Honesty
The Honesty dimension relates mainly to the behaviors of cheating or lying, but it also extends
more generally to include one's willingness to take advantage of others for their own benefit.
Individuals who are less honest would be more likely, for example, to deceive others or cut
corners when there are no perceived consequences (and maybe even when there are
consequences). Highly honest individuals, on the other hand, are more likely to uphold social
norms about stealing, cheating, and acting in good faith in interpersonal relationships. Of course,
the social demands for honesty are quite high and, ironically, dishonest individuals may be
relatively unlikely to respond openly to items about lying and cheating.
Self Control
Self-Control is a measure of a person's ability to control their short-term desires, often for the
sake of long-term benefit. This can involve an individual's adeptness at controlling cravings, or
by the same token the frequency with which an individual finds themselves succumbing to
temptation. Individuals high in Self-Control have an easier time holding themselves back from
something that might cause them trouble in the long run. Individuals who score lower will often
find themselves splurging, and may adopt a policy of "act now, figure it out later" when faced
with something enticing. Ultimately, they ascribe to a more hedonistic lifestyle, and may see less
point in delaying pleasure. Many people wonder how Self-Control and Impulsivity are related.
They tend to have a moderate negative correlation (about -0.4). Self-Control relates more to the
resistance of urges, temptations and cravings whereas Impulsivity more generally reflects acting
before thinking.
Authoritarianism
The Authoritarianism dimension relates to an individual's attitudes about rules and laws. Those
high in Authoritarianism typically believe that laws exist for good reason (to keep those who
would otherwise transgress in line) and thus should be unequivocally obeyed. To such an
individual, authority is crucial to maintaining social order, and rebellious behavior should be
nipped in the bud. This belief may be rooted in a more negative view of humanity as naturally
unruly and therefore requiring authority to be properly whipped into shape. Those who are low in
Authoritarianism believe that strict laws and punishments are not always necessary or useful for
reducing crime and improving society. This view is often borne out of concerns that many rules
and laws are biased or are not equally enforced among all individuals. While these issues are
better suited for political and philosophical forums, the reality is that perspectives on these issues
underlie differences in the trait of Authoritarianism. Authoritarianism tends to be moderately
positively correlated (0.4) with Conservatism.
