 1999) and ...
Objective Personality dimensions are known to predict mortality and other health outcomes, but al... more Objective Personality dimensions are known to predict mortality and other health outcomes, but almost no research has assessed the effects of changes in personality traits on physical and mental health outcomes. In this article, we examined the effects of changes in the Big Five personality dimensions on health as assessed by the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Method Respondents were 11,105 Australian adults aged 2079 years (52.7% female). Latent difference score modeling was used to examine whether personality change over a 4-year period was associated with mental and physical health, and whether these effects were moderated by birth cohort. Results Increases in Conscientiousness and Extraversion were found to be associated with improved mental and physical health, whereas increased Neuroticism was linked with poorer health. The nature of these associations varied significantly by birth cohort. Conclusion The findings have implications for understanding how changes in personality traits over time are related to health, and could be used to aid the development of effective health promotion strategies targeted to specific personality traits and birth cohorts.
Background: Almost no research has examined the impact of explanatory style on social adjustment.... more Background: Almost no research has examined the impact of explanatory style on social adjustment. We hypothesised that adolescents with a pessimistic style would be less likely to develop and maintain social support networks. Methods: Seven hundred and nineteen students (351 males and 366 females; 2 unknown; M AGE = 12.28, SD = .49) completed an anonymous survey in Grades 7 through 10. Explanatory style was assessed in Grades 7 and 9, sadness was assessed in Grades 7 through 10, and quantity and quality of social support was assessed in Grades 8, 9, and 10. Results: Structural equation modelling was used to conduct cross-lagged panel analyses of the four waves of data. Pessimistic explanatory style predicted lower levels of social support, and lower social support from the family predicted higher levels of pessimistic explanatory style. Additional analyses suggested that the effects could not be explained by sadness or by assuming that pessimistic adolescents where less liked by their peers. Conclusions: Pessimistic adolescents feel unable to influence their social worlds in positive ways and consequently may not take actions to develop and maintain social support networks.
We investigated the links between perceived family relationships, parental discipline style, locu... more We investigated the links between perceived family relationships, parental discipline style, locus of control, self-esteem and self-reported delinquency among 177 Australian teenagers. The prediction that locus of control and self-esteem would mediate the effects of family process on delinquency was tested using structural equation modelling. Although there appeared to be a good fit between the data and the proposed model, the amount of variance explained by the predictor variables was not large. Among females, the best predictor of low levels of self-reported delinquency was an inductive discipline style, whilst for males high levels of self-reported delinquency were best predicted by a punitive discipline style. Among males, positive family relations was a significant predictor of high self-esteem. No mediating effects of self-esteem and locus of control were observed. The findings are discussed with reference to previous research, and some implications for clinical practice are also noted.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is the most common psychiatric disorder of child... more Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is the most common psychiatric disorder of childhood, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that more than half the childhood sufferers will continue to manifest symptoms of the disorder as adults. While the EEG of children with AD/HD has been extensively examined, comparatively little research has been conducted into the EEG of adults with the disorder. This study thus investigated the EEG of 20 adult males with AD/HD, and an age-and gender-matched control group, during an eyes-closed resting condition. The EEG was Fourier transformed to provide absolute and relative power estimates for the delta, theta, alpha and beta bands. The AD/HD group had significantly less absolute delta and more relative theta, across the entire scalp, than the control group. In absolute beta, the AD/HD group had less power at the midline, and an enhancement in power in the right posterior region. These results are similar to those found in children with AD/HD, and may suggest the presence of a processing deficit. A right posterior elevation in beta activity was also found, which could be related to the ongoing presence of reading disabilities in these subjects.
Uploads
Papers by Patrick Heaven