The General Factor of Personality

1st Edition - March 16, 2017
Author: Janek Musek
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 1 1 2 0 9 - 0
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 1 1 2 4 9 - 6

The General Factor of Personality improves our understanding of the personality structure and the relations between major personality dimensions, as well as major dimension… Read more

Purchase options

LIMITED OFFER

Save 50% on book bundles

Immediately download your ebook while waiting for your print delivery. No promo code is needed.

Institutional subscription on ScienceDirect

Request a sales quote

The General Factor of Personality improves our understanding of the personality structure and the relations between major personality dimensions, as well as major dimensions of the entire non-cognitive sphere of psychological variables. The results of the empirical testing and theoretical evaluations in this book contribute to the more comprehensive and precise theoretical framework of the General Factor of Personality (GFP) and that of the entire personality structure.

Additionally, the book answers some unresolved questions concerning the nature of the GFP, including whether it is based more on correlations in real behavior or on other less substantial factors between lower-order dimensions of personality. This book is crucially important not only for theoretical reasons, but also for the tremendous practical and applied value of the assumed general dimension of personality. As a common denominator of all the most important fields of personality beyond cognition (Big Five, well-being, coping, emotionality, motivation, self-concept, self-esteem, control, wisdom and others), the GFP represents an extremely strong single predictor of the quality of life, mental health and well-being, career, academic success, and the quality of family and interpersonal relations.

Section A. Breaking With Dogma

Chapter 1. The Rise of the GFP

General Factor of Personality—A New Concept in Psychology
The Historical Predecessors
From the Big Five to the Biggest One
The Initial Study of GFP
GFP From Meta-analytic Studies

Chapter 2. New Look at the Structure of Personality

Structural Paradigms in the Personality Research
Examples of Higher-Order Levels of Hierarchy

Chapter 3. GFP in the Cross-Cultural Context

Cultural Stability of Personality
GFP Across Cultures
Interpreting GFP in the New Light

Chapter 4. The Basic Interpretations and Critical Aspects of the GFP

The Most Frequent Criticisms of the General Factor of Personality
The Nature of the GFP
The Interpretations of the GFP: Possible Conclusions

Section B. The Nature and Power of the GFP

Chapter 5. The Psychological Correlates of General Factor of Personality

The Closest Relatives of General Factor of Personality
The Connections With Other Psychological Domains
GFP as Predictor

Chapter 6. Biological Aspects of General Factor of Personality

Evolutionary Basis of the General Factor of Personality
Evolutionary Strategies and Personality
Differential K Theory
Life History Model
Genetics
GFP in the Light of Neuroscience
Conclusions

Chapter 7. The Overall Strength of the GFP

GFP Across 21 Datasets
Method
Results
GFP as a Part of the Best Structural Solutions
Comparison of Six Structural Models
Conclusions

Section C. General Dimensions of Personality and Cognition

Chapter 8. Dimensional Structure of Personality and Beyond

Two Broad Domains of Personality
Super-Dominant General Factor in Personality and Beyond: A Study on 63 Variables

Chapter 9. Cognitive Abilities and Personality: Two Comprehensive General Factors

Two Faces of a Human Person
Personality and Intelligence
Two General Dimensions: g-Factor and Super-g
Results and Discussion
General Discussion and Conclusions

Section D. The Perspective of the Multivariate Research in Personality

Chapter 10. The Future of the Structural Modeling of Personality

The Improvement of Structural Modeling
Theoretical Foundations
Toward the Cross-level Congruence of Higher-Order Factors
Toward a Comprehensive Model of the Psychological Structure
Toward Methodological Convergence in Personality Research

Chapter 11. Toward the Optimal Balance Between the Higher-Order Dimensions in Personality Research

The Structure of Personality: Classic Hierarchical or Bifactor?
Principles, Advantages, and Disadvantages of Both Models
Content of the Higher-Order Factors: Method or Meaning?
Conclusions

Janek Musek

Janek Musek, Professor Emeritus (University of Ljubljana, Slovenia), former vice-rector of the University of Ljubljana, author of more than 200 scientific articles and 35 textbooks in psychology.

Study of psychology (1964-1968), Diplom of Psychology (1968), PhD (1976) all at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences (Philosophical Faculty), University of Ljubljana.

Professional work as Assistant (1970), Assistant Professor (1977), Associate Professor or Docent (1981), Full Professor (1988), Professor Emeritus (2015) at the Department of psychology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Ljubljana.

Courses and lectures include introduction to psychology, personality, differential psychology, motivation and emotion, cognitive psychology, media psychology and history of psychology.

Head of Department of psychology (1980-1982), vice-dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences (1984-1986), vice-rector of the University of Ljubljana (1996-1998). Engaged in more than twenty basic research projects, mostly as the project (program group) leader or principal investigator.

Major research fields: personality psychology, values, individual differences, cognitive psychology, positive psychology, history of psychology; more specific: personality structure, well-being, values, symbolism, decision making.

About 200 scientific articles, 35 textbooks and scientific monographs. The books include: Personality (1982), Scientific Image of Personality (1993), Personality and Values (1993), New Psychological Theory of Values (2000), Psychology of Life (2010), Psychological Basis of the Future Society (2014), Personality, Values and Well-being (2015).

Active participation in numerous national and international scientific conferences and congresses; coordinator or organizer of several national and international scientific congresses.

Mentor to more than 30 PhD and more than 40 MA Degree students.

Cofounder of the Institute of Ethics and Values Jože Trontelj (IEV) and the Institute of Personality Psychology.

Bearer of several national and institutional awards for scientific or professional merits.

Affiliations and expertise

Professor Emeritus, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia