Toward the Development of an Integrative Theory of the Implicit Personality (ITIP): A Review, Critique, and Integration of the Disparate Traditions in Psychology
Abstract
For nearly 100 years, psychologists have understood that domain of personality includes both explicit and implicit components. The explicit components are those aspects of personality that are readily available via introspection and thus, are amenable to measurement via self-report surveys or semi-structured interviews. For example, personality traits comprise the primary content of explicit personality. In contrast, the implicit components represents those aspects of personality that operate outside of consciousness and thus, are not available for introspection or assessment via self-report. For example, latent or implicit motives are an important part of the implicit personality and are typically assessed in an indirect manner (e.g., projective tests). Over the last 20 years there have been thousands of studies, conducted by hundreds of research teams focused on mapping the nomological network of the explicit personality. This explosion of studies followed the emergence of the Five Factor Model (FFM) as a general, unifying model or framework for conceptualizing the explicit personality. For example, within applied psychology, Barrick and MountÕs (1991) meta-analytic review of explicit personality (organized around the FFM) catalyzed research efforts related to explicit personality (and this paper has since been cited over 7,000 times). Unfortunately, no such consensus model has emerged for the implicit personality. That is, no single framework exists that provides an inclusive and integrative treatment of the scope, content, and structure of the constructs underlying the implicit aspects of personality. This lack of a coherent meta-theory is driven, at least in part, by research teams approaching the study of implicit personality from different and disparate research traditions. For example, researchers working in the clinical psychology tradition have focused largely on the theory, measurement, and validation of a small number of defense mechanisms that individuals deploy in an ego-protective manner (e.g., denial, identification, projection) and have emphasized the importance of relationships and attachment patterns as key triggers for behavior. In contrast, researchers in general personality psychology have tended to focus on the theory and measurement of implicit motives and needs (e.g., Need for Achievement). Finally, researchers from the social-cognitive paradigm have tended to focus on identifying general forms of cognitive bias (e.g., attributional biases) or measuring response latencies that are believed to underlie social biases (e.g., race bias; gender bias) or personality traits largely adopted from explicit taxonomies (e.g., Big 5). Although the Five Factor Model serves as a unified meta-framework for research involving the explicit personality, no such unifying framework exists for research involving implicit personality. This lack of a unifying theory has likely retarded scientific progress as it relates to the theory, measurement, and validation of implicit personality-related constructs. In this application we propose to (1) systematically review and synthesize three distinct and disparate literatures related to the implicit personality, (2) identify overlaps and gaps among these literatures, and (3) use this knowledge to develop a unified theory of implicit personality. This new unified theory will connect and integrate the existing literatures and serve as an organizing framework for future research related to implicit personality.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 17, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1610484
Entities
People
- James M LeBreton
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Pennsylvania State University
- United States Army