Broad Dispositions, Broad Aspirations: The Intersection of Personality Traits and Major Life Goals
Abstract
Do personality traits predict the goals a person chooses to pursue in life? The present study examined the relation between personality traits and major life goals, which are broad, far-reaching agendas for important life domains (N = 672). The authors used both theoretical and empirical procedures to organize a set of life goals into thematic content clusters (economic, aesthetic, social, relationship, political, hedonistic, religious); the resulting goal clusters constitute a preliminary taxonomy of motive units based on the fundamental value domains identified in the literature. The authors examined gender differences on each goal cluster and related the goal clusters to individual differences in the Big Five and narcissism. High extraversion and low agreeableness (e.g., narcissism) was the most common profile associated with major life goals, and neuroticism was essentially unrelated to the importance of major life goals. Findings confirmed expectations derived from previous research and from Socioanalytic and narcissism theories.
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Agreeable people achieve interpersonal belonging via getting along with others.
“As a result, agreeable people achieve interpersonal belonging via getting along with others (Barrick et al., 2002;Hogan, 1983;Roberts & Robins, 2000).”
From Cultural norm fulfillment, interpersonal belonging, or getting ahead? A large-scale cross-cultural test of three perspectives on the function of self-esteem. (2015) · cites this paper as Roberts & Robins, 2000
Extraverts achieve interpersonal belonging via getting ahead in the social world.
“As a result, extraverts achieve interpersonal belonging via getting ahead in the social world (Barrick, Stewart, & Piotrowski, 2002;Hogan, 1983;Roberts & Robins, 2000).”
From Cultural norm fulfillment, interpersonal belonging, or getting ahead? A large-scale cross-cultural test of three perspectives on the function of self-esteem. (2015) · cites this paper as Roberts & Robins, 2000
Clarifying the employee's major life goals can serve as a compass to establish more effective life patterns.
“Given the brevity of the process, clarifying the employee's major life goals (broad agendas for major life domains) (Roberts & Robins, 2000) can serve as a compass to establish more effective life patterns.”
From Developing a brief acceptance and commitment therapy model for industrial psychologists (2022) · cites this paper as Roberts & Robins, 2000
Major life goals consist of economic goals, aesthetic goals, social goals, relationship goals, political goals, hedonistic goals, religious goals, personal growth goals, physical wellbeing goals and theoretical goals.
“Major life goals consist of economic goals, aesthetic goals, social goals, relationship goals, political goals, hedonistic goals, religious goals, personal growth goals, physical wellbeing goals and theoretical goals (Roberts & Robins, 2000).”
From Developing a brief acceptance and commitment therapy model for industrial psychologists (2022) · cites this paper as Roberts & Robins, 2000
There is considerable overlap between the ACT definition of values and how Roberts and Robins (2000) typify major life goals.
“There is considerable overlap between the ACT definition of values and how Roberts and Robins (2000) typify major life goals.”
From Developing a brief acceptance and commitment therapy model for industrial psychologists (2022) · cites this paper as Roberts & Robins, 2000
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Roberts, B. W., Kuncel, N. R., Shiner, R., Caspi, A., & Goldberg, L. R. (2007) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6916.2007.00047.x · Cited by 2,361 · see citing works
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Ingledew, D. K., & Markland, D. (2008) · Psychology & Health · doi:10.1080/08870440701405704 · Cited by 375 · see citing works
Traits and Stories: Links Between Dispositional and Narrative Features of Personality
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The Cantril Ladder elicits thoughts about power and wealth
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Developing a brief acceptance and commitment therapy model for industrial psychologists
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“Major life goals consist of economic goals, aesthetic goals, social goals, relationship goals, political goals, hedonistic goals, religious goals, personal growth goals, physical wellbeing goals and theoretical goals (Roberts & Robins, 2000).”
BackgroundInfluential
- Authors
- Roberts, B. W., & Robins, R. W.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- University of California, Davis (US)
- Corresponding author
- Roberts, Brent W.
- Venue
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2000-11
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1284-1296
- ISSN
- 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7433
- OpenAlex
- W1970633172
- Cited by
- 494
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 8.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Psychological Testing and Assessment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Keywords
- personality traits, Big Five personality traits, narcissism, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, gender differences, socioanalytic theory
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