Academic literature on the topic 'Intellect-openness'

Abstract. Openness and intellect may differentially predict engagement for two possible reasons. First, engagement with sensory experiences is associated with openness, whereas engagement with abstract information is associated with intellect – a distinction based on content. Second, openness reflects affective, and intellect cognitive processing – a distinction based on affect. These two positions are contrasted through associations of both openness and intellect with interest in a broad range of stimuli. Participants (N = 191) viewed images of visual art, philosophical quotations, and scientific discoveries and rated them on interest, appraised novelty and understanding. Only openness predicted greater interest in all stimuli types. Appraised understanding mediated the openness-interest relationship for visual art and philosophy, while intellect was associated with greater appraised understanding of science and philosophy. Openness was associated with weaker understanding-interest relationships for visual art, and greater reactivity to novelty for science and philosophy. We conclude that one way to think of the engagement distinction between openness and intellect is in terms of emotional versus cognitive engagement. That is, the aspects reflect engagement in different ways rather than in different things.

In a recent article, Saucier (1992) disputed McCrae's (1990) view that lexically defined Intellect differs in fundamental ways from questionnaire‐defined Openness to Experience, and that these differences are due to lexical underrepresentation of some openness facets. A re‐analysis of Saucier's (1992) lexical data and questionnaire ‘Factor V’ from three samples are presented, which calls into question Saucier's conclusion that the Openness‐against‐Intellect debate may be ‘much ado about nothing’. Two facets of incommensurability are identified between Intellect and Openness variants of Factor V: competency and liberalism.

McCrae (1990) has argued that Openness to Experience is a fundamental dimension of personality that is not well represented among English‐language trait adjectives. Presumably, then, studies of personality adjectives will inevitably fail to capture at least one fundamental personality dimension. I argue that the language does contain many adjectives referring to Openness, and that recent studies of the language of personality reveal a large factor clearly related to both Openness and Intellect. These studies support both the Openness construct and the questionnaire version of the five basic factors. Lexical and questionnaire methods appear to converge on a single structural framework for basic personality traits.

Trait Intellect, one of the two ‘aspects’ of the broader Openness/Intellect ‘domain’, predicts performance on a range of cognitive tasks including tests of intelligence and working memory. This has been explained in terms of the tendency for high–Intellect individuals to explore, or engage more effortfully with, abstract information. This theoretical perspective can be framed in the language of Resource Allocation Theory, in terms of high–Intellect individuals allocating more of their available cognitive resources to abstract cognitive tasks. In two experiments (total N = 160), we examined the relation between Intellect and cognitive engagement during a primary word–search task under conditions of both high and low secondary cognitive load. Both experiments revealed that high–Intellect individuals were more vulnerable to the impact of the secondary cognitive load on primary task performance. This suggests that, under low secondary load, such individuals were indeed allocating more of their available cognitive resources to the primary task. These results held after controlling for trait Openness, trait Industriousness (an aspect of Conscientiousness) and a measure of working memory capacity (N–back task). Our findings provide novel support for the cognitive mechanisms proposed to underlie trait Intellect. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology

The fifth factor in lexical studies of trait adjectives is commonly interpreted as Intellect, whereas the corresponding factor derived from questionnaire studies is typically identified as Openness to Experience. Intellect as a construct is problematic because it erroneously suggests an equivalence of Factor V with intelligence, describes aspects of Factor III (Conscientiousness) as well as of Factor V, and fails to suggest the diverse psychological correlates that Factor V is known to have. By contrast, Openness to Experience is a broader construct that implies both receptivity to many varieties of experience and a fluid and permeable structure of consciousness. Data from analyses of adjectives, established personality questionnaires, and Hartmann's (1991) new Boundary Questionnaire support these interpretations. The construct of Openness can be transported across geographical and cultural boundaries to function as a universal dimension of personality structure.

