title: Self-Monitoring and the Metatraits.
abstract: Prior attempts at locating self-monitoring within general taxonomies of personality traits have largely proved unsuccessful. However, past research has typically neglected (a) the bidimensionality of the Self-Monitoring Scale and (b) the hierarchical nature of personality. The objective of this study was to test hypotheses that the two self-monitoring factors are located at the level of the metatraits. Using data from two large multi-informant samples, one community (Sample 1: N = 552, Mage  = 51.26, 61% female; NPeers  = 1,551, Mage  = 48.61, 37% female) and one online (Sample 2: N = 3,726, Mage  = 24.89, 59% female; NPeers  = 17,868, Mage  = 26.23, 64% female), confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Results confirmed hypotheses that acquisitive self-monitoring would have a strong positive relation to metatrait Plasticity, whereas protective self-monitoring would have a moderate negative relation to metatrait Stability. In both samples, constraining the correlation between acquisitive self-monitoring and Plasticity to unity did not alter model fit indices, indicating that the two putatively distinct constructs are identical. Findings have wide-ranging implications, including integration of the construct of self-monitoring into the mainstream of personality research, as the latter moves toward the development of broad explanatory theories.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Wilmot
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: Colin G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: DeYoung
authors.affiliation: University of Cambridge.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stillwell
authors.affiliation: Stanford University.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kosinski
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000067489:Metacognition; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010551:Personality / Q000145:classification; D055815:Young Adult