Current Issues in Personality Psychology

The relationship between fear of COVID-19 infection, fear of COVID-19 vaccination and Big Five personality traits: a mediation model

2023-04-12T10:18:46+00:00

Background
The primary objective of our correlational, cross-sectional study was to determine the relationship between fear of COVID-19 infection and fear of COVID-19 vaccination and the role of the Big Five personality traits in this relationship.
Participants and procedure
The study sample consisted of 462 participants, including 286 women and 176 men, aged 18 to 75, recruited from the general population. The Big Five personality traits were diagnosed using the Polish version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. We used an 11-point numerical rating scale to measure the intensity of fear of COVID-19 infection as well as fear of COVID-19 vaccination.
Results
The results indicate that fear of infection has a weak positive correlation with fear of vaccination. Both types of fear have a weak negative correlation with emotional stability and openness to experience. People diagnosed with COVID-19 have significantly higher levels of fear of vaccination and lower levels of emotional stability compared to those without a COVID-19 diagnosis. Fear of infection proves a good predictor of fear of vaccination and a likely mediator between emotional stability and fear of vaccination against COVID-19.
Conclusions
The results may increase our understanding of the role of personality traits, such as emotional stability, in the fear of infection and COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy.

The scientistic worldview and its relationships with fear of COVID, conspiracy beliefs, preventive behaviors, and attitudes towards vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Polish sample

2023-04-12T10:41:33+00:00

Background
The scientistic worldview is characterized by the tendency to justify beliefs and behavior with scientific findings and to function on the basis of theorems and opinions formulated by scientists. The aim of this study was to test whether the attitudes typical for the scientistic worldview could be related to beliefs and behaviors that may reduce the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.
Participants and procedure
The study was conducted on a Polish sample of 1286 participants, using an online survey platform. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires to measure attitudes towards vaccines on COVID-19, the scientistic worldview, fear of COVID, conspiracy beliefs about the COVID-19 pandemic, and preventive behaviors undertaken. Participants were also asked about their personal experiences with the pandemic.
Results
The study showed that the scientistic worldview was associated with a higher fear of COVID, a higher level of containment-related behavior, a lower level of conspiracy beliefs about the COVID-19 pandemic, and more positive attitudes towards vaccination against COVID-19. A structural model of relations between the studied variables turned out to be very effective and explained 51% of the variance of containment-related behavior and 63% of the variance of attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccines.
Conclusions
The study found that preventive behaviors and attitudes towards vaccination against COVID-19 were weakly related to personal experiences during the pandemic but significantly correlated with psychological variables. The results suggest that very positive, scientistic attitudes towards science may be related to higher adherence to science-based public health recommendations.

Preference for leaders with high and low facial width-to-height ratios: moderating roles of political ideology and voting context

2023-04-12T11:42:04+00:00

Background
It has been argued that human ancestors evolved greater sensitivity to certain traits that signal dominance in potential leaders. From this perspective, modern voters still favor certain physical characteristics during political elections. Indeed, previous studies have shown that voters prefer dominant candidates, especially when primed with wartime scenarios, and with conservative voters being more likely to choose a dominant leader. Because facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) was found to be positively associated with perceived dominance, we sought to investigate the effect of fWHR on leader preference by taking into an account voting context and voters’ political ideology.
Participants and procedure
A total of 148 participants took part in two online experiments in which we manipulated standardized facial images to represent faces with low and high fWHR. Furthermore, we assessed participants’ political ideology and asked them to rate the extent to which faces with low and high fWHR looked like leaders during wartime and peacetime scenarios.
Results
Preference for leaders with high fWHR was positively related to participants’ political ideology, but only in a wartime scenario, suggesting that the more conservative participants were, the higher was their preference for leaders with high fWHR. This is consistent with the notion that preferences for dominant-looking leaders vary as a function of the contextual (voting context) and individual differences (political ideology).
Conclusions
The present findings provide new evidence for the contribution of fWHR in leader preference and significantly adds to the results of previous research demonstrating the roles of voters’ political ideology and politicians’ physical characteristics in perceiving leadership abilities.

“Real men” need keepsakes too: both Italian men and women use inanimate objects to cope with separation

2023-04-12T12:19:52+00:00

Background
Using tangible objects to alleviate distress contradicts the traditional masculinity that is stereotypically attributed to Italian men. This study tested whether the willingness to use a photograph of a romantic partner as a substitute for that person and as a cue for nostalgia in the situation of unavoidable separation depends on gender and conformity to the traditional masculine norms of Italian adults.
Participants and procedure
The study involved 119 Italian adults. Participants were randomly assigned to the separation or the connection condition. Next, they described the willingness to use a photograph of their partner as a substitute and as a cue for nostalgia; then we measured men’s differences in their conformity to masculine norms.
Results
We did not find support for the hypotheses that gender or traditional masculine norms impede using inanimate objects to regulate emotions.
Conclusions
It is worth considering photographs as reminders of social bonds that are accessible for both men and women.

