A Faceted Eye on Intellectual Giftedness: Examining the Personality of Gifted Students Using FFM Domains and Facets

Author(s): Ana Altaras-Dimitrijevic / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2012

The study examines the personality profile of gifted vs. average-ability students from the perspective of the FFM. The issue was approached by (1) reviewing the literature for well-established personality characteristics of the gifted, (2) establishing correspondences between these traits and FFM domains/facets, and (3) formulating a domain and a facet-level model which were hypothesized to discriminate significantly between gifted and nongifted students. The domain-level model consisted of Openness and Agreeableness. The facet-level model included 14 traits: Anxiety, Impulsiveness, Gregariousness, Assertiveness, Fantasy, Feelings, Aesthetics, Ideas, Compliance, Modesty, Tendermindedness, Order, Achievement, and Deliberation. The models were tested on three samples (N1 =515 high-school students, 155 gifted; N2 =132 psychology students, 28 gifted; N3 =443 psychology students, 91 gifted). Results indicate that the domain-level model does not discriminate significantly between gifted and nongifted students in each sample, whereas the proposed 14-facet model yields a significant discrimination across all samples. The latter model may be further adjusted by removing facets which proved inconsistent or unsubstantial in distinguishing between the two groups. This yields a 7-facet discriminant function, which is also significant across samples, indicating that gifted students are consistently distinguished by a combination of high Ideas, Fantasy, Aesthetics, and Assertiveness, but low Gregariuosness, Modesty, and Tendermindeness. Educational implications and limitations are discussed.

A General Factor of Personality in a sample of inmates: associations with indicators of life-history strategy and covitality

Author(s): Daliborka Kujacic,Janko Mededovic / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2017

This study looked for a General Factor of Personality (GFP) in a sample of male convicts (N=226; mean age 32 years). The GFP was extracted from seven broad personality traits: FFM factors, Amoralism (the negative pole of the lexical Honesty-Humility factor) and Disintegration (operationalization of Schizotypy). Three first-order factors were extracted, labeled Dysfunctionality, Antisociality and Openness, and GFP was found through the hierarchical factor analysis. The nature of the GFP was explored through analysis of its relations with markers of fast Life-History strategy and covitality. The results demonstrated that the GFP is associated with unrestricted sexual behavior, medical problems, mental problems, early involvement in criminal activity and stability of criminal behavior. The evidence shows that the GFP is a meaningful construct on the highest level of personality structure. It may represent a personality indicator of fitness-related characteristics and could be useful in research of personality in an evolutionary context.

A model of the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and the motivations to deliver word-of-mouth online

Author(s): Bogdan Anastasiei,Nicoleta Dospinescu / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2018

The goal of this research is to establish the relationships between the Big Five personality traits – Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Openness – and the motivations to deliver electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in the social media. The research method was based on a survey administered to 262 subjects, mostly students and young professionals. The personality traits that are most related to eWOM are Extraversion (that influences the need for social appreciation and Positive self-enhancement) and Openness to experience (that determines the concern for others and the desire to help good companies). Conscientiousness has a negative relationship with the tendency to Vent negative feelings about a bad buy, while Neuroticism has a slight influence on the motivation to get Social benefits and Self-enhancement. Knowing the prevalent personality traits and motivations of the eWOM transmitters, the company communication strategist can figure out the most proper ways to approach them. This paper is one of the few that throughly investigates the relationship between personality traits and the intrinsic motivations to write online reviews about companies and brands. Key words: big five model, electronic word of mouth, word of mouth communication.

A Response to Tomáš Urbánek

Author(s): Petra Anýžová / Language(s): English / Issue: 03/2017

A six-factor model of brand personality and its predictive validity

Author(s): Marko Živanovic,Sofija Cerovic,Jovana Bjekic / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2017

The study examines applicability and usefulness of HEXACO-based model in the description of brand personality. Following contemporary theoretical developments in human personality research, Study 1 explored the latent personality structure of 120 brands using descriptors of six personality traits as defined in HEXACO model: Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness. The results of exploratory factor analyses have supported HEXACO personality six-factor structure to a large extent. InStudy 2 we addressed the question of predictive validity of HEXACO-based brand personality. Brand personality traits, but predominantly Honesty-Humility, accounted for substantial amount of variance in prediction of important aspects of consumer-brand relationship: attitude toward brand, perceived quality of a brand, and brand loyalty. The implications of applying HEXACO-based brand personality in marketing research are discussed.

