Rachel E. Pauletti

Narcissism and Adjustment in Preadolescence

Narcissism-a strong need to be admired for a grandiose self-is a problematic personality trait for children as well as adults. This study of 236 preadolescents (M age = 11.3 years; 129 girls, 107 boys) evaluated 2 intrapersonal (cognitive) pathways by which narcissism might contribute to maladjustment. The first was that narcissism combines with salient self-serving gender stereotypes to encourage aggressive and selfish behavior. The second was that narcissism places children who perceive that they are failing to realize their grandiose self at risk for aggression and depression. Although concurrent-correlational, the data support the pathways, illuminate the content and dynamics of narcissistic childrens minds, and suggest directions for future investigation.

Lives Through Film: 49 UP and the UP Series as a Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Change

In this chapter we examine the UP series of documentary films, a longitudinal examination of the lives of 14 British individuals. The first film, 7 UP!, depicted participants at age 7 and was produced in 1963. The most recent, 49 UP, was produced in 2005. We consider the value and the limitations of the series as a study of personality development and describe the trajectories of the lives of three participants in some detail.

Personality development through natural language

Ego level is a broad construct that summarizes individual differences in personality development1. We examine ego level as it is represented in natural language, using a composite sample of four datasets comprising nearly 44,000 responses. We find support for a developmental sequence in the structure of correlations between ego levels, in analyses of Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) categories2 and in an examination of the individual words that are characteristic of each level. The LIWC analyses reveal increasing complexity and, to some extent, increasing breadth of perspective with higher levels of development. The characteristic language of each ego level suggests, for example, a shift from consummatory to appetitive desires at the lowest stages, a dawning of doubt at the Self-aware stage, the centrality of achievement motivation at the Conscientious stage, an increase in mutuality and intellectual growth at the Individualistic stage and some renegotiation of life goals and reflection on identity at the highest levels of development. Continuing empirical analysis of ego level and language will provide a deeper understanding of ego development, its relationship with other models of personality and individual differences, and its utility in characterizing people, texts and the cultural contexts that produce them.A linguistic analysis of nearly 44,000 responses to the Washington University Sentence Completion Test elucidates the construct of ego development (personality development through adulthood) and identifies unique linguistic markers of each level of development.

The Effects of a Romantic Relationship Treatment Option for Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Adults with mild autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges in romantic relationships. Healthy romantic relationships yield physical and mental health benefits important to improved quality of life, yet many adults with ASD do not experience successful romantic relationships precluding them from possible benefits. This is the first study that explores the effects of group counseling, using the protocol Relationship Enhancement®, for 38 adult ASD participants in treatment as usual and a modified condition. Social skills, empathy, and social support were measured pre- and posttreatment. Results indicate improvements in social skills and empathy in both treatment conditions.