ERIC Number: EJ945428
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0033-2933
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Beyond the Shadow of a Trait: Understanding Discounting through Item-Level Analysis of Personality Scales
Charlton, Shawn R.; Gossett, Bradley D.; Charlton, Veda A.
Psychological Record, v61 n4 p583-598 Fall 2011
Temporal discounting, the loss in perceived value associated with delayed outcomes, correlates with a number of personality measures, suggesting that an item-level analysis of trait measures might provide a more detailed understanding of discounting. The current report details two studies that investigate the utility of such an item-level analysis. Study 1 demonstrates that discount rates correlate with the overall score as well as with 11 individual items on the Total Self-Control Scale (TSCS). Study 2 demonstrates a correlation between discount rates and the Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) scale, but not with a measure of general self-efficacy. An item-level analysis of the CFC found that the CFC-Immediate subscale and four individual items correlated with discount rates. Overall, these two studies sketch an initial picture of how item-level analyses of existing trait measures can better inform our understanding of discounting. (Contains 3 tables, 2 figures and 3 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Personality Measures, Test Items, Item Analysis, Delay of Gratification, Conceptual Tempo, Correlation, College Students
Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Mailcode 4609, Rehabilitation Institute, Carbondale, IL 62901-4609. Tel: 618-536-7704; e-mail: psychrec@siu.edu; Web site: http://www.siuc.edu/~ThePsychologicalRecord/index.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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Author Affiliations: N/A