Personality Psychology and Trait Dynamics

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts of personality models, trait stability, change mechanisms, and Big Five behavioral applications.

HEXACO Model

A six-factor model of personality structure that includes the Honesty-Humility factor, which is omitted from the Big Five model.

Honesty-Humility

A factor in the HEXACO model whose facets are the best predictors of work behaviors, specifically showing a stronger negative prediction of bad workplace behavior than conscientiousness.

Mean Level Change

An absolute value change in an individual's or group's personality score over time, regardless of whether their relative position among peers changes.

Rank Order Change

A change in an individual's relative standing or rank order on a personality trait compared to their peers over time.

Test-Retest Reliability

A statistic measuring trait stability across two distinct time points, calculated as a correlation score that increases from $0.3$ in children to higher values in older adults.

Developmental Change

Naturally occurring personality changes over the lifespan where individuals generally move along a shared trajectory.

Life Event Change

A relatively rapid and large change in personality traits caused by dramatic or impactful experiences such as brain injuries, PTSD, promotions, or marriage.

Volitional Personality Change

Personality change that occurs as a result of an individual's conscious intention, will, or effort to change their own traits.

Critical Period

An early developmental timeframe during which environmental influences have a profound, lasting, and often irreversible effect on human development and abilities.

Conscientiousness Job Performance Correlation (Secchit et al., 2022)

The positive correlation of $0.19$ between conscientiousness and overall job performance, which is the largest among the Big Five personality traits.

Organizational Value of Disagreeableness

The practical utility of low agreeableness in workplace settings, including breaking groupthink during brainstorming, advocating for sensitive positions, and managing hard negotiations.

Organizational Value of Low Openness

The utility of preferring routine and tradition in organizations to prevent overly radical changes and effectively implement established, proven procedures.

Organizational Value of High Neuroticism

The workplace advantage of elevated sensitivity to risks, which allows individuals to detect emerging problems early and work hard to avoid negative consequences.