Research Feed

The evolution of performance management (PM) has shifted from a focus on rating accuracy to a focus on driving actual results. While early strategies emphasized cognitive processes to ensure 'true' performance ratings, traditional structured systems—incorporating cascading goals and competency modeling—often proved tedious and ineffective. Consequently, many organizations are now transitioning toward agile, cost-effective models that prioritize real-time feedback, continuous coaching, and behavioral change over heavy administrative processes. This modern approach seeks to simplify goal-setting and move away from rigid, low-value evaluations toward a system that authentically motivates employees.

This chapter offers a comprehensive introduction to the theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence linking personality to parenting. It begins by establishing the core concepts within personality psychology and parenting research, then transitions into a detailed review of how specific traits influence caregiving behaviors. The chapter concludes by identifying critical gaps in the current literature, proposing future research directions, and summarizing the broader implications of these personality-parenting associations.

This meta-analysis of 33,033 individuals challenges the assumption that self-reports are inherently skewed by self-enhancement. Results show that self-ratings align closely with those of well-acquainted informants (average δ=−.038), suggesting people generally view themselves realistically. Discrepancies primarily arise with stranger reports, where observers tend to be more critical. These findings reinforce the validity of self-report inventories, demonstrating that significant 'ego-driven' distortions are less common than previously feared in personality psychology.

This study utilizes massive data sets of over 1.5 million participants to address the long-standing debate over whether humans can be categorized into distinct 'personality types.' While the Five Factor Model is the standard for describing individual traits, previous attempts to find consistent types often failed due to small sample sizes and unreliable methods. By applying a more rigorous clustering approach, researchers identified four robust types: Average, Reserved, Self-Centered, and Role Model. These findings suggest that while most people do not fit into a specific type, these categories represent meaningful patterns that emerge far more frequently than would be expected by chance.

Research involving over 44,000 participants confirms that personality traits are reliably communicated through musical preferences, extending beyond simple self-reports to behavioral actions. Both reactions to unfamiliar music and 'Likes' for specific artists on social media successfully predicted individual differences, particularly for Openness and Extraversion. These results demonstrate high external validity, proving that our musical choices—whether passive listening or active public endorsement—serve as robust markers of our underlying personality structure across diverse demographic groups.

This large-scale longitudinal study involving over 22,000 adults demonstrates a powerful, bidirectional relationship between personality and sleep quality. Lower Neuroticism and higher Extraversion were the strongest predictors of better sleep, often outweighing demographic factors. Conversely, low Conscientiousness predicted a decline in sleep quality over time. Notably, the relationship is reciprocal: poor sleep quality was associated with 'detrimental' personality trajectories, including steeper declines in Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. These findings suggest that sleep is not just a health outcome influenced by personality, but a critical factor in maintaining a stable and healthy personality profile as we age.

This handbook explores the multidimensional science of Subjective Well-Being (SWB), which encompasses positive emotions, life satisfaction, and optimism. By synthesizing philosophical history with empirical research, the text examines how biological, cultural, and policy-driven factors influence happiness. Key theoretical frameworks, such as set-point models, suggest that individuals have a baseline level of happiness to which they eventually return after life events. Ultimately, the work aims to explain the variance in human flourishing by analyzing the predictors and outcomes that distinguish satisfied lives from unsatisfied ones.

This research emphasizes that family ties (specifically marital, intergenerational, and sibling relationships) serve as primary pillars of psychological well-being throughout adulthood. The study highlights that the quality of these connections often matters more than their mere existence, noting that diverse family structures significantly influence how support is exchanged. Interestingly, the researchers suggest that future study should focus on the 'unexpected benefits' of relationship strain and how intersecting social statuses shape family dynamics. Ultimately, understanding these complex interactions is essential for promoting long-term resilience and emotional health within various family units.

Research on 514 participants indicates that Openness to Experience and Agreeableness are the strongest predictors of a 'universal-diverse orientation,' or the appreciation of human commonalities and differences. While factors like low Neuroticism and high Conscientiousness also play roles, specific lower-order facets across all Big Five traits provide even deeper insights. These findings suggest that diversity training can be significantly improved by tailoring interventions to match individual personality profiles to better foster cultural competence.

