Premium
Uncovering the Affective Core of Conscientiousness: The Role of Self‐Conscious Emotions
Author(s) -
Fayard Jennifer V.,
Roberts Brent W.,
Robins Richard W.,
Watson David
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2011.00720.x
Subject(s) - conscientiousness , psychology , affect (linguistics) , personality , social psychology , relation (database) , developmental psychology , big five personality traits , extraversion and introversion , communication , database , computer science
We conducted 3 studies to test the idea that guilt is a key affective component of C onscientiousness and that it can account for the relation between C onscientiousness and negative affect. Study 1 used meta‐analysis to show that C onscientiousness 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 C onscientiousness and negative affect. Study 2 ( N = 142) examined the relation between facets of Conscientiousness and guilt. We replicated results from S tudy 1 and showed that the relation between C onscientiousness and guilt was not due to overlap with E xtraversion and N euroticism. Study 3 ( n = 176) examined the interplay between C onscientiousness and guilt on grades in a short‐term longitudinal study. These studies showed that C onscientiousness is primarily related to guilt and highlighted the importance of examining the emotional substrate of C onscientiousness.