An Organizational Framework for the Psychological Individual Differences: Integrating the Affective, Cognitive, and Conative Domains
Loading...
Date
2014-12
Authors
Condon, David M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Recognition of the importance of individual differences dates back to humanity’s oldest surviving texts yet the scientific study of individual differences has been surprisingly limited. This paradox is presumed to result from the fact that differential psychology has struggled to graduate beyond pre-paradigmatic status as a science. In part, this has stemmed from the tendency to align idiographic approaches with the largely nomothetic methods of differential psychology under the broad label of “personality” research. The struggle has shifted – and, to some extent, abated – following acceptance of the Big Five taxonomy of personality and the more pressing concern has recently been the need to incorporate findings from additional disciplines of differential psychology. The purpose of this research was to propose an integrated assessment model – a preliminary paradigm which can be tested against extant and future models of individual differences in terms of predictive utility for a wide range of behaviors. The procedures used to develop this model are described separately by discipline (temperament, cognitive ability and vocational interests) and are supplemented by a methodological study regarding item clusters and complexity. All analyses were based on Synthetic Aperture Personality Assessment sampling procedures and large international samples (N s ranged from 24,000 to 97,000 participants representing 170 to 199 countries). The proposed temperament scales were iteratively derived from factor analyses of the items in 8 widely-used public-domain measures and can be scored at three hierarchical levels (with 3, 5 and 15 factors). The case is made that these scales are well-suited for heterarchical assessment and that the heterarchical organization of personality constructs often reflects the manner in which personality models are used in everyday settings. The cognitive ability scales represent a validated public-domain pool of items designed to assess several types of ability in unproctored online settings. The vocational interest scales are derived from two public-domain measures and reflect the traditional six-factor interests framework. Collectively, these scales form an efficient multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary assessment model (the “SAPA Personality Inventory”) which aims to serve as a preliminary testable paradigm for differential psychology research.
Description
299 pages
Keywords
Big Five, SAPA, Personality, Personality Structure
Citation
Condon, David. (2014). An Organizational Framework for the Psychological Individual Differences: Integrating the Affective, Cognitive, and Conative Domains. 10.13140/2.1.4964.1283.