This handbook offers a comprehensive and practical guide to major personality assessment tools, combining theoretical foundations with real-world application. Covering widely used instruments, it details their development, administration, scoring, and interpretation, along with psychometric properties and ethical considerations. Updated with newer methodologies, the book serves as an essential resource for both students and professionals seeking a thorough understanding of contemporary personality assessment practices.

Humanism represents a profound shift in European thought, marking the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. By centering human experience rather than strictly divine or supernatural matters, it revived interest in the classical Greek and Roman philosophies that prioritized logic, rhetoric, and individual agency. This movement suggested that through education and the study of the 'humanities' (grammar, poetry, history, and moral philosophy), individuals could reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society. Consequently, humanism laid the groundwork for modern science, democratic ideals, and the high value placed on personal freedom today.

To gather diverse perspectives, the GAO collaborated with the National Academies to survey experts across multiple disciplines, including criminology, economics, public health, and statistics. This interdisciplinary approach was paired with a comprehensive literature review of 27 major studies published over a twenty-year period. By synthesizing these varied academic and professional viewpoints, the GAO sought to identify the most persistent methodological gaps in how the United States calculates the financial and social impact of criminal activity.

This chapter explores how the Five Factor Model (FFM) relates to personality disorders, arguing that it reflects general personality structure rather than only normal traits. It reviews evidence showing that the FFM captures both adaptive and maladaptive functioning, explains similarities and differences among disorder measures, and aligns with DSM-5 trait dimensions. The authors also highlight research on maladaptive trait variants and efforts to develop corresponding assessment scales.

This longitudinal study examined how neuroticism and related vulnerability traits predict the onset of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Results suggest a general neuroticism factor contributes to risk across disorders, but is most strongly linked to mood and anxiety conditions, particularly when they co-occur. The findings also indicate some disorder-specific vulnerability effects, highlighting both shared and distinct pathways from personality to psychopathology over time.

This study introduces a new model to measure how much our personalities stay the same versus how much they change over time. The findings reveal that while 83% of our core personality traits remain stable throughout life, areas like self-esteem and life satisfaction are much more likely to shift. Interestingly, the research also confirms that our individual differences become even more stable as we grow older.

This meta-analysis examined links between Big Five personality traits and physical activity across over 60 studies. Extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness showed small positive associations with activity, while neuroticism showed a small negative link; agreeableness was not related. Effects varied across study designs and samples. Overall, findings suggest personality has modest but meaningful connections to physical activity, highlighting the need for stronger measures and longitudinal research.

This research examines the volunteer process across three distinct stages: antecedents (what motivates a person to serve), experiences (the actual period of service), and consequences (the outcomes for all involved). By analyzing volunteerism through multiple lenses, the study addresses the impacts on the individual, the service recipients, the host organizations, and the broader community. These findings highlight how specific motivations and environmental factors influence long-term commitment and the overall social utility of volunteer work.

This study of 3,827 students across 19 countries reveals that high Neuroticism correlates with negative attitudes toward action and positive attitudes toward inaction. Anxiety primarily drives this bias against taking action, while collectivist beliefs further strengthen the negative link between emotional instability and proactive attitudes. These findings suggest that addressing cognitive biases toward passivity, particularly in anxious or collectivist contexts, is essential for mitigating the negative lifestyle consequences associated with Neuroticism.

This chapter conceptualizes Subjective Well-Being (SWB) as a multidimensional construct, addressing modern definitional controversies and comprehensive models. It examines how personality processes underlie SWB and explores whether baseline happiness levels can actually change over time. Beyond individual experience, the review highlights the practical application of SWB data in public policy, using happiness metrics to inform societal decisions and promote broad human flourishing through empirical research.

While personality traits and personal values both predict behavior, they remain distinct psychological constructs. A meta-analysis of 60 studies linking the Five-Factor Model to Schwartz’s Value Theory reveals consistent but moderate correlations, confirming they are not interchangeable. The research highlights a key distinction: cognitively based traits (like Openness) align strongly with values, whereas emotionally based traits (like Neuroticism) show much weaker links. These findings suggest that while our traits describe how we typically behave, our values represent what we consider important, necessitating an integrated approach to fully understand human motivation.