Work

Uncovering the Affective Core of Conscientiousness: The Role of Self‐Conscious Emotions

Year: 2011

Type: review

Abstract: We conducted 3 studies to test the idea that guilt is a key affective component of Conscientiousness and that it can account for the relation between Conscientiousness and negative affect. Study 1 used meta-analysis to show that Conscientiousness was associated with specific emotions and overall negative affect but was most strongly associated with guilt. Conscientiousness was negatively related to guilt experience but positively related to guilt proneness. Also, guilt experience mediated the relation between Conscientiousness and negative affect. Study 2 (N = 142) examined the relation between facets of Conscientiousness and guilt. We replicated results from Study 1 and showed that the relation between Conscientiousness and guilt was not due to overlap with Extraversion and Neuroticism. Study 3 (n = 176) examined the interplay between Conscientiousness and guilt on grades in a short-term longitudinal study. These studies showed that Conscientiousness is primarily related to guilt and highlighted the importance of examining the emotional substrate of Conscientiousness.

Source: Journal of Personality

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2011.00720.x

Authors: Jennifer V. Fayard, Brent W. Roberts, Richard W. Robins, David Watson

Institutions: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of California, Davis, University of Notre Dame

Language: English

Topic: Personality Traits and Psychology

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Drug Abuse

Awards: Mexican Family Culture & Substance Use Risk & Resilience, Longitudinal Studies of Conscientiousness and Health