From needs to traits: The mediating role of beliefs about control.

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]