11 research outputs found
Opportunities and Challenges of Extracting Values in Autobiographical Narratives
We report three studies in which we applied a value dictionary to narratives. Our objective was to test a theory-driven value dictionary for extracting valuable information from autobiographical and narrative texts. In Studies 1 (N = 106) and 2 (N = 152), participants wrote short autobiographical narratives and in Study 3 (N = 150), participants wrote narratives based on ambiguous stimuli. Participants in all three studies also completed the Portrait Value Questionnaire as a self-report measure of values. Overall, our results demonstrate that it is possible to extract value-relevant information from these narratives. Extracted values from autobiographical narratives showed average correlations of 0.07 (Study 1) and 0.12 (Study 2) with self-reports compared to an average correlation of 0.01 for the extracted values from implicit motive tasks (Study 3). The correlations with self-reports were in line with previous validation studies. The most salient values in narratives diverged somewhat, with a stronger emphasis on achievement values compared to self-reports, probably due to the nature of salient episodes within one's life that require demonstrating success according to social standards. Benevolence values were consistently most important in both self-ratings and text-based scoring. The value structure emerging from narratives diverged from the theoretically predicted structure, yet broad personally vs. socially focused value dimensions were qualitatively discernible. We highlight opportunities and challenges for future value research using autobiographical stories
Fundamental social motives measured across forty-two cultures in two waves
How does psychology vary across human societies? The fundamental social motives framework adopts an evolutionary approach to capture the broad range of human social goals within a taxonomy of ancestrally recurring threats and opportunities. These motivesâself-protection, disease avoidance, affiliation, status, mate acquisition, mate retention, and kin careâare high in fitness relevance and everyday salience, yet understudied cross-culturally. Here, we gathered data on these motives in 41 countries (N=15,885) in two cross-sectional waves, including 19 countries (N=11,095) for which data were gathered in both waves. Wave 1 was collected from 2016 through mid-2019 (32 countries, N=9353; 3537 male, 5574 female; Mage=24.58, SD=8.07). Wave 2 was collected from May through October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic (N=6532; 2194 male, 4165 female; Mage=28.82, SD=11.49). These data can be used to assess differences and similarities in peopleâs fundamental social motives both across and within cultures, at different time points, and in relation to other commonly studied cultural indicators and outcomes
Testing and Assessment in an International Context: Cross- and Multi-cultural Issues
Globalisation, increase of migration flows, and the concurrent worldwide competitiveness impose rethinking of testing and assessment procedures and practices in an international and multicultural context. This chapter reviews the methodological and practical implications for psychological assessment in the field of career guidance. The methodological implications are numerous and several aspects have to be considered, such as cross-cultural equivalence or construct, method, and item bias. Moreover, the construct of culture by itself is difficult to define and difficult to measure. In order to provide non-discriminatory assessment, counsellors should develop their clinical cross-cultural competencies, develop more specific intervention strategies, and respect cultural differences. Several suggestions are given concerning translation and adaptation of psychological instruments, developing culture specific measures, and the use of these instruments. More research in this field should use mixed methods, multi-centric designs, and consider emic and etic psychological variables. A multidisciplinary approach might also allow identifying culture specific and ecological meaningful constructs. Non-discriminatory assessment implies considering the influence and interaction of personal characteristics and environmental factors
Fundamental social motives measured across forty-two cultures in two waves
How does psychology vary across human societies? The fundamental social motives framework adopts an evolutionary approach to capture the broad range of human social goals within a taxonomy of ancestrally recurring threats and opportunities. These motivesâself-protection, disease avoidance, affiliation, status, mate acquisition, mate retention, and kin careâare high in fitness relevance and everyday salience, yet understudied cross-culturally. Here, we gathered data on these motives in 42 countries (N = 15,915) in two cross-sectional waves, including 19 countries (N = 10,907) for which datawere gathered in both waves. Wave 1 was collected from mid-2016 through late 2019 (32 countries, N = 8,998; 3,302 male, 5,585 female; Mage = 24.43, SD = 7.91). Wave 2 was collected from April through