A study on the relationship between compulsive exercise, depression and anxiety

Author(s): Aviv Weinstein,Yitzhak Weinstein,Gavriel Maayan / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2015

Exercise and physical activity are beneficial both physically and psychologically but a few individuals use exercise excessively resulting in physical and even psychological damage. There is evidence for bidirectional relationship between exercise with depression and anxiety showing that exercise can reduce anxiety and depression, whereas a lack of exercise is associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression. Methods: This study used questionnaires assessing compulsive exercise, anxiety and depression among 20 professional regular exercisers and 51 recreational regular exercisers. Results: Results showed that ratings of compulsive exercise were associated with ratings of anxiety and depression among individuals who exercise for professional and recreational purpose. Secondly, individuals who exercise for professional purpose were more depressed than individuals who exercise for recreational purpose, but did not exhibit higher trait anxiety ratings. Thirdly, individuals who exercise for recreational purpose showed an association between ratings of compulsive exercise and depression but not with ratings of trait anxiety. Discussion: Individuals who exercise for professional and recreational purpose may use it as a means for alleviating depression and anxiety although this small sample of recreational and professional sportsmen showed clinical levels of anxiety and depression that may require further clinical treatment.

A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS: THE COLLECTION AND FORMALIZATION OF INFORMATION RELATING TO THE NEEDS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Author(s): Mabrouka El Hachani,Omar Larouk / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2017

This article addresses the issue of technical documents and the impact their structuring has on professionals working in the field of disability. A model was developed to accompany users with disabilities when entering information; it was based on the linguistic analysis of an assortment of technical documents (institutional forms). We studied the problems related to technical documents by using a methodological approach which was based on a combination of complementary studies. The first was a terminological study, which aimed to look for relevant themes. It was complemented by a second one, which analyzed the discourse that was transmitted by the texts and which was centered on exploring the logical links between propositions and paragraphs. We completed these two studies with a final one, the logico-cognitive analysis. This which allowed us to look for contextual clues, which were produced by the texts in the documentary environment. It was therefore possible to formalize information and communication operations thanks to the reference discourse’s targeted environment in view of designing an automated information system.

Academic integrity “captured” by a personality-based test

Author(s): Predrag Okanovic,Dragana Okanovic,Dušanka Mitrovic,Nebojša Majstorovic / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2013

The main goal of this study was to develop and validate a personality-based academic integrity test which could serve as a predictor of students’ academic dishonesty. A new Academic Integrity Test (AIT), based on methodological principles accepted in the field of work integrity, was created during this study. The test was developed on one student sample (N=350), and then validated on another (N=471). Validation of the AIT confirmed its relations with three dimensions previously found to be consistent correlates of work integrity measures – Conscientiousness, Aggressiveness and Neuroticism, with the addition of Negative Valence. The correlation between the AIT and a cognitive ability measure was not significant, which is in accordance with previous research. The test retained significant relations with the aforementioned personality measures in simulated applicant condition (except with Neuroticism), leading to the conclusion that the AIT maintains construct validity in situations susceptible to self-presentation.

Acculturation Process and Ethnic Identity of Immigrants in Germany

Author(s): Liudmyla Smokova / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

In the present study, we discuss psychological acculturation, by which we mean the internal processes of change that immigrants experience when they come into direct contact with members of the host culture. The model we present builds on research in the areas of social and ethnic identity. Each of these perspectives is discussed in accordance with its relevance to the acculturative processes operating in immigrants. We understand ethnic identity as a dynamic state, that is determined by three components: (1) by the degree of inclusion in the group of one’s cultural origin; (2) the tendency to assimilate to the ethnic group of origin; and (3) the complementary tendency to differentiate from one’s own ethnic group. Social identity conveys belonging of the individual to different social categories and the value as well as emotional significance of this membership. We have sought to explain how the processes of social categorization, inand out-group identification and social comparison predetermine the direction of the acculturation process and hence the intercultural interaction and wellbeing of the youth from immigrant backgrounds in Germany. Results indicated that immigrants who have more identified themselves with dominant society have expressed the strong preference to integration strategies. The immigrants that had a high degree of ethnic identification have expressed the low preference to the integration as well to marginalization and assimilation. In its turn, the powerful feeling of belonging to an ethnic group and attitude towards the group promotes immigrants segregation choice.

