An organizational framework for the psychological individual differences: Integrating the affective, cognitive, and conative domains

Abstract

Recognition of the importance of individual differences dates back to humanity’s oldest surviving texts yet the scientific study of individual differences has been surprisingly limited. This paradox is presumed to result from the fact that differential psychology has struggled to graduate beyond pre-paradigmatic status as a science. In part, this has stemmed from the tendency to align idiographic approaches with the largely nomothetic methods of differential psychology under the broad label of “personality” research. The struggle has shifted – and, to some extent, abated – following acceptance of the Big Five taxonomy of personality and the more pressing concern has recently been the need to incorporate findings from additional disciplines of differential psychology.The purpose of this research was to propose an integrated assessment model – a preliminary paradigm which can be tested against extant and future models of individual differences in terms of predictive utility for a wide range of behaviors. The procedures used to develop this model are described separately by discipline (temperament, cognitive ability and vocational interests) and are supplemented by a methodological study regarding item clusters and complexity. All analyses were based on Synthetic Aperture Personality Assessment sampling procedures and large international samples (N s ranged from 24,000 to 97,000 participants representing 170 to 199 countries).The proposed temperament scales were iteratively derived from factor analyses of the items in 8 widely-used public-domain measures and can be scored at three hierarchical levels (with 3, 5 and 15 factors). The case is made that these scales are well-suited for heterarchical assessment and that the heterarchical organization of personality constructs often reflects the manner in which personality models are used in everyday settings. The cognitive ability scales represent a validated public-domain pool of items designed to assess several types of ability in un-proctored online settings. The vocational interest scales are derived from two public-domain measures and reflect the traditional six-factor interests framework. Collectively, these scales form an efficient multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary assessment model (the “SAPA Personality Inventory”) which aims to serve as a preliminary testable paradigm for differential psychology research.

Causal Unity of Broader Traits is an Illusion

“…We view orthogonality as theoretically problematic for hierarchical personality inventories where the scores at one level are dependent on other levels. Administration of public‐domain correlates of the NEO‐PI‐R to large online samples (Condon, ) produced five correlations between the factors/domains with magnitudes greater than | 0.2 | (95% CI: .16‐.24) and 34 meaningful correlations ( r > .30) between facets and their non‐primary domains. Even when the factors were intended to be orthogonal, it seems that the facets – and presumably their constituent items – occupy the interstitial spaces.…”

How do people respond to health news? The role of personality traits

“…Participants completed the SPI50 (Condon, 2014), a 50-item measure of Personality and Health Response 12 personality traits that was empirically derived from the International Personality Item Pool (Goldberg et al, 2006). Items are included in the supplementary material.…”

How do people respond to health news? The role of personality traits

“…Personality. Participants completed the SPI50 (Condon, 2014), a 50-item measure of Personality and Health Response 12 personality traits that was empirically derived from the International Personality Item Pool (Goldberg et al, 2006). Items are included in the supplementary material.…”