A Lexical Approach to Collective Personality Using Nongroup Members As Raters
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Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2021 A Lexical Approach to Collective Personality Using Nongroup Members as Raters Robert Cameron Black Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Personality and Social Contexts Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Robert Black has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Sandra Mahoney, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Brandy Benson, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Dr. Lisa Scharff, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D. Walden University 2020 Abstract A Lexical Approach to Collective Personality Using Nongroup Members as Raters by Robert Black Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Clinical Psychology Walden University February 2021 Abstract The construct of personality exhibits utility in predicting group outcomes. However, quantifying a group personality construct has almost exclusively been accomplished by aggregating individual group member five-factor personality scores to derive the group personality score. This type of operationalizing rests on the assumption that collective personality exists and has a five-factor structure, makes results context specific, and limits cross-comparison of different types of groups. The purpose of this quantitative study was to apply a lexical approach and exploratory factor analysis to explore personality structure of a group at a group level. The research question focused on identifying if a construct of collective personality operationalized at the group level through use of a lexical approach would yield a five-factor structure. Exploratory factor analysis was applied to data collected from an anonymous on-line survey administered to a convenience sample of 11 staff at residential treatment facilities for children. Data were not able to be subjected to tests for sampling adequacy before primary component and factor extraction due to the low sample size and the resulting factors did not rotate in 25 iterations. Despite these limitations, results suggest the lexical approach can be applied to quantifying the construct of collective personality. Results also provide support for a collective personality structure that may differ from the five-factor model of individual personality structure. These findings inform on a possible new way of quantifying and studying group characteristics which could lead to social change through better ways of understanding, predicting, and changing group behavior in a wide variety of domains. A Lexical Approach to Collective Personality Using Nongroup Members as Raters by Robert Black Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Clinical Psychology Walden University February 2021 Acknowledgments I want to acknowledge my wonderfully supportive wife and my brilliant son who put up with my endless hours of talking about my research and the countless times I missed or wasn’t able to attend important events. Your support and tolerance of me through this process has always been unwavering. I could not have done any of this without you. I also want to acknowledge all my friends and colleagues who supported me and helped me with my research. Thank you. Table of Contents List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... iv Chapter 1 ..............................................................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 Background ....................................................................................................................3 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................7 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................8 Research Questions ........................................................................................................9 Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................9 Nature of the Study ......................................................................................................10 Definitions....................................................................................................................11 Assumptions .................................................................................................................12 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................13 Setting ................................................................................................................... 13 Measure ................................................................................................................. 14 Limitations ...................................................................................................................15 Study Setting ......................................................................................................... 15 Study Participants ................................................................................................. 17 Significance..................................................................................................................17 Summary ......................................................................................................................18 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................20 Introduction ..................................................................................................................20 i Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................22 Conceptual Framework for Lexical Approach ............................................................24 Historic Foundations ............................................................................................. 24 Modern Foundations ............................................................................................. 25 Literature Review Related to Key Variables and Concepts .........................................26 Lexical Approach .................................................................................................. 26 Collective Personality ........................................................................................... 28 Summary and Conclusion ............................................................................................39 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................41 Introduction ..................................................................................................................41 Variables, Research Design, and Choice .............................................................. 41 Methodology ................................................................................................................43 Population ............................................................................................................. 43 Sampling and Sampling Procedures ..................................................................... 43 Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection .......................... 45 Follow-up Procedures ........................................................................................... 46 Instrumentation and Operationalization of Constructs ......................................... 47 Data Analysis Plan ................................................................................................ 48 Threats to Validity ................................................................................................ 49 Ethical Procedures ................................................................................................ 51 Summary ......................................................................................................................53 Chapter 4: Results ..............................................................................................................54 ii Introduction ..................................................................................................................54 Data Collection ............................................................................................................55 Results ..........................................................................................................................59