The Conscientiousness Paradox: Cultural Mindset Shapes Competence Perception

Mapping Chinese Personality: An Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the NEO-PI-3 in Monolingual and Bilingual Studies

The NEO-PI-3 is a fourth-generation instrument that has been shown to improve the psychometrics and readability of its immediate precedent, the NEO-PI-R. We examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese versions of the NEO-PI-R and NEO-PI-3 using three datasets (Ns = 913, 299, 403) collected using both monolingual and bilingual designs. The Chinese NEO-PI-3 scales displayed a five-factor structure in which the facets had the highest loadings on their intended factors. The structure demonstrated strong invariance across both languages (English vs. Chinese) and gender groups, maintained high test-retest reliability, and attained slightly better internal consistency than the NEO-PI-R. We also examined the affective underpinnings of personality factors and well-being measures using the Chinese Circumplex Model of Affect. Consistent with past findings, Neuroticism and Extraversion were most related to affect, while Satisfaction with Life and Subjective Happiness shared the affective core of pleasant feelings and medium arousal. Based on these results, the Chinese NEO-PI-3 appears to be a sound instrument to measure personality in Chinese communities and to compare personality across cultures.

A cross-sectional study on resilience, anxiety, depression, and psychoactive substance use among heterosexual and sexual minority adolescents in Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Mental health-related problems predispose alcohol and other psychoactive substances use as coping strategies. We assessed associations between resilience and anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, problematic alcohol, and multiple psychoactive substance use among sexual minority and heterosexual adolescents in Nigeria.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of a subset of data generated through an online cross-sectional study conducted between 16th and 31st of October 2020. Data extracted for adolescents in Nigeria age 13-19 years were: dependent variables (alcohol use using the CAGE test, multiple psychoactive substance use, depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and anxiety symptoms using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 measure); independent variables (resilience using the Connor-Davidson resilience scale and sexual identity), and confounding factors (age and sex). Associations between dependent and independent variables were determined using multivariable logistic regression analyses after controlling for confounders.

RESULTS

Of the 1419 adolescent participants, 593 (42%) were sexual minority individuals, 533 (37.6%) had high depressive symptoms, 381 (26.8%) had high anxiety symptoms, 177 (12.5%) had problematic alcohol use and 389 (27.4%) used multiple psychoactive substances. Resilience was significantly associated with lower odds of anxiety (AOR:0.96, 95% CI: 0.94-0.97, p < 0.001) and depressive (AOR:0.94, 95% CI: 0.92-0.96, p < 0.001) symptoms, problematic alcohol use (AOR:0.97, 95% CI: 0.95-0.99, p = 0.002), and multiple psychoactive substance use (AOR:0.95, 95% CI: 0.93-0.96, p < 0.001). Sexual minority adolescents had significantly higher odds of anxiety (AOR:4.14, 95% CI: 3.16-5.40, p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (AOR:4.79; 95% CI: 3.73-6.15, p < 0.001), problematic alcohol use (AOR:2.48, 95% CI: 1.76-3.49, p < 0.001), and multiple psychoactive substance use (AOR:5.69, 95% CI: 4.34-7.47, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Sexual minority adolescents and adolescents with low resilience have a higher need for interventions to reduce the risk of anxiety, depression, and the use of alcohol and other psychoactive substances.

Makeup and Its Application Simulation Affect Women's Self-Perceptions

Appearance modification is ancient, universal and influences other and self-perceptions. It has been rarely addressed how expectation of appearance modification would affect women's self-perception. We analyzed self-assessments of women without makeup and after having makeup professionally applied at four increasing levels (light, moderate, heavy 1, and heavy 2 makeup). In the simulation phase, women were treated with colorless cosmetics. Fifty Brazilian women (M_age = 24.26 years; SD = 5.53) rated themselves on attractiveness, health, self-esteem, femininity, satisfaction with appearance, age, dominance, confidence, and competence in all experimental conditions. Women in the simulation phase considered themselves more feminine, healthier, and with higher self-esteem than without makeup. In the real makeup phases, these ratings were higher than in the simulation phase. Appearance satisfaction and attractiveness did not differ between simulation and the real makeup phases, both being higher than without makeup. Confidence increased only in real makeup phases, but there was no effect on competence. Thus, real appearance modification and/or an expectation thereof can differently affect specific domains of self-evaluation.

