Shining Light on the Dark Side of Personality


Book Description

We encounter people who possess socially undesirable personality traits at subclinical levels in our day-to-day lives, whether it is the boss who acts like a jerk, a cheating partner, or a friend who rubs everyone the wrong way. This volume explores the latest research on the assessment of dark personality traits, including the Dark Triad of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. The internationally renowned group of contributors provide a comprehensive, evidence-based overview of the personality traits currently being explored. Each chapter reviews two main topics. First, a particular measure used to study such traits is discussed. This section is geared to help the reader to understand how researchers in this area capture data on these traits and to best decide which instrument they want to use and when. Second, each chapter then details what the psychometric data on the test reveals about human nature, including topics such as sex differences, workplace behaviors, sexuality, and value systems. In this way, the contributors highlight how the convergence of research from various measures can provide a broad mosaic of information about people colloquially called psychopaths, narcissists, spiteful, Machiavellian, and sadists. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in test development and practitioners interested in the dark side of personality.




Shining Light on the Dark Side of Personality


Book Description

Learn which dark side of personality assessment to use and when Introduces different assessment tools Highlights the nuances between tests Presents the relevant psychometric properties Explores findings about human nature More about the book We encounter people who possess undesirable dark sides of personality at low levels in our day to day lives, whether it is the boss who acts like a jerk, a cheating partner, or a friend who rubs everyone up the wrong way. This volume explores the latest research on the assessment of the dark personality traits, including the dark triad of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, and more. The internationally renowned group of contributors provide a comprehensive, evidence-based overview of the personality traits currently being explored. Each chapter reviews two main topics. First, a particular measure used to study such traits is discussed. This section is geared to help the reader to understand how researchers in this area capture data on these traits and to best decide which instrument they want to use and when. Second, each chapter then details what the psychometric data on the test reveals about human nature, including topics such as sex differences, workplace behaviors, sexuality, and value systems. In this way, the contributors highlight how the convergence of research from various measures can provide a broad mosaic of information about people colloquially called psychopaths, narcissists, spiteful, Machiavellian, and sadists. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in test development and practitioners interested in the dark side personality traits.




The Oxford Handbook of Individual Differences in Organizational Contexts


Book Description

Comprising twenty-six chapters authored by fifty-seven esteemed academics, this book facilitates readers in comprehending the key findings, questions, and future research areas of individual differences research in organizational contexts.




Handbook of Positive Psychology Assessment


Book Description

Learn how to select the right positive psychology (PP) assessment tool for the right situation Written by internationally renowned authors Looks at well-being, traits, states, and behavior Presents the relevant psychometric properties Considers assessment challenges Recommends selection in different settings Explores new directions in PP A comprehensive guide to selecting positive psychology assessment tools This volume gives a state-of-the-art overview of assessment in the field of positive psychology, including a comprehensive survey of current theories, approaches, issues, and assessment instruments. In four sections, leading experts look at different conceptualizations of well-being and discuss specific traits, states, and behaviors. New directions in positive psychology are also explored, including measuring primal world beliefs, imagination, self-transcendent experiences, and nostalgia. Each chapter provides an introductory background to the positive psychology topic reviews the most relevant assessment instruments, and discusses the specific assessment-related challenges. Recommendations for selecting assessment tools are included for specific settings, such as school, relationships, health and clinical settings, leisure, and interventions. This book is a must for positive psychology researchers, instructors, students, and practitioners wanting to select the right positive psychology instrument for the right situation.




Leadership and Politics


Book Description




Overcoming Bad Leadership in Organizations


Book Description

"Robert Hogan is known for suggesting that the most consequential question in human affairs is, "Who should lead?" History is riddled with examples of how the survival of collectivities - schools, governments, nations, organizations - is determined by who is in charge. Good leaders turn businesses drowning in red ink into industry juggernauts; they transform "B" players into high-performers with minimal infighting and seamless cooperation. Yet history also shows that leadership strengths coincide with deeply troubled dark sides that result in totalitarian regimes, large-scale financial collapses such as the global financial crisis of 2008, exclusive political and economic institutions, ill-conceived military entanglements, and the inability to manage public health during global pandemics,"--