South Africa has gone through immense changes in the past two decades. The period around 1994 has been characterised by a comprehensive set of political, social and economic changes, which greatly influenced not only the lives of individuals in this county but also many businesses, organisations and companies. Further to this, South Africa has become increasingly intercultural in orientation as companies persevered in establishing intricate networks with partners in a diverse set of cultures. This has put enormous strain on organisations to remain competitive in the market. It is critical that organisations develop a more resilient workforce with greater psychological capacities to succeed in the on-going war for talent. Attracting and retaining talented employees can give organisations a sustained competitive advantage. In view of the growing intricacies in the business world, ambiguity in markets, and employees’ attitudes, it is crucial that organisations invest in psychological assessments. However, investing in valid and reliable psychological assessments has become more difficult due to vast cultural diversity South Africa comprises off. The general objective of this study was to explore social desirability in the white Afrikaans group. A qualitative design was used and a quota non-probability sampling method was implemented among white Afrikaans-speaking people of South Africa (N=60), who differed from one another with regard to age, gender and socio-economic status. The measuring instrument was a semi-structured interview, which was based on the phenomenological approach. The results of the interviews were transcribed and captured in Excel. Content analysis was used to interpret the responses in socially desirable themes. Independent psychologists and language and cultural experts were employed in order to validate the initial interpretations. The descriptive terms were reduced through the use of cluster analysis. The analysis included the grouping of synonyms and antonyms, together with the use of dictionaries, literature and knowledge about content. In the representation of social desirability and impression management strategies within the white Afrikaner group, six main themes with sixty sub-themes in total were identified. The six themes are facilitating, gender-based, intellect-openness, interpersonal relatedness, intrapersonal relatedness and value-based. Firstly, to facilitate others by giving advice and guidance will be seen as desirable and make a favourable impression. Secondly, to display characteristics that are typically associated with males and females, such as masculinity and femininity, will be seen as desirable and can make a positive impression. Thirdly, having a unique natural ability or skill and being receptive to new and different ideas will be seen as desirable and make a good impression on others. Fourthly, remaining constructive in one’s relationships, and fifthly, remaining constructive in one’s inner thoughts and possessing inner confidence and having respect will make a favourable impression and can be seen as socially desirable. Lastly, exhibiting moral consciousness and being trustworthy, loyal and reliable will make a positive impression and will be perceived as desirable by the white Afrikaner group. Recommendations for future research and for practice were made.<br>MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Personality psychology seeks both to understand how individuals differ from one another in behavior, motivation, emotion, and cognition and to explain the causes of those differences. The goal of personality neuroscience is to identify the underlying sources of personality traits in neurobiological systems. This chapter reviews neuroscience research on the traits of the Five Factor Model (the Big Five: Extraversion, Neuroticism, Openness/Intellect, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness). The review emphasizes the importance of theoretically informed neuroscience by framing results in light of a theory of the psychological functions underlying each of the Big Five. The chapter additionally reviews the various neuroscientific methods available for personality research and highlights pitfalls and best practices in personality neuroscience.

We review the current state of the science with respect to the assessment of the Five Factor Model (FFM), a robust structural model of personality that emerged from two distinct traditions: The lexical and questionnaire traditions. The lexical tradition is predicated on the hypothesis that important individual differences in personality are encoded as single words in language. This bottom-up tradition has suggested that five broad factors account for much of the personality variation observed among individuals: Extraversion (or Surgency), Agreeableness, Conscientiousness (or Dependability), Neuroticism (vs. Emotional Stability), and Openness to Experience (or Intellect/Culture). The questionnaire tradition emphasizes the measurement of similar constructs, largely through top-down development of measures. We examine the strengths and limitations associated with existing measures of the FFM and related models, focusing on measures rooted in the lexical and questionnaire traditions. We also consider maladaptive FFM measures and conclude by analyzing important issues in the FFM assessment literature.

Our nation’s population of culturally diverse students continues to rise. Among this group are many whose intellect and creativity are often masked by behaviors often seen by classroom teachers as a deficit or in such need of correction that the same student’s gifts are seldom given any attention and therefore, go under-developed. Teachers with broader cultural experience, training, and openness to diverse expressions of intelligence and creativity tend to fare better when working with diverse learners and are able to capitalize on their strengths, despite specific disabling conditions. The challenges of being a culturally diverse learner with high potential and identifiable disabling conditions are complex and often troubling to students, their parents, and teachers. This newly conceptualized 3e status presents a quagmire of conditions requiring that educators view these students through a different set of lenses and utilize a more creative tool box of strategies to bring out the best in these often overlooked and misdiagnosed learners. This chapter will explore the challenges, provide real-life cases, and offer unique, but practical strategies matched to student traits. Recommendations will also be offered for parents and family members to enhance their role as advocates for their uniquely exceptional children.