Teachers of socially maladjusted children and youth. Occupational burnout – sense of self-efficacy – teachers’ life optimism. A comparative study

2023-04-13T08:37:08+00:00

Background
The psychological specificity of the occupation of teachers in youth fostering centres (Młodzieżowe Ośrodki Wychowawcze, MOW) and youth psychotherapy centres (Młodzieżowe Ośrodki Psychoterapii, MOS) is rarely explored in empirical studies. As indicated in the literature, working in resocialization facilities (such as MOWs or MOSs) requires more effort expended in contacts with students. Study results indicate that teachers at greater risk of experiencing aggression are also at a greater risk of occupational burnout.
Participants and procedure
The aim of the current study was to gather data on the intensity of occupational burnout among MOW/MOS teachers and public school teachers as well as to analyse the correlates and predictors of burnout. One hundred and sixty-nine people from two voivodeships in Poland took part in the study. The following measures were used in the study: the Life Orientation Test (LOT-R), the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and the Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ).
Results
Psychophysical exhaustion and a sense of a lack of self-efficacy among teachers are related to their workplace conditions. Longer job experience had a significant influence on the intensity of the individual aspects of occupational burnout and sense of self-efficacy. The current study did not reveal a significant influence of life optimism.
Conclusions
The current study requires continuation, as detailed scientific analyses of this occupational group are still lacking. There is a need for further studies on the impact of occupational burnout on the effectiveness of teachers’ pedagogical interventions.

Strength of excitation and insomnia as mediated by mood dimensions

2023-04-13T09:13:00+00:00

Background
The main goal of our study was to demonstrate the relationship between the strength of excitation (SE) as one of the basic central nervous system (CNS) properties and insomnia, and to determine the role of the mood components as mediators of this relationship. We hypothesized that SE directly and indirectly via arousal-related mood dimensions may be related to insomnia.
Participants and procedure
The study involved 149 people, 85 women and 64 men, aged 18 to 60 (M = 30.11, SD = 11.43) selected from the general population using snowball sampling. The basic properties of the CNS were diagnosed using Pavlovian Temperament Survey. Mood was assessed using the Polish adaptation of UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist. To evaluate insomnia symptoms Athens Insomnia Scale in its Polish adaptation was used.
Results
SE negatively correlated with insomnia (no significant correlations between strength of inhibition and mobility and insomnia). All CNS properties positively correlated with hedonic tone (HT) and energetic arousal (EA), and negatively with tense arousal (TA) as mood dimensions. HT and EA were negatively correlated with insomnia but TA positively correlated with insomnia. Both EA and TA served as mediators in the relationship between SE and insomnia.
Conclusions
The results indicated the relationship between SE and insomnia as well as between SE and EA and TA as mood dimensions related to arousal. Mediation analysis suggests that both EA and TA may serve as mediators of the relationship between SE and insomnia. However, the results of the mediation analysis require careful interpretation.

Adaptation of the Fears of Compassion Scale into Turkish: a reliability and validity study

2023-04-13T13:34:13+00:00

Background
The concept of fear of compassion draws the interest of researchers in both clinical and scientific fields. The Fears of Compassion Scale (FCS) was developed in order to examine the fear of compassion for others, compassion from others and compassion for one’s self. This study aims to adapt the FCS into the Turkish language. The Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Self-Compassion Scale were used to assess the criterion-related validity of the FCS.
Participants and procedure
In order to determine the construct validity of the scale, validity and reliability studies and factor analysis were carried out on 681 participants (Mage = 32.00, SD = 10.15; 64% female and 36% male).
Results
The results of the confirmatory factor analysis yielded the expected 3-factor solution (the fear of compassion for others, the fear of compassion from others and the fear of self-compassion), which consists of 35 items. The internal consistency validity coefficient of the whole scale was .92. Moreover, there were significant negative relationships between the Fears of Compassion Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and Self-Compassion Scale, which are similar to those of the original scale.
Conclusions
These significant findings reveal the Turkish adaptation of the FCS to be a valid and reliable measurement tool.

Short Polish version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale – exploring its multidimensional structure in a sample of emerging adults

2023-04-13T13:46:42+00:00

Background
Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a heritable trait and persons who are characterized by a high level of it are termed highly sensitive. The first and the most frequently used scale developed to measure high sensitivity is the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS), which has become increasingly popular and has been adapted to many languages in recent years. The present article forms a part of the publications which deal with the subject of tool adaptation and the exploration of their structure.
Participants and procedure
This article presents the results of research conducted on a Polish sample of emerging adults consisting of 470 persons. The aim of this study is to further analyse the psychometric properties of the HSPS, as well as to provide initial evidence for the properties of the scale on a Polish sample. The analyses conducted to date have been extended and the item response theory (IRT) model has been included. Also, a proposal for a shortened scale is presented.
Results
The results show that the Polish version of the HSPS constitutes a reliable method whose validity is proven by correlations with the Pavlovian Temperament Survey as well as being a reliable measure of the SPS construct.
Conclusions
The results obtained support the multi-factor structure of the scale. There is a need for further analysis of the cultural aspect in sensitivity studies as well as for exploring gender differences.