The mediation of temperament by character in the prediction of workplace outcomes

Dimensional models of personality have typically sought to explore personality structure principally from a descriptive perspective, and as such make for effective personality taxonomies. Fortunately, personality research is currently in transition, with researchers looking towards more complex, scientifically derived theories of personality in an attempt to learn about the biological and cognitive mechanisms underlying surface level personality dimensions. The purpose of the current research program was to test numerous structural models of the relationship between two bio-cognitive models of personality and indices of workplace behaviour. It was argued that Cloninger, Svrakic and Przybeck’s (1993) scales of personality can be modelled according to an approach/avoidance framework, and that character dimensions mediate temperament in the prediction of important workplace behaviours. It was also argued that Jackson’s (2005) scales of personality can be modelled according to an approach framework, and that Goal Orientation mediates Sensation Seeking in the prediction of important workplace behaviours. Chapter 1 begins with a brief introduction to the study of personality from the trait perspective. This is followed by a brief overview of well known biological models of personality (e.g., Eysenck, 1967; Gray, 1982, 1987), leading to a more in depth discussion of both Cloninger et al.’s (1993) and Jackson’s (2005) models of personality. Cloninger et al.’s (1993) model is comprehensively reviewed and critiqued, based on clinical, genetic, psychometric and neurological research. A complex, structural model of Cloninger’s et al.’s (1993) scales of personality is then proposed. It is argued that Cloninger et al.’s dimensions can be modelled along an approach and avoidance theme, and that character mediates temperament in the prediction of important workplace behaviours. The introduction concludes with an overview of Jackson’s (2005) model, and key similarities between Jackson’s model and the proposed structural model of ...