Contract Cheating in Higher Education


Book Description

This edited volume—the first book devoted to the topic of contract cheating—brings together the perspectives of leading scholars presenting novel research. Contract cheating describes the outsourcing of students’ assessments to third parties such that the assignments or exams students submit are not their own work. While research in this area has grown over the past five years, the phenomenon has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Themes addressed in this book include the definition of contract cheating, its prevalence in higher education, and what motivates students to engage in it. Chapter authors also consider various interventions that can be used to address contract cheating’s threat to academic integrity in higher education including: assessment practice, education, detection strategies, policy design, and legal interventions.




Pseudology


Book Description

In an age where fake news, conspiracy theories, and outright lies by political and cultural leaders are commonplace, we may be becoming accustomed to lying, or worse, even immune to it. Pseudology unravels the reasons for this by describing a “science of lying” that looks at various aspects of this trait, from how it affects the brain to how it distorts perception. Interest in lying goes back to antiquity and writing and debate has only increased in the present day, but what is missing is a treatment that synthesizes the work from linguists, political scientists, anthropologists, psychologists, neuroscientists, and sociologists, tying them to the philosophical and literary views of lying throughout history. Such a treatment can be called "pseudology": an interdisciplinary science for classifying, collating, and assessing ideas about lying. This book is a comprehensive treatment of pseudology, emphasising the importance of studying lying in our current climate. Pseudology addresses questions such as: • What is a lie? • Why do we lie? • Why are we so susceptible to lying? • How does lying activate false beliefs and generate hatred of others? • How has lying shaped the course of history (at least to some extent)? • How has lying been adopted as a basic thematic element in literature and the arts? Synthesising research from a broad range of disciplines and from the perspective of a leading cognitive linguist, this text weaves ideas and theories about lying cohesively into an overall interdisciplinary science. This landmark book is vital for students and scholars of language as well as anyone interested in politics, sociology, or psychology.




Mentalization-Based Treatment for Pathological Narcissism


Book Description

Despite the growing cultural and empirical interest in narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder, therapists often feel confused and overwhelmed about how to help patients struggling with these problems. "Mentalization" refers to the ability to read, access, and reflect on mental states in oneself and other people. Research shows that people with narcissism can suffer from extreme difficulties mentalizing themselves and others, leading to instability in their mood, interpersonal relationships, and sense of self. Mentalization-based Treatment for Pathological Narcissism: A Handbook provides much needed guidance about how to effectively help patients suffering from narcissistic vulnerabilities. Mentalization-based treatment, or MBT, is an evidence-based therapy for patients with personality disorders, helping patients to reflect on mental states in themselves and others, resulting in significant improvements in everyday functioning. This book reviews the deficits in mentalizing associated with pathological narcissism, describes how to give the diagnosis of narcissism to patients, outlines how to structure therapy sessions, and offers step-by-step techniques about "what to do and say" when sitting with these patients. Utilizing vibrant case examples and verbatim scripts from actual psychotherapies, the authors explain how to address the most common clinical challenges associated with narcissism: disconnection from emotions; impairments in empathy; rigid thinking; monologues and intellectualization; unstable self-esteem; and tendencies to blame other people for disruptions in their relationships.




Psychopathy


Book Description

Psychopathy: The Basics is an accessible text that provides a compact introduction to the major findings and debates concerning this complex personality disorder. This book provides an overview of the field and covers a wide range of research findings from genetics to psychosocial developmental explanations. It begins with an exploration of the historical conception of the phenomenon of psychopathy and goes on to discuss its social and cultural accounts. It also delves into biologically based explanations including genetic and evolutionary approaches, along with criminological and entrepreneurial types of psychopathy. Offering a balanced perspective, thisbook addresses the nature-nurture debate in the field and also discusses widely accepted personality traits of psychopaths. Lastly, it also provides a glossary of key terms and suggestions for further reading This book will be an essential read for students of forensic psychology, or criminology. It is also an ideal starting point for those interested in the science of psychopathy and personality disorders.