Self-directedness

Self-directedness is a personality trait held by someone with characteristic self-determination, that is, the ability to regulate and adapt behavior to the demands of a situation in order to achieve personally chosen goals and values.[1]

It is one of the "character" dimensions in Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Cloninger described it as "willpower"—"a metaphorical abstract concept to describe the extent to which a person identifies the imaginal self as an integrated, purposeful whole individual, rather than a disorganized set of reactive impulses."[1] Cloninger's research found that low self-directedness is a major common feature of personality disorders generally.

Self-directedness is conceptually related to locus of control.[2] That is, low self-directedness is associated with external locus of control, whereas high self-directedness is associated with internal locus of control.[1]

In the five factor model of personality, self-directedness has a strong inverse association with neuroticism and a strong positive association with conscientiousness.[2]

  1. ^ a b c Cloninger, C.R.; Svrakic, D.M.; Przybeck, T.R. (December 1993). "A psychobiological model of temperament and character". Archives of General Psychiatry. 50 (12): 975–90. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820240059008. PMID 8250684.
  2. ^ a b De Fruyt, F.; Van De Wiele, L.; Van Heeringen, C. (2000). "Cloninger's Psychobiological Model of Temperament and Character and the Five-Factor Model of Personality". Personality and Individual Differences. 29 (3): 441–452. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00204-4.