G5 Doctoral dissertation (article)
The effects of counterdispositional behavior : an integrative approach to personality (2019)

Pickett, J. (2019). The effects of counterdispositional behavior : an integrative approach to personality [Doctoral dissertation]. Jyväskylän yliopisto. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-39-7947-8

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Pickett, Jennifer

eISBN: 978-951-39-7947-8

Publication year: 2019

Number of pages in the book: 1 verkkoaineisto (153 sivua, 13 numeroimatonta sivua)

Publisher: Jyväskylän yliopisto

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: English

Persistent website address: http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-39-7947-8

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Additional information: Presented as a Doctoral dissertation also to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Psychology, Work and Organizational Psychology Research Group.

Abstract

In this dissertation, the affective, motivational and energetic consequences of counterdispositional behaviors are studied. As counterdispositional behavior pertains to deviations from one’s personality traits, such an expedition necessitated an integrative approach to researching personality in which we simultaneously examined stable personality traits and unstable personality states. In our first chapter, we investigated how counterdispositional extraversion relates to performance approach goal orientation. Our findings show that it is not trait, nor state extraversion per se which leads to performance approach goal orientation, but rather the dynamic interplay between both trait and state extraversion, with deviations from the trait level associated with lower levels of performance approach goal orientation. In the second chapter, we explored how counterdispositional conscientiousness affects wellbeing by analyzing its association with positive and negative affectivity at work. The interaction between personality traits and states manifested itself in a complex manner, with deviations from the trait level of conscientiousness affecting wellbeing differently, depending if an individual is high or low on trait conscientiousness. In the third chapter, we added another layer of complexity to this expedition by demonstrating that the consequences of counterdispositional extraversion can differ, depending upon concurrent or lagged effects. A positive concurrent relationship was found between state extraversion and vitality, however, in the case of counterdispositional extraversion, vitality was lower for trait introverts one hour later. In the fourth chapter, we shifted aims and explored how people experience working in an extreme environment which, circumstantially, leads to counterdispositional behavior, regardless of one’s personality dispositions. By focusing on the coping mechanisms employed to manage diverse occupational and environmental stressors and the positive aspects highlighted, we show that such arduous occupations can be managed in a sustainable way. In its entirety, this dissertation cultivates a better understanding of the significances and complexities of counterdispositional behavior.

Keywords: personality traits; traits of character; extraversion; personality; psychology; conscientiousness; interaction; view of life; change; well-being at work

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2019