M.A.G. van Aken

Adolescent Personality Types and Subtypes and Their Psychosocial Adjustment

Recent studies have suggested the existence of three personality types: resilients, overcontrollers, and undercontrollers. In this article, we searched for subtypes within each of the three main personality types. Using cluster analysis on the Big Five personality self-descriptions of 3,284 Dutch adolescent boys and girls, we distinguished communal and agentic resilients, vulnerable and achieving overcontrollers, and impulsive and oppositional undercontrollers. About two-thirds of the communal resilients and vulnerable overcontrollers were girls; agentic resilients and oppositional undercontrollers were mainly boys. The personality subtypes were further validated on a comprehensive set of self- and peer-reported adjustment measures, including perceived relational support, psychological well-being, delinquency, bullying involvement, peer acceptance and rejection, and peer-reported behavior. The personality subtypes were associated with very distinctive adjustment patterns.

Adolescents' competence and the mutuality of their self-descriptions and descriptions of them provided by others

The relation between adolescents personality, various competence indices, and the mutuality of their self-descriptions and descriptions of them provided by important interaction partners was studied in two samples of adolescents (12- and 14-years-old). Mutuality (a Q-correlation, reflecting self-other agreement between a self-description and a description provided by an important other) increased with age and was higher for girls. Extraversion and Emotional Stability were not related to mutuality, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were related to mutuality at age 12, and Openness was related to mutuality at both ages. Mutuality was further related to competence indices at both ages. Mutuality with the main interaction partner in a setting was the most important for competence in that specific setting. These results illustrate the important role for the development of competence of the communication with significant interaction partners and of the adolescents embeddedness in a social network.

De competentie van adolescenten en de ontwikkeling van hun zelftheorie

semenvattingWe onderzochten bij 12– en 14–jarige adolescenten de ontwikkeling van de structuur van het zelfbeeld in termen van de individuele interne consistentie van het zelfbeeld en in termen van de mutualiteit tussen het zelfbeeld en het persoonsbeeld dat anderen, namelijk hun vriend/vriendin, moeders en leerkrachten, van hen hebben. Vervolgens zijn we de samenhang nagegaan van de individuele interne consistentie en de mutualiteit met de competentie van adolescenten, vastgesteld in persoonlijkheidsdimensies, schoolvorderingen, relaties met leeftijdgenoten en zelfwaardering. De individuele interne consistentie en de mutualiteit van het zelfbeeld nemen toe tussen 12 en 14 jaar. Adolescenten met hogere individuele consistentie van hun zelfbeeld en met hogere mutualiteitsscores bereiken hogere competentie. Zij zijn in hun schoolwerk en sociaal en emotioneel beter aangepast. De bevindingen worden geïnterpreteerd in termen van de ontwikkeling van de zelftheorie.SummaryIn 12 and 14 year old adolescents, we assessed the development of individual internal consistency in dimensions of the self–concept as well as the agreement or mutuality between the self–concept and the personconcept of significant others i.e. mothers, teachers, and best friends. Subsequently, we assessed the relationship of the individual internal consistency and mutuality of the self–concept with adolescents competence, i.e. personality factors, school achievement, peer relations and self–esteem. The individual internal consistency and mutuality increased between 12 and 14 years of age. Adolescents with higher individual internal consistency and higher mutuality scores reached higher competence levels. They are better adapted both socially and emotionally. The findings are interpreted in terms of the development of adolescents self–theory.

Probleemgedrag, persoonlijkheid en relationele ondersteuning van jongens in een RIJ

semenvattingIn deze studie zijn probleemgedrag, persoonlijkheid en relationele ondersteuning van jongens in een justitiële behandelinrichting bestudeerd. Verschillen tussen deze jongens en norm- of controlegroepen zijn gevonden op probleemgedrag (meer internaliserende en externaliserende problemen), op persoonlijkheid (lager op aangenaamheid en emotionele stabiliteit, hoger op zorgvuldigheid) en op relationele ondersteuning (o.a. minder van groepsgenoten, in vergelijking met vrienden in de controlegroep). Vooral de persoonlijkheidsfactoren extraversie, aangenaamheid en emotionele stabiliteit, en de relationele ondersteuning op het gebied van de convergentie van doelen blijken gerelateerd te zijn aan probleemgedrag. Een follow-up-meting na een halfjaar toont geen verandering in persoonlijkheid en probleemgedrag, maar wel een lichte verbetering in relationele ondersteuning die de jongeren ontvangen van de groepsleiders.