Presidential Personality And Performance

Presidential Personality andPerformanceScientific Inquiries

The basic question Fact #1: Presidents differ tremendously inpersonalityFact #2: Presidents vary greatly in theirperformance as leadersHow are these two obvious facts related?Does the president’s personality predict hisperformance?

Two approaches Psychobiography and psychohistory –subjective, qualitative, single-case studiesHistoriometry – objective, quantitative,multiple-case studies

Historiometric: Two issues How to measure presidential performance?How to measure presidential personality?

Measuring performance Objective measures– e.g., veto behaviorSubjective assessments–e.g., expert evaluations of performance

Measuring personality Content analysisExpert assessmentBiographical analysis

Content analysis Extracting personality from documents, suchas speeches and correspondenceIllustration: Adaptation of the TAT

The Thematic Appercepton Test (TAT) Power motive – Concern with impact, control orinfluence on others; with arousing strongemotions in others; with prestigeAchievement motive – Concern with excellence,success in competition, or uniqueunprecedented accomplishment.Affiliation motive – Concern with friendship, love,or companionate activity; nurturance

Presidential Inaugural Addresses Power, Achievement, and AffiliationMotivation now calculated for all inauguratedpresidents prior to Obamae.g.,

Standardized scores(M 50, SD r1953425448Kennedy1961507475Johnson, 981594961Bush, G. H. W. 1989577951Clinton1993715864Bush, G. W.2001457672

Presidential Inaugural Addresses Moreover, these scores correlate withvarious indicators of performanceE.g.,

Motivation and performance n Power and n Ach positively correlatedForeign affairs:–War: n Power –war entry &territorial gainsDiplomacy: n Power - peace accordsn Aff peace accords

Motivation and performance Administration:–– n Power Cabinet turnover (but competent)n Aff friends & cronies scandalsLegislation: n Power veto usePublic relations:––n Power press relationsn Power assassination attempts

Motivation & performance Ideology: Democrats Republicans in nPowerElection success: matching of motiveprofilesHistorical greatness:––high n Power & n Achlow n Aff

Expert Assessment Rubenzer & Faschinbauer (2004)Big Five Personality Factors––––– entitiousness3 or more expert evaluationsE.g.,

Biographical analysis Simonton (1986-2006)––––Creation of biographical sketchesEvaluation on various scalesGeneration of 110 personality scoresConsolidation into 14 personality factors

"He was morally and physically courageous, even-temperedand conservative, secretive and sagacious, skeptical andcautious, truthful and honest, firm in his own convictions andtolerant of those of others, reflective and cool, ambitious andsomewhat selfish, kind to all and good-natured, sympatheticin the presence of suffering or under an imaginativedescription of it, lived in his reason and reasoned in his life.Easy of approach and perfectly democratic in his nature, [he]had a broad charity for his fellow man and had an excuse forunreflective acts of his kind, and in short he loved justice andlived out in thought and act the eternal right. . I do not saythat he never deviated from his own nature and his own rules.His nature, the tendency of it, is as I state. [He] struggled tolive the best life possible. This I know."

110 Adjectives 14 Factors ModerationFriendlinessIntellectual brillianceMachiavellianismPoise and polishAchievement driveForcefulness tismInflexibilityPacificism

Personality and biography Large families positively related toModeration, Poise and polish, but negativelyrelated to Inflexibility and ForcefulnessProfessors score high on Inflexibility

Personality and performance Intellectual brilliance positively related to greatnessbut negatively related to electoral successLegislative success positively related toMachiavellianism, Forcefulness, Moderation, Poiseand polish, and negatively related to InflexibilityInflexibility and veto power (contingent on context)Controversiality positively related to Achievementdrive, Forcefulness, Pettiness, and Inflexibility butnegatively to Moderation, Friendliness, and Wit

Presidential style study Same biographical sketches, butNew ratersDifferent items–all having to do with leadership style

Leader style and personality Interpersonal ––––positive correlations with Moderation,Friendliness, Physical attractiveness,Conservatism, and Pacifismbutnegative correlations with Machiavellianism,Forcefulness, Pettiness, and Inflexibility

Personality and style Charismatic ––––positive correlations with Intellectualbrilliance, Machiavellianism, Achievementdrive, Forcefulnessbutnegative correlations with Moderation andConservatism

Personality and style Deliberative ––––positive correlations with Moderation, Poiseand polish, Tidiness, and Pacificismbutnegative correlations with Forcefulness andInflexibility

Personality and style Creative ––––positive correlations with Intellectualbrilliance, Machiavellianism, Achievementdrive, Forcefulness, and Inflexibilitybutnegative correlations with Moderation,Conservatism, and Pacificism

Personality and style Neurotic ––positive correlations with Machiavellianismand Pettiness

Style and biography Presidents from large families higher onInterpersonal and Deliberationdimensions, lower on CreativityOrphanhood positively associated withCharisma

Style and performance Charisma and Creativity both positivelyassociated with legislative success butalso with assassination attemptsCharisma and Creativity positivelyassociated with greatness

Historical greatness predictors Intellectual brillianceAdministration scandalWar heroYears in officeYears of warAssassination

Conclusion Context personalitybut many contextual factors have a partialpersonality basis, especially–– Administration scandalAssassinationand some personality traits interact withcontextual factors: e.g., InflexibilityUpshot: Personality is relevant toperformance

emotions in others; with prestige Achievement motive –Concern with excellence, success in competition, or unique unprecedented accomplishment. .