Minimizing inequality versus maximizing joint gains: On the relation between personality traits and different prosocial motivations

Publication date: Available online 5 June 2019Source: Journal of Research in PersonalityAuthor(s): Dorothee Mischkowski, Isabel Thielmann, Andreas GlöcknerAbstractThe Social Value Orientation (SVO) Slider Measure allows a differentiation between two prosocial motivations: minimizing inequality versus maximizing joint gains. In two studies (N = 1,202), we investigated the relation between this suggested continuum from Inequality Aversion (IA) to Joint Gain Maximization (JGM), the HEXACO personality dimensions, and SVO. To account for differences in fairness perception, we also considered whether inequality favored oneself or the other. As hypothesized, Honesty-Humility was the best basic trait predictor of IA, showing a slightly stronger positive link when inequality was self-advantageous. SVO, in turn, showed a stronger (negative) link when inequality was disadvantageous for the self. Overall, the results show that IA is related to (basic) personality traits in a theoretically meaningful way.

Source: Journal of Research in Personality - June 6, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research