Individual Psychosocial Competence: a Personality Configuration

Abstract

Two investigations of students entering college ( N s = 84 and 262), and one of the students completing high school (N = 147) explored the presence of a psychological competence configuration as a component of personality-functioning. That configuration was hypothesized to consist of self-attitudes (Rotter I-E ), world attitudes (Rotter Trust), and behavioral attributes (Tyler, Behavioral Attributes of Psychosocial Competence). The configuration held across all 3 samples, with the self-attitudes-behavioral attributes relation strongest. Configural measures were independent of aptitude and grade point measures, but somewhat related to social desirability (Crowne-Marlowe). In the high school study, the BAPC significantly differentiated students selected by counselors as exemplary ("getting their lives and school together well" ) in contrast to those selected as marginal. The differentiating power of the BAPC proved to be completely independent of social desirability and aptitude effects and partially independent of grade point average. Thus these studies establish the presence of a functionally relevant behavioral attributes component of effectiveness.EFFORTS to define patterns of psychosocial effectiveness from a scientific perspective have only recently been undertaken. Jahoda first accorded psychological legitimacy to conceptions of positive mental health slightly more than a decade ago (1958). Within the realm of 1 This study required the support of more people and institutions than can be listed, however some deserve particular mention. Included are: (a) The counseling personnel and student participants; (b

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The limits of fit: Examining the implications of person-environment congruence within different religious settings

“…The degree to which the individual maintains a moderately optimistic attitude toward others and the world was assessed by Rotter's (1967) Trust Scale and the Scale of Life Satisfaction designed by Smith and Ironson (1979). Finally, the extent to which the individual solves problems in an active planful manner was measured by Tyler's (1978) Behavioral Attitudes of Psychosocial Competence (BAPC) scale. Each of these measures has demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency and significant relationships with a variety of behavioral and self-report criteria of effective functioning within diverse groups.…”