The Data Box and Within-Subject Analyses: A Comment on Nesselroade and Molenaar (2016)

Abstract

Nesselroade and Molenaar (2015:in press) suggest that it is the relationships between latent variables within subjects that are invariant across subjects and thus the appropriate unit of analysis. We disagree and take the view that between factor correlations may differ systematically across subjects. And further, individual differences in these correlations may be an important source of information about each unique individual. Following from this premise, analyses of consistencies and differences between subjects of the within subject pattern of inter-factor correlations is a step towards an integrative science of behavior. We give several examples demonstrating how this approach has the potential to yield novel insights into personality functioning.

Between‐ and within‐person structures of value traits and value states: Four different structures, four different interpretations

“…When multivariate time series data are collected (like in ESM), individual patterns of relations between variables can be observed and then their replicability over individuals can be verified (Cattell, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1988; Nesselroade & Molenaar, 2016). An analysis of pooled correlation matrices is justified only if individual patterns do not differ significantly (Revelle & Wilt, 2016). Hence, in this study, we first verified the interindividual replicability of the patterns of intraindividual relations among values pursued in everyday behaviors to justify the decision of analyzing pooled within‐person structure of value states.…”

Open Peer Commentary and Authors’ Response

“…In this short note, we will use the climate:weather analogy to demonstrate our claim that the study of personality writ large is the study of affects, behaviors, cognitions and desires at different temporal levels. We believe that weather and climate are powerful examples of seemingly nonergodic phenomena (Nesselroade & Molenaar, 2016;Revelle & Wilt, 2016) that can be unified by broader theory.…”

“…We applaud the effort and would like to suggest an analogy that might prove useful when addressing their three questions: "personality is to emotion as climate is to weather." More specifically, personality traits are long-term averages of behaviors and emotional reactions that seem to have different causes than the short-term fluctuations known as emotional, cognitive and behavioral states (Revelle, 2007;Revelle & Wilt, 2016).…”

Reliability from α to ω: A tutorial.

“…In typical Cattellian fashion, over the years this simple idea grew to as many as 10 dimensions (Cattell, 1966a; Cattell & Tsujioka, 1964). However, the three primary distinctions are still useful today (Nesselroade & Molenaar, 2016; Revelle & Wilt, 2016). Using these dimensions, Cattell (1964) distinguished between three ways that tests can be consistent: across occasions (reliability), across items (homogeneity), and across people (transferability or hardiness).…”