P: The Online Newsletter for Personality Science Issue 2, January 2008

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P Puzzler
The Christmas season may be over, but here is a puzzle.
Can you identify the theory of personality described below, which we shall refer to here as "Theory X?"
(The answer will be given in the next edition.)

Theory X argues that the trait concept is oversimple , and that we will learn much more about personality if we look at the patterns of change manifested by people during the course of everyday life. People are seen as "dancers" rather than "statues" - they are inherently unstable. Even in the same situation, they may react differently at different times. But various structures can be discerned within this instability and inconsistency. Theory X points out that using the trait concept is counterproductive if we want to help people to change - which is, after all, the aim of every kind of psychological intervention. By telling people "This is how you are," you give them an excuse to stay the same. In contrast, this theory aims to liberate rather than pigeon-hole. Theory X is often described as a theory of "motivation, emotion and personality." But it is even more general than this description might imply. The theory has been used to elucidate many topics including anxiety, depression, addiction, stress, violence, sexual behavior, risk-taking, play, leadership, hypnosis, small group behavior, family relations, organizational culture, creativity, aesthetics, humor, sports preferences, gambling, blood donation, classroom management, soccer hooliganism, polar exploration, exercise motivation, and many others. Here are a few technical terms from Theory X, which might act as clues in identifying it: Metamotivation, cognitive synergy, multistability, chronotyping, parapathic emotions, telic state. Theory X was first proposed in the mid nineteen-seventies, and has generated some four hundred academic publications including eighteen books. It is supported by a worldwide network of researchers and practitioners who hold regular international conferences. It has been applied in a number of areas, especially sport and management consultancy. There is an entry on Theory X in the American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychology, and the APA has also published what amounts to a Handbook on the theory. Theory X is practically never mentioned in standard classroom texts on personality, so you will be unlikely to identify it from this source.

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