ACTUAL TENDENCY IN INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

Author(s): Andreea Szalontay,Alina Mihaela Pascu,Andreea Teodorescu,Dan Minea,Petru IFTENI / Language(s): English / Issue: 51/2015

Patients with schizophrenia requiring long-term institutionalization represent cases with poor outcome, often leading to high costs for patients and family and constituting a huge economical burden for society if patients are young. The aims of the study were identification of characteristics and predictors of institutionalization in schizophrenia. Retrospective study of all institutionalized patients with schizophrenia in Brasov County, Romania, with a DSM-IV-TR lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia institutionalized between 1995 and 2014. Institutionalized patients between 2005 and 2014 (n=172) had lower age (51.15 vs. 57.08, p<0.05) and lower age at institutionalization compared with patients admitted between 1995 and 2004. Lower education level (8.23 vs. 13.22, p<0.05), only one parent, multiple antipsychotics treatments and suboptimal response under first generation long acting antipsychotics are predictors for institutionalization. Our study showed a tendency to institutionalize patients with schizophrenia at the younger age compared with other periods. Early intervention in psychosis, controlled treatment with SGAs should be solutions to avoid institutionalization of young patients with schizophrenia.

Advances in Contemplative Social Research

Author(s): Krzysztof T. Konecki / Language(s): English / Publication Year: 2018

This book is unique and audacious, and fits very well with current tendencies within qualitative research. It introduces new, fresh threads to questions and concerns that are highly significant for contemporary social sciences. The formulated conclusions go beyond directly methodological issues, posing key philosophical questions to the whole project of Western sociology.Grażyna WoronieckaFrom the review of the bookDeep contemplation of the situation could be the epistemological choice for social scientists. It is a fundamentally different approach to the research, where the investigator is researching the object but also the situation of research and her-self/him-self. Contemplating is a dual way of the approaching the truth. It does not mean that the researcher is mentally divided; just the opposite, she/he wants to be complete and achieve the unity of being as a researcher-human being and an element of the situation (psycho-social and historical). Contemplating enables researchers to see how the mind works and creates the images and reports from the field – what is available for the mind and what is silent or repressed because of the dominating rhetoric of description and rhetoric of feeling?... Contemplation is not only analysis, it is also an ethical choice of stopping here and now to see the situation clearly and reporting it with the all reservations that could be the result of the mindfully-observed interaction of mind, self, and situation at one historical moment.From the Introduction

Aesthetic Experience and the Emotional Content of Paintings

Author(s): Slobodan Markovic / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2010

In this study we investigated the relationship between aesthetic experience and other emotional qualities judged in paintings. Aesthetic experience was defined as an exceptional state of mind in which a person is focused on a particular object, transcending its everyday uses and meanings and losing the awareness of surroundings and even of himself/herself. In this state a person has an exceptional emotional experience, that is a feeling of unity with the object. Our basic idea is that aesthetic experience is not reducible to pleasure or a positive hedonic tone, but a person can equally be fascinated with both pleasant and unpleasant objects. In preliminary studies we specified the stimulus set of figural and semi-figural paintings, and a set of descriptors of emotions, feelings and aesthetic experience. Participants judged the paintings on descriptors (seven-point scales). Factor analysis revealed two large factors: the bipolar factor Affective Tone (descriptors on the positive pole: lovely, charming, cheerful, etc; descriptors on the negative pole: scary, disgusting, hateful etc.) and Aesthetic Experience (descriptors: exceptional, profound, unique, etc.). Additional analyses have shown no significant correlation between the two factors. These findings confirmed our idea that aesthetic experience is independent of pleasure or affective attraction, and that it can be induced by both pleasant and unpleasant paintings.

