Personality Traits

– J. Head

A small group of psychologists have been reviewing the relationship between personality and KAI in some pilot studies. There are some intriguing connections. For example, KAI correlates at 0.44 with conscientiousness (one of the Big Five factors) and between 0.4 and 0.53 with the JP scale of the Myers-Briggs test. Then to complete the picture JP correlates with conscientiousness at 0.46. The similarity between the correlation values may just be coincidence but it might indicate a common factor contributing to all three measures.

What might prove to be the most revealing issue is that KAI tends either to show correlations with personality traits in excess of 0.4 clearly statistically significant, or they are very close to zero. This division provides the basis of dividing personality traits into two categories, those which affect style, and those which might interact in problem solving situations in another way, e.g. by affecting motivation. If this notion is correct it provides a novel taxonomy for personality variables.

Clearly more work must be done before we can be certain that this idea has value. We are aware of the possibility that zero correlations can mask curvilinear relationships between two variables and this possibility must be checked. Another task will be to look at the KAI sub-scales and see how they associate with personality traits.

Editor’s Note:

Since this note was written for the KAI Newsletter the Cognitive Function Schema has been developed. Trained users will remember that the theory suggests that elements in cognitive affect (eg motive, as well as attitude and belief) are presumed to be uncorrelated with those in cognitive effect: which includes style and potential capacity. This news item was one of the earliest to note this A-I assumption. Since this note was written for the KAI Newsletter the Cognitive Function Schema has been developed. Trained users will remember that the theory suggests that elements in cognitive affect (eg motive, as well as attitude and belief) are presumed to be uncorrelated with those in cognitive effect: which includes style and potential capacity. This news item was one of the earliest to note this A-I assumption.

J. Head, Centre for Educational Studies, King’s College, London University

Originally published in KAI News, 1994