November 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic (29 countries, N = 6,917; 2,249 male, 4,218 female; Mage = 28.59, SD = 11.31). These data can be used to assess differences and similarities in peopleâs fundamental social motives both across and within cultures, at different time points, and in relation to other commonly studied cultural indicators and outcomes
The South African Personality Inventory (SAPI):: A culture-informed instrument for the country's main ethnocultural groups
We present the development and the underlying structure of a personality inventory
for the main ethnocultural groups of South Africa, using an emicâetic approach. The
South African Personality Inventory (SAPI) was developed based on an extensive
qualitative study of the implicit personality conceptions in the countryâs 11 official
languages (Nel et al., 2012). Items were generated and selected (to a final set of 146)
with a continuous focus on cultural adequacy and translatability. Students and
community adults (671 Blacks, 198 Coloureds, 104 Indians, and 391 Whites)
completed the inventory. A six-dimensional structure (comprising a positive and a
negative Social-Relational factor, Neuroticism, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and
Openness) was equivalent across groups and replicated in an independent sample of
139 Black and 270 White students. The SAPI correlated overall highly with
impression-management aspects, but lower with lying aspects of social desirability.
The SAPI social-relational factors were distinguishable from the Big Five in a joint
factor analysis; the multiple correlations with the Big Five were .64 (positive) and .51
(negative social-relational). Implications and suggestions for emicâetic instrument
and model development are discussed.http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/pashb2016Human Resource Managemen
Personality and behavior prediction and consistency across cultures: A multimethod study of Blacks and Whites in South Africa
The cross-cultural universality of behavior's consistency and predictability from personality, assumed in trait models though challenged in cultural psychological models, has usually been operationalized in terms of beliefs and perceptions, and assessed using single-instance self-reports. In a multimethod study of actual behavior across a range of situations, we examined predictability and consistency in participants from the more collectivistic Black ethnic group and the more individualistic White group in South Africa. Participants completed personality questionnaires before the behavior measurements. In Study 1, 107 Black and 241 White students kept diaries for 21 days, recording their behaviors and the situations in which they had occurred. In Study 2, 57 Black and 52 White students were video-recorded in 12 situations in laboratory settings, and external observers scored their behaviors. Across both studies, behavior was predicted by personality on average equally well in the 2 groups, and equally well when using trait-adjective-and behavior-based personality measures. The few cultural differences in situational variability were not in line with individualism-collectivism; however, subjective perceptions of variability, operationalized as dialectical beliefs, were more in line with individualism-collectivism: Blacks viewed their behavior as more variable than Whites. We propose drawing a distinction between subjective beliefs and objective behavior in the study of personality and culture. Larger cultural differences can be expected in beliefs and perceptions than in the links between personality and actual behavior
Developing psychometric instruments for a specific context: The South African Personality Inventory
Developing psychometric instruments for a specific context: The South African Personality Inventory
Family Still Matters: Human Social Motivation during a Global Pandemic
How have peopleâs fundamental social motives changed during the COVID-19 pandemic? Across 32 countries (N=9353) before the pandemic a) people prioritized family (romantic relationship maintenance, kin care) over mating motives (mate-seeking, breakup concern), and b) subjective well-being was positively associated with family motives but negatively associated with mating motives (Ko et al., 2020). The pandemic caused drastic social changes for many, including separation from friends and coworkers, and enforced close contact with family. Did those changes affect the priority of family-related motives and their relationship with well-being? Across 28 countries (N=6532) during the pandemic, peopleâs disease avoidance motivation increased, but a) the prioritization of family over mating motives remained unchanged, and b) well-being remained positively associated with family motives and negatively associated with mating motives. Given that humans historically relied on family bonds during social upheavals, it may be unsurprising that powerful family-related motivations persist even during this unique disruptio