Aleksitimija merena TAS-20 upitnikom: provera faktorske strukture upitnika i njenog odnosa sa zadovoljstvom životom i Velikih pet dimenzija ličnosti

Author(s): Nikola Rokvic,Tamara Jovanovic / Language(s): Serbian / Issue: 1/2018

Alexithymia is the inability of an individual to recognize their own or someone else’s feelings and to communicate their own emotional states. On the cognitive level, we can observe a decreased ability for imagination and a practical style of thinking, while on the affective level, we can notice a diminished ability of getting in touch with emotions. The most commonly used instrument for measuring alexithymia is the TAS-20 scale that consists of three subscales: Factor 1– the identification of feelings, Factor 2– difficulties describing feelings, Factor 3– externally oriented thinking. The aim of this paper is to determine the factor structure of the TAS-20 questionnaire and its relations to personality traits and life satisfaction. The sample consisted of 601“nonclinical” and 65 “clinical” participants. The “clinical” participants have reported in the survey that they had a diagnosed psychiatric disorder. 75% of the “nonclinical” and 76.9% of the “clinical” sample participants were female. The average age of the “nonclinical” sample was 29.47 (SD=7.12), and the average age of the “clinical” sample was 31.18 (SD=8.44). Confirmatory factor analysis has shown an adequate model fit, but only after the removal of item 20 from the model. The summary score and factor scores showed an expected relationship with the Big Five in the “nonclinical” sample, except a somewhat weaker correlation with the Openness trait. The summary score and factor scores also had expected relations with life satisfaction, while no significant correlation was detected in the “clinical” sample. The regression model has shown that personality traits explain 37.6% of the summary score variance. The expected gender differences were not detected.

An Analysis of the Barriers to Inclusion of Children with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (besd) in the Contexts of Greece and England

Author(s): Katerina Lykourgioti / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2017

Children with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD) are at high risk of experiencing exclusion in both England and Greece. However, this particular category of Special Educational Needs (SEN) has so far received relatively little academic or political attention in comparison to other SEN. This paper attempts to point out the barriers that may prevent the inclusion of children with BESD both in terms of the theoretical conceptualisation of the category itself and in terms of the policies and practices that England and Greece may implement. In order to achieve a further yet coherent picture of the current situation, this paper has identified three different types of factors that may negatively influence inclusion. Therefore, by discussing the possible ideological, structural, and practical challenges, the paper aims to highlight the crucial need for further theoretical insight that would be able to inform and promote the establishment of a more cohesive and efficient legislative framework for pupils with BESD in both countries.

An empirical investigation of the effects of moderating and mediating variables in business research: Insights from an auditing report

Author(s): Mohammad Namazi,Navid Reza Namazi / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2017

This study examines the empirical impacts of moderating (MO) and mediating (ME) variables in business research, within the context of auditing reports. size, complexity of the operation, and risk of the firm were selected as the independent variable, moderating variable, and mediating variable, respectively. The selection was attempted over 15 years of research (1455 year-firm data) for the firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). The following techniques were employed for testing the hypothesis: Pearson correlation, Levin, Lin, and Chu test, Hausman unit root, and multiple regression. The results revealed that there is a significant relationship between the size of the firm and the type of the auditing report. Moreover, a significant relationship between the size of the company and the type of auditing report is shown in the inventory value of the moderating variables. Furthermore, the same has been displayed in return on the assets and institutional ownership of the mediating variables. However, inventory and institutional ownership demonstrate a significant statistical relationship when moderating and mediating variables are considered simultaneously. The implication of this study is to demonstrate the moderating and mediating variables as significant impediments in the type of auditing report. This would change the design, theory, and implications of this research.

An investigation into problematic smartphone use: The role of narcissism, anxiety, and personality factors

Author(s): Zaheer Hussain,Mark D. Griffiths,David Sheffield / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2017

Over the last decade, worldwide smartphone usage has greatly increased. Alongside this growth, research on the influence of smartphones on human behavior has also increased. However, a growing number of studies have shown that excessive use of smartphones can lead to detrimental consequences in a minority of individuals. This study examines the psychological aspects of smartphone use particularly in relation to problematic use, narcissism, anxiety, and personality factors. Methods: A sample of 640 smartphone users ranging from 13 to 69 years of age (mean = 24.89 years, SD = 8.54) provided complete responses to an online survey including modified DSM-5 criteria of Internet Gaming Disorder to assess problematic smartphone use, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. Results: The results demonstrated significant relationships between problematic smartphone use and anxiety, conscientiousness, openness, emotional stability, the amount of time spent on smartphones, and age. The results also demonstrated that conscientiousness, emotional stability, and age were independent predictors of problematic smartphone use. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that problematic smartphone use is associated with various personality factors and contributes to further understanding the psychology of smartphone behavior and associations with excessive use of smartphones.

