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The financial crisis in 2008 and 2009 has sparked considerable interest among researchers in individual differences in greed. Recently, five scales have been independently developed to assess the construct of trait greed. Definitions of greed underlying these scales have a lot in common, but also deviate regarding some important aspects. In the current study, we investigated the convergent validity of these scales. We found that, despite the conceptual differences, these scales converged on a common latent factor. Moreover, evidence regarding reliability, construct- and criterion-related validity support the notion that the five scales are largely similar and, in general, well suited to assess the targeted construct. We discuss how the conceptual differences between the definitions might reveal insights into the nature of the construct of greed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Epistemic curiosity, the “desire for knowledge that motivates individuals to learn new ideas, eliminate information-gaps, and solve intellectual problems” (), has been identified as a crucial variable in different areas and stages of life. However, several constructs have been proposed that might be highly similar regarding construct domain, but are based on different theoretical positions and were investigated under different labels. Three of these constructs, namely need for cognition, typical intellectual engagement, and openness for ideas, were investigated regarding discriminant validity. Based on two studies with 395 and 191 participants, no evidence of discriminant validity could be found. Especially, correlations within several measures of curiosity, interpreted as convergent validity, had mean correlations of .60 and .59 for the two studies, respectively. Correlations between curiosity measures and the related constructs need for cognition, typical intellectual engagement, and openness for ideas, interpreted as discriminant validity, were virtually identical (.59 and .57, respectively). Furthermore, exploratory factor analysis indicated that one factor explained the variance of the investigated constructs reasonably well. It is concluded that integrating the body of research that has been built around these constructs might stimulate future research on epistemic curiosity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The unified theory of motivation, personality and development by Carol S. Dweck provides a comprehensive account of the processes that underly the development of personality traits. A key role in this process are attributed to beliefs which are conceptualized as mental representations of experiences that individuals make while pursuing need-fulfilling goals. In the present study, I tested several hypotheses regarding the mediating role of a central belief, the belief about control, with regards to the relation between needs and traits. Based on a sample of 105 participants (mean age 31 years, 59% female) I found support for four out of six hypotheses, generally supporting the notion that beliefs might be a key concept for better understanding the processes underlying personality traits. Unlabelled Image • Tests predictions from the unified theory of motivation, personality & development • Found support for a variable mediating the relation between needs and personality • Beliefs provide a better understanding of the process underlying personality traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationships between Interest (I) and Deprivation (D) type epistemic curiosity (EC) and self-regulation were evaluated in two studies. In Study 1 (Italians, N = 151), I-type EC correlated positively with positive outcome-expectancies and risk-taking, but negatively with thinking about negative outcomes. D-type EC correlated positively with emotional restraint, thoughtful evaluation, and concern over negative outcomes and potential risks. In Study 2 (Americans, N = 218; Germans, N = 56), I-type EC correlated positively with behavioral activation, especially fun seeking, whereas D-type correlated negatively with fun seeking. Neither EC scale correlated significantly with behavioral inhibition. These findings suggest that I-type EC corresponds to fun, carefree and optimistic approaches to learning, while D-type EC reflects greater thoughtfulness and caution regarding knowledge-search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relation between personality and learning as well as the mediating role of the trait epistemic curiosity in the context of continuing education. Data were collected from 150 medical physicians attending various training programs in Pakistan. The results indicate that conscientiousness directly positively predicts whether an individual will learn from training. The relation between conscientiousness and learning is also explained through epistemic curiosity. In addition, openness to experience also indirectly and positively affects learning through epistemic curiosity. The findings also suggest that dispositional traits that aid learning be given consideration in the hiring and training of medical physicians in Pakistan. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]