Time to reinvent yourself?

On a questionnaire measuring the OCEAN personality factors, which of the following statements is the most correct?

Nerve is likely inversely related to career success

Agreeableness measures traits including creativity and adaptability in the face of adversity

Openness to experience likely also measures the willingness to collaborate with stakeholders and confidence when speaking in front of audiences

None of the other answers is correct

What did the study by Mathew Harris show?

Most aspects of our personalities are open to change

Personalities are very malleable and can be reshaped through conscious effort at any age

More than one of the other answers is correct

It is difficult for someone with a desirable personality in their younger years to stay the same

Which of the following actions is most likely to result in a professional increasing their openness to experience?

Getting colleague feedback on the extent to which the professional is perceived as being open to experience

Reading more about finance and economics

Watching videos about new trends in other sectors and industries

Choosing to speak up during meetings with ideas and recommendations

What is a major consequence of the research discussed in the article?

Change is a multifaceted process that requires committing to multiple actions in the real world as well as mental shifts

Change can be relatively straightforward so long as we have a strong desire to make it happen

The difficulty of changing personality traits is made easier with in-depth feedback from others

CBT and mindfulness are the only two major approaches that are fully backed by research evidence

How much can we rely on the results of the study by Harris and colleagues?

The study is quite robust as the researchers tracked people for such a long period of time

More than one of the other answers is correct

It depends on the size of the sample and how representative it is in terms of people around the world

The study by Harris and colleagues is quite reliable as it is also backed up by the investigation led by Nathan Hudson

Which of the following approaches is likely to lead to the greatest degree of change?

Asking colleagues for feedback before deciding on a series of small actions to be completed over a number of weeks

Asking colleagues for feedback on perceived flaws before using self-help methods based on mindfulness or cognitive behavioural therapy

Reflecting on the ideal self and then planning a series of small actions to be completed over several months

Reflecting on the ideal self and then getting feedback from others on perceived weaknesses as well as strengths

Which of the following is true of the growth versus fixed mindset?

It is possible that there is great variability in the extent to which people respond to interventions aimed at promoting the growth mindset

It is likely that people around the world respond fairly uniformly to interventions designed to promote the growth mindset

Teaching the growth mindset is likely to be more beneficial to people from wealthy families than to people from poorer backgrounds

It is likely that the benefits of interventions aimed at teaching the growth mindset are roughly equivalent to older workers as well as younger workers

Which of the following statements is the most correct about the neuroscientific studies mentioned in the article?

Neuroscientific studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques are the strongest proof available to modern scientists about the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of psychological interventions

Two of the other answers are correct

Neuroscientific studies are just one source of evidence about the benefits of different psychological interventions and must be evaluated carefully, just like other sources of evidence

Neuroscientific studies provide strong evidence for the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of interventions because their results are unequivocal and cannot be misinterpreted

How useful is feedback?

It is substantially less useful than is commonly believed

It is probably less useful within organisations than is generally believed and should therefore be de-emphasised in settings such as performance appraisals

It is one of several development tools, the effectiveness of which likely depends greatly on how it is delivered and received

It is not useful unless combined with sufficient time for reflecting on the ideal self

What are the implications of the research on planned hedonic deviations for professionals aiming to develop themselves?

People should avoid working on weekends in order to recover, maintain their motivation, and avoid burnout

Individuals keen to sustain high levels of performance should allow themselves spontaneous breaks as and when needed

Taking all one's annual leave is important for supporting mental recuperation and therefore professional development

Planning to have occasional days off from work or self-development activities may boost mental wellbeing but still allow people to achieve long-term results