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Objectives: Although there have been studies linking personality to selected aspects of functioning at work, Polish literature reports a shortage of detailed analyses considering, e.g., specific professional groups or certain variables. The aim of our study was to explore the links between personality traits and emotional labor, work engagement and job satisfaction among service workers. Material and Methods: The study was based on a cross-sectional, self-report survey of 137 workers representing different service industries in Poland. Each participant received a demographic data sheet and a set of questionnaires: NEO Five-Factor Inventory, the Deep Acting and Surface Acting Scale, the Job Satisfaction Scale and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale -all in their Polish versions. Results: A correlation analysis revealed numerous relationships between the examined variables. However, results of the regression analysis showed that only some personality traits were related with individual aspects of functioning at work. Neuroticism accounted for the phenomenon of faking emotions. Conscientiousness was significantly related to general work engagement, vigor and dedication. Agreeableness and neuroticism significantly predicted job satisfaction. Conclusions: Individual personality traits account for various aspects of work functioning. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016;29(5):767-782

Although hope and forgiveness have been both negatively correlated with depression, actual relationships between all three variables have never been investigated. The aim of the study was to examine a theoretical model in which forgiveness mediates the relationship between basic hope and depressive symptoms. The sample was composed of 77 psychotherapy outpatients. Polish adaptations of the Basic Hope Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Heartland Forgiveness Scale were used. Negative and positive aspects of dispositional forgiveness of self, others, and situations beyond anyone's control were applied. Results indicated that the general level of forgiveness, as well as overcoming unforgiveness, fully mediated the relationship between basic hope and depression symptoms, while positive dimension of forgiveness partially mediated the links between the variables. The findings demonstrate that the tendency to forgive might be a mechanism via which basic hope reduces odds of depression.

The paper presents the concept of emotional and decisional forgiveness proposed by Worthington et al. (Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 30, 291-302, 2007) and employing the Polish versions of the Decision to Forgive Scale and Emotional Forgiveness Scale developed in line with this theory. Both scales are tools measuring episodic forgiveness is forgiveness for a specific transgression that is made once. Decisional forgiveness is a declaration to forgive, whereas emotional forgiveness is a "change of heart". The results of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis showed that the structure of the Polish scales is exactly the same as of the original tools, i.e., in case of the DTFS, a one-factor solution (CFI = .998, GFI = .990, RMSEA = .042), and in case of the EFS, a two-factor solution (CFI = .987; GFI = .984; RMSEA = .051). The Polish versions of the DTFS and EFS were significantly correlated with other tools of forgiveness (TRIM-18episodic forgiveness and HFSdispositional forgiveness).

Although personality characteristics have been conceptualized as influencing individuals' propensity to forgive, the findings in this field are inconsistent and require further studies. The five-factor model has been explored most frequently, and personality traits, especially agreeableness and neuroticism, have been found to be related to forgiveness. This study investigated the relationships between five personality domains and different aspects of dispositional forgiveness, termed forgivingness, namely positive and negative dimensions of forgivingness of oneself, other people, and situations beyond anyone's control. Data were collected from 153 adults aged from 20 to 55 years. The participants completed the NEO-FFI Personality Inventory and the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS). Correlation and regression analyses were performed. The results demonstrated that personality traits explained variance in most HFS subscales. Neuroticism, agreeableness and extraversion were significant predictors of different dimensions of forgivingness. Neuroticism negatively predicted the overall level of forgivingness and overcoming unforgiveness of self, others, and situations. Extraversion along with neuroticism also negatively predicted total forgivingness as well as overcoming unforgiveness in general and towards others. Agreeableness was significantly related to positive forgivingness in general and towards others.

Abstract:The study examined the importance of cognitive (positive orientation, basic hope) (Thompson et al., 2005), TRIM (McCullough et al., 1998), P-Scale (Caprara et al., 2012), BHI-12 (Trzebiński & Zięba, 2003a), SUPIN (Polish version of PANAS;Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988), CECS (Watson & Greer, 1983). Results showed that dispositional forgiveness (general and positive) was associated with cognitive and emotional predictors, whereas episodic forgiveness primarily with certain emotional variables. In addition, the results indicated that emotional predictors merely participate in the process of reducing unforgiveness, whereas cognitive and emotional variables were shown to be necessary for full forgiveness.

Although women are believed to be more forgiving than men, the results of many studies comparing women with men vary. Moreover, little is known about unique correlates or differential patterns of experiencing forgiveness by gender. In the present study, we compared men and women in terms of their level of dispositional forgiveness and its emotional correlates, namely positive and negative affect, anxiety, and emotional control. The sample consisted of 625 individuals aged 19–69, of whom 478 (76.5%) were women and 147 (23.5%) were men. Polish versions of the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used. Men showed a higher level of general forgiveness and greater willingness to overcome unforgiveness than women, but there was no significant difference in positive facets of the disposition to forgive. In both genders negative affect, anxiety, and control of anger and of depression were negatively related to dimensions of dispositional forgiveness, and positive affect was positively associated with forgiveness. In females control of anxiety was negatively and in males it was positively related to facets of forgiveness. Gender moderated a number of links between affective traits and forgiveness of self and of situations beyond control, but not forgiveness of others.

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