#12 Psychological-Mindedness, Coping, & Personality

Theories of Personality Article Review

Lukas Otteson

Professor Svoboda

PSYC 335-7380 Theories of Personality

University of Maryland University College

June 30, 2019

Ivan Nyklicek, Joela Poot, and Jan van Opstal studied the relationships between psychological mindedness (PM), personality, and coping in young adult participants with psychological difficulties (2010). Their aim was to understand how these variables may be correlated, to understand their relationships (or lack thereof) with one another. Nyklicek et al. hypothesized that PM would be positively associated with problem-focused coping and negatively associated with emotion-focused or avoidant coping (2010). They also expected PM and problem-focused coping to be independent of the effect of expected significant correlations between PM, extraversion and openness, and neuroticism (Nyklicek et al., 2010).

Sixty-three young women and thirty-two young men that were admitted for intake into a Dutch mental health institute were surveyed (Nyklicek et al., 2010). Nyklicek & Denollet’s Balanced Index of Psychological Mindedness (BIPM) (as cited in Nyklicek et al., 2010) was used to assess the participants’ levels of PM, using two subscales (7 “Interest” items and 7 “Insight” items) and scoring the items using a 5-point Likert scale from 0 (not true) to 4 (very true) (Nyklicek et al., 2010).  The Trait Meta Mood Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, and Eyseneck Personality Questionnaire were used to correlate with the results of the BIPM (Nyklicek et al., 2010). Each participant was given the questionnaires following the conclusion of their intake, informed verbally and in writing about the purpose of the study, and gave consent.

PM demonstrated positive associations with extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness while being negatively correlated with neuroticism (Nyklicek et al., 2010). Additionally, PM was associated with problem-focused coping independently of personality characteristics (Nyklicek et al., 2010). These results support their hypotheses. Causality still remains unclear given the methodology used, though.

This study is interesting as a scholar, but is more than that. The important questions these researchers asked and the findings that they gathered are a part of the growing body of psychological research/literature that continues to propel us closer to knowing ourselves, with respect to psychology. Although causality cannot be concluded from this research, the relationships themselves are reason enough to conduct future research. Demonstrating replicability will be important for proponents of this research. That said, this article is an interesting glance at the relationships between psychological mindedness, coping, neuroticism, various adaptive personality characteristics, and disorder, and one that should be followed-up with further research. Perhaps there will be more to come on this front.

Taking what was demonstrated in this study into account, participants who scored low on “Insight” on the BIPM could be taught some lessons in psychological mindedness. This study wouldn’t need to be drastically altered, but it could test whether or not these findings have clinical implications. Following “Insight” PM lessons, participants could be tested across the board on all the same tests. They may express greater “Interest” in PM now. Maybe they’re less neurotic. Maybe their coping changes a little bit. Perhaps some low in “Insight” are more receptive to the lessons (perhaps their personality characteristics should be compared at that point).

There are a lot of interesting directions that this research can be taken from here. Nyklicek et al. conducted a small study that demonstrated with its findings that their questions deserve to be studied at a greater scale. The article is a valuable addition to psychological/personality research and one that can be a stepping-stone on a path of greater findings to come. 

References

Nyklícek, I., Poot, J. C., & van Opstal, J. (2010). Psychological mindedness in relation to personality and coping in a sample of young adult psychiatric patients. Journal Of Clinical Psychology, 66(1), 34–45. https://doi-org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/10.1002/jclp.20627