Chapter 15

PART VII APPLICATIONS OF PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

• Introduction to Personality Psychology

  • Personality psychology focuses on theories that categorize ways of thinking about individuals, including contributions from figures like Allport, Bandura, Freud, Maslow, Rogers, Klein, Skinner, etc.

  • The insights derived from personality psychology are pivotal for self-understanding and interpersonal relationships.

  • Personality theories encompass various approaches such as trait, behavioral, cognitive, and psychodynamic methods that can be practically combined for improved personal and professional outcomes.

• Goals of Personality Psychology

  • Freud defined mental health as the capacity to love and work, which aligns with the practical applications of personality psychology, explored in subsequent chapters.

  • Alleviation of mental illness and the promotion of psychological well-being are foundational aims of personality psychology.

  • Historically, clinical practitioners in personality psychology worked daily with patients, which later diverged from the trait approach but is now integrating more in contemporary research.

Chapter 15: Love and Relationships, Work and Business

Love and Relationships

• Importance of Relationships

  • Freud’s notion: “Love and work, work and love… that’s all there is.”

  • Studying psychology can fulfill both intellectual curiosity and practical utility.

  • The chapter summarizes how personality psychology applies to critical life areas: relationships and business.

  • Strong interpersonal relationships are essential for emotional well-being and fulfillment, while professional success provides stability and influence in the world.

• Personality Traits and Successful Relationships

  • Some traits serve as social deal-makers, enhancing relationship quality.

  • High Big Five traits of extraversion and agreeableness correlate with better relationships.

  • Extraverts engage more socially; agreeable individuals manage conflicts effectively.

  • A study indicates that communal traits (warmth and trustfulness) are significant in fostering interpersonal affinity (Wortman & Wood, 2011).

  • Broad traits, including low negative emotionality, high positive emotionality, and self-control, also relate positively to successful relationships.

• Dating Dynamics

  • In speed-dating contexts, personality compatibility did not predict attraction as expected; warmth and extraversion improved dating success.

  • Research problematizes the predictability of romantic attraction, likening it to uncontrollable natural phenomena like earthquakes (Joel et al., 2017).

• Social Skills Inventory

  • The Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory (BESSI) measures skills relevant to social interactions and has shown a positive correlation with relationship satisfaction (Soto et al., 2022).

• Deal-Breaker Traits

  • Traits undermining relationship success include untrustworthiness, anger issues, and dispositional contempt.

  • Dispositional contempt relates to negative emotional responses and creates barriers in relationships (Schriber et al., 2017).

  • Rejection sensitivity can lead individuals to misinterpret benign partner behaviors as signs of imminent rejection, creating anxiety-induced challenges (Downey & Feldman, 1996).

  • Neuroticism and social anxiety negatively influence initial encounters, impairing interpersonal perceptions (Tissera et al., 2021).

• Compatibility Context

  • Compatibility is sometimes oversimplified; average personalities fare well together, while extreme traits complicate relationships.

  • Challenging socio-economic factors like racism or discrimination can strain relationships (Ong et al., 2022).

  • Economic stress (like unemployment) can affect relationship intimacy (Karney & Neff, 2013).

Sexual Relationships and Sociosexuality

• Sociosexuality

  • Defined as the willingness to engage in sexual relations outside serious relationships.

  • Higher sociosexuality scores correlated with increased interest in physical attractiveness rather than partner qualities.

  • Sociosexual behavior is influenced by personality traits, especially “Dark Triad” traits (narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism) (Jonason et al., 2009).

• Online Dating

  • More females than males use dating apps, often seeking safer contexts due to introversion.

  • Online behavior can permit high rates of deceptive practices, typically by individuals low in agreeableness (Hall et al., 2010).

Work and Business

• Personality and Occupational Success

  • Employers prioritize traits like conscientiousness and integrity in hiring decisions.

  • Conscientiousness correlates strongly with positive job performance ratings (Ones et al., 1995), and predicts lower absenteeism (Ones et al., 2003).

  • High conscientiousness is linked to “citizenship performance,” assisting organizational overall success (Borman & Penner, 2001).

• Economic Implications

  • Self-control and conscientiousness are vital for prudent financial decision-making, as impulsivity leads to greater debt (Asebedo & Browning, 2019).

• Leadership Quality

  • Effective leaders often exhibit emotional stability (inverse of neuroticism), conscientiousness, and extraversion as vital traits (Judge et al., 2002).

  • Dark Triad traits may initially aid in gaining authority, but typically result in negative workplace dynamics.

• Occupational Choice Framework

  • John Holland’s occupational typology categorizes individuals into fitting career paths can improve job satisfaction and performance.

  • Types include Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional.

Summary of Key Lessons

• Relationships and Business as Life Cornerstones

  • Personality significantly shapes various aspects of life, from interpersonal bonds to career paths, highlighting the importance of self-awareness and its practical applications across personal domains.

Key Terms

• Attachment Theory: A psychological model describing the dynamics of long-term interpersonal relationships.

• Sexual Orientation: Refers to enduring sexual, emotional, or romantic attraction patterns towards others.

Think About It

Questions focusing on critical evaluation of personality’s role in relationships, financial decisions, and workplace dynamics.

Suggested Resources

• Online Psychology Tests and Assessments related to personality dimensions; valuable for diving deeper into entrepreneurial and interpersonal implications of personality traits.