Management of Innovations in Cross-Cultural Communication within an Organization

This paper summarizes the arguments and counterarguments within the discussion on the issue of cultural intelligence, bilingualism, and the relationship between language proficiency and cultural intelligence. The primary purpose of the research is to explore the relationship between bilingualism (or high language proficiency in two languages) and cultural intelligence. The systematization of literary sources and approaches for solving the problem indicates that a significant link between these constructs could be expected. The relevance of the decision of this scientific problem is that this relationship has not yet been the subject of any previous research. Investigation of the paper topic is carried out in the following logical sequence: a thorough look into a conceptual and theoretical framework of cultural intelligence, bilingualism and the link between cultural intelligence and language proficiency; in the second part of the paper two hypotheses are developed on the base of previous research, and the corresponding methodology is described. The theoretical model of the explored relationship is tested using the SmartPLS-SEM 3 program. The objects of the survey are 243 undergraduate students studying in the English study program at the University of Finance and Administration in the Czech Republic. The research empirically confirms and theoretically proves that there is a positive correlation between the level of foreign (non-native) language proficiency and cultural intelligence score. Language competence predicates the overall rating for CQ. The metacognitive and motivational factors of CQ play a substantial role within the framework of this relationship. On the other hand, data do not confirm a statistically significant difference between the group of bilingual and monolingual respondents. The results of the research can be useful for those who manage people across cultures and prepare students for working abroad or in international teams such as language teachers at universities. Keywords: cultural intelligence, language proficiency, bilingualism, biculturalism, cultural frame switching, PLS-SEM, intercultural effectiveness

Revealed Traits: A Novel Method for Estimating Cross-Cultural Similarities and Differences in Personality

Cross-cultural research on personality has often led to surprising and countertheoretical findings, which have led to concerns over the validity of country-level estimates of personality (e.g., Heine, Buchtel, & Norenzayan, 2008). The present study explores how cross-cultural differences can be indexed via revealed trait estimates, which index the personality traits of individuals or groups indirectly through their likelihood of responding in particular ways to particular situations. In two studies, we measure self-reports of personality, revealed traits, and revealed preferences for different expected effects (e.g., experiencing excitement) of two cultural groups (U.S. and Singaporean participants). We found typical East–West differences in personality using self-report scales, such as lower levels of Conscientiousness- and Extraversion-related characteristics among Singaporean participants relative to U.S. participants. We found evidence of scale use extremity differences in self-report personality scales but not in revealed trait estimates. Using revealed traits, we found evidence of strikingly high levels of similarity in terms of overall action endorsement, revealed trait estimates, and revealed preferences. However, this was qualified by consistent differences in revealed trait estimates of Extraversion-related characteristics and less consistent differences in revealed trait estimates of Conscientiousness-related characteristics. We also found consistent differences in preferences for different expected effects; for example, Singaporean participants reported lower likelihood of performing actions expected to result in experiencing stimulation or excitement than U.S. participants. Results suggest that similarities in action endorsements and revealed traits may be driven by common preferences for social inclusion and benevolence, and differences may be driven by differing preferences for expending effort, experiencing stimulation, and social attention.

The relations between conscientiousness and mental health in a North-European and a West-Asian culture

BACKGROUND

The relationship between conscientiousness, mental health and mental illness has been an issue for the last two decades.

AIMS

By using a dual model of mental health, the present study examined a non-linear relationship between conscientiousness and healthy or non-healthy symptoms in two different cultures.

METHOD

Participants in this study were 296 Iranian and 310 Swedish university students (18-24 years of age). We used two different conscientiousness scales; the 12-item conscientiousness subscale of the NEO/FFI as an imported (etic) scale, and a 10-item Iranian conscientiousness scale as an indigenous (emic) and culture-dependent scale.

RESULTS

In both conscientiousness scales, multivariate analysis of variance showed that conscientiousness differentiated among four mental health groups (languishing, troubled, symptomatic and flourishing), although languishing and troubled individuals were less conscientious than flourishing and symptomatic individuals. Furthermore, the non-healthy symptomatic individuals were more conscientiousness than flourishing individuals. The results showed no significant differences between the two cultures in terms of the four mental health categories.

CONCLUSIONS

It was concluded that the relationship between conscientiousness and mental health/mental illness is more a non-linear relationship than a linear one.