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Beyond The Big Five: A Change-Related Personality Typology as Antecedents of Cultural Intelligence

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: While the Big Five personality traits are established predictors of Cultural Intelligence (CQ), broad dispositional frameworks often under-specify the concrete self-regulatory strategies individuals deploy when navigating cultural novelty. This study advances CQ research by examining the Change-Related Personality Typology, comprising Proactive, Adaptive, Passive, and Change-Resistant profiles, as theoretically meaningful antecedents of CQ. Grounded in Cognitive-Adaptive Trait Theory, we argue that the combination of change orientation (embrace vs. resist) and control strategy (primary vs. secondary) shapes intercultural competence. Data from 261 emergent adults in a multicultural university setting were analyzed using hierarchical regression with bootstrapping, Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA), and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). Across analyses, Adaptive and Proactive personalities were robust positive predictors of CQ, whereas Change-Resistant personality showed a consistent negative association. Evidence for Passive personality was weaker and context-dependent, aligning with its low-activation behavioral profile. Steiger's Z-tests further indicated that Adaptive personality relates more strongly to CQ than Proactive personality and that Change-Resistant personality is more damaging than Passive personality. Moving beyond average effects, NCA showed that baseline levels of Proactive and Adaptive personality operate as necessary conditions for achieving high CQ, whereas IPMA highlighted Adaptive personality as the most impactful "driver" of CQ performance. Together, these findings refine dispositional models of CQ by distinguishing traits that increase CQ on average from traits that function as minimum prerequisites for high CQ.

Source: The Journal of Psychology

DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2026.2662465

Authors: Saleh Bajaba, Abdulah Bajaba, Bryan Fuller, Laura Marler

Institutions: King Abdulaziz University, Colorado Mesa University, Louisiana Tech University, Mississippi State University

Language: English

Topic: International Student and Expatriate Challenges

Subfield: Communication

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W7156083606