THE CONTRIBUTION OF PERSONALITY TO ADULT WELL-BEING: A TEST AND EXPLICATION OF OREM'S THEORY OF SELF-CARE (DOROTHEA E. OREM).
Contributors: Wayne State University.
Published: 1994
Number of pages: 320
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Personality.
Description: This cross-sectional, correlational research study explored the articulation of the Five Factor Model of Personality Traits (neuroticism, extroversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness; McCrae & Costa, 1987) with Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory of Nursing (1991) for the purpose of further explicating and testing Orem's Theory and enhancing nursing's understanding of how personality traits contribute to selected basic conditioning factors (BCFs), self-care agency (S-CA), self-care (S-C), and adult well-being (W-B). Orem has consistently stressed the importance of conducting nursing research to articulate theory derived from other health-related disciplines with her work. Orem stated that these "other" theories articulate with her nursing theory at two points--the BCFs and the foundational capabilities and dispositions (FC&D), a sub-concept of S-CA. Although the construct of personality was not explicitly viewed by Orem as either a BCF or as a FC&D, there is leeway within Orem's theoretical formulations to view personality in these ways, to deduce theoretical linkages, and to test these out empirically. This study tested two rival models of adult well-being thus deduced. One model viewed personality traits as BCFs, the other viewed them as FC&Ds of S-CA.

The relationships depicted in the two research models were empirically examined by surveying a theoretically representative sample of 311 Canadian adults, purposefully stratified by gender, age and health state (133 "well" adults and 180 adults with end stage renal disease). Self-report measures with known psychometric properties were used; reliability and validity with the sample was supported.

The two research models were examined using hierarchical multiple regression and path analyses. Findings provided evidence for combining the original two models. Conscientiousness and openness were highly salient to the self-care agency of subjects and articulated with Orem's theory at the point of the FC&Ds. Neuroticism and extroversion "behaved" like BCFs; they appeared to externally and systematically influence subjects' perceptions of S-CA, S-C and W-B. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to theory development, theory testing, nursing research and practice.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-03, Section: B, page: 1346.

Thesis (PH.D.)--WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, 1994.

School code: 0254.