The general factor of personality is related to emotional, psychological, and social well-being

Abstract

Background The general factor of personality is defined as a blend of socially desirable attributes of basic personality traits. It is related to a variety of socially desirable qualities, including emotional well-being. However, its relationship with psychological and social well-being has been underexplored. Participants and procedure Across three studies (N = 556, N = 448, N = 3,294) from three different countries (Poland, Spain, and USA), we show that the general factor of personality is highly related to a general factor of well-being and to its specific dimensions. Results Results from Study 1 confirmed this association using a basic measure of well-being (i.e., the Mental Health Continuum), results from Study 2 confirmed this association using six specific measures of well-being, while results from Study 3 reproduced a congruent result using a large-scale community sample. Conclusions Our findings align with the existing literature stressing the positive link between the general factor of personality and aspects of well-being.

Keywords

• personality
• well-being
• general factor of personality