An Examination of the Relationships Between Affective Traits and Existential Life Positions

There were two major goals of this study - to examine validity of scores for the Boholst Life Position Scale and to examine potential associations between life positions and affective traits. Two hundred seventy-seven students enrolled in undergraduate psychology classes at a large university volunteered for the study. Concurrent validity of scores for the life position scale was supported based on two compared instruments. Pearson product-moment correlations for the comparisons were -.765 and .617, both statistically significant at the p < .001 level. Factor analysis demonstrated that the scale could accurately be conceptualized as consisting of two factors - an "I" factor and a "You" factor. MANOVA, ANOVA, multiple linear regression, and canonical correlation analysis were used to examine associations between life positions and the affective traits of angry, sad, glad, social anxiety, loneliness, and satisfaction with life. Subjects were catagorized into four groups representing their life position: "I'm OK, you're OK," "I'm OK, you're not OK," "I'm not OK, you're OK," and "I'm not OK, you're not OK." A MANOVA employing life position as the independent variable with four levels and the six affective traits as the dependent variables demonstrated statistical significance (p < .001 level) and h2 was .505. All six separate ANOVAs, with life position as the independent variable and each separate affective trait as the dependent variable, revealed statistical significance (p < .001) and h2 varied from a high of .396 for the sadness variable to a low of .116 for social anxiety. Six separate multiple linear regression equations using two independent variables, a measure of self-esteem and a measure of the perceived OK-ness of others, and each separate affective trait as the dependent variable, showed statistical significance (p < .001). The average Adjusted R2 was .475. Both canonical correlation functions were statistically significant (Rc12 = .77 and Rc22 = .21). In summary, life positions were strongly associated with specific affective traits.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2004

Author dc:creator

• Wiesner, Van

Contributors dc:contributor

• Norton, E. Douglas
• Altekruse, Michael K.
• Henson, Robin K.
• Hipple, John
• Lane, Timothy

• Affect (Psychology)
• Existentialism.
• transactional Analysis
• life positions
• affective traits
• canonical correlation analysis
• personality
• redecision therapy

Statement dc:rights

• Use restricted to UNT Community
• Copyright
• Wiesner, Van
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 56836450
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4539/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc4539

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc4539