Analysis of the hostile family environment as a predictor of aggression during adolescence

Author(s): Boris Tilov / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2015

Anne ve Babaların Eğitim Düzeyi ve Mesleki Statüleri ile Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Cinsiyetçilik ve Muhafazakârlığı Arasındaki İlişki

Author(s): Abdulkadir Kuzlak,Burcu Çuvas,Nuray Sakalli-Ugurlu / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 9/2017

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mother and father education levels and vocational statuses with sexism and conservatism. 418 undergraduate students (229 females, 189 males; Mage = 22.31, SS = 3.3) were recruited for the study and completed questions regarding parent statuses as well as Ambivalent Sexism Inventory including hostile -benevolent sexism and General Conservatism Scale. Results showed that parent education levels and statuses were mostly negatively correlated with individuals’ hostile and benevolent sexism and conservatism. Besides, it is found that education level and statuses of both parents are more related with women hostile and benevolent sexism and conservatism compared to men. Finally, contradictions and compliances of findings with existing literature were discussed, theoretical and practical contributions were revealed, and some limitations were specified.

Annenin Ebeveyn Tutumlarının ve Çocuğun Annesinin Tutumlarıyla İlgili Algısının Çocuğun Duygu Tanıma Becerilerindeki Rolü

Author(s): Arzu Çaliskan Sari,Basak Sahin-Acar / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 12/2018

Parenting attitudes and children’s perception of parenting attitudes influence many different developmental skills of children, especially their social skills. The current study aims to examine the effects of mothers’ parenting attitudes and children’s perception of maternal parenting on children’s emotion recognition skills via the mediator role of children’s perception of parenting attitudes. One hundred and thirty 2nd-grade children and their mothers living in Ankara participated in the study. Kusche Emotion Inventory, Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran Child form (sEMBU-C) were used as measurements for children while EMBU Parent form and a demographic form were used as measurements for mothers. Results showed that children whose mothers were high in emotional warmth got higher receptive emotion scores; while children, whose mothers scored higher in rejection, got lower receptive emotion scores. In addition, children’s perception of their mothers’ emotional warmth predicted the relationship between mother’s own emotional warmth and receptive emotion scores of children positively; while children’s perception of their mothers’ rejection predicted the relationship between mothers’ own rejection and children’s receptive emotion scores negatively. Overprotection had no predictive role in emotion understanding of children. Limitations of the current study and suggestions for future studies were discussed.

Antisocial behavior: Dimension or category(ies)?

Author(s): Mikloš Biro,Snežana Smederevac,Zdenka Novovic / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2008

Classificatory systems (DSM-IV, ICD-10) use different criteria for defining a rather common antisocial disorder, traditionally referred as psychopathy. Most empirical studies of this phenomenon use Cleckley’s operational definition that was applied and amended in Hare’s revised Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R). In modern literature, the fact that there is less than a perfect correspondence between classificatory systems and Hare’s PCL-R is often cited as an indication that antisocial behavior is not confined to a distinct category of people but is rather a continuous personality dimension. In order to further elucidate the nosology of antisocial behaviors, a Psychopathy Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ) based on Cleckley – Hare’s criteria and consisting of 40 binary items was administered to 339 men (135 prisoners and 204 members of the general population). Four distinct clusters of respondents were identified by means of hierarchical cluster analysis: Psychopathic type (characterized by high positive scores on dimension of Unemotionality; Antisocial type (characterized by high positive scores on Social deviance dimension); Adapted type (characterized by negative scores on all dimensions); and Hyper-controlled type (characterized by extremely negative scores on dimension Social deviance accompanied with positive scores on Unemotionality dimension). Additional comparison with MMPI profiles which classified prison sample in two groups (“Psychopathic profiles” and “NonPsychopathic profiles”) shows that there is no expected compatibility between MMPI and PAQ. We conclude that Antisocial type can be treated as a distinct category, while Psychopathic type displays characteristics of dimensional distribution.