What Makes the Political Personal? Openness, Personal Political Salience, and Activism

ABSTRACT People who attach personal meaning to social and political events or are high in Personal Political Salience (PPS) are more likely to engage in political activism (Duncan & Stewart, 2007). Although research suggests that PPS is consequential for activism, we know little about its origin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality 2010-06, Vol.78 (3), p.943-968
Main Authors: Curtin, Nicola, Stewart, Abigail J., Duncan, Lauren E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activism
Adolescent
Adult
Age differences
Age Factors
Aged
Behavioural psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Lobbying
Meaning
Middle Aged
Openness
Personality
Personality traits
Personality. Affectivity
Political activism
Political activity
Politics
Psychological effects
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social Behavior
Social Change
Social meaning
Young people
Youth
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Summary:ABSTRACT People who attach personal meaning to social and political events or are high in Personal Political Salience (PPS) are more likely to engage in political activism (Duncan & Stewart, 2007). Although research suggests that PPS is consequential for activism, we know little about its origins or, more generally, about indirect effects of personality on activism. In this study we examined the possibility that the personality trait of Openness to Experience may be one source of PPS and an indirect predictor of activism. In addition, we proposed that Openness would also be directly related to political activism in young adults but not in middle‐aged and older adults. Analyses confirmed these predictions in cross‐sectional and over‐time data from six samples. We argue that Openness may predispose some individuals both to find personal meaning in distant political events and to engage in social activism in their youth.
ISSN:0022-3506
1467-6494
DOI:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2010.00638.x