Christopher Soto
@cjsotomatic.bsky.social
Personality psychologist at Colby College. I study the structure, assessment, development, and outcomes of personality traits and socio-emotional skills.
Why must you always taunt us, Brent. Why?!
May 9, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Why must you always taunt us, Brent. Why?!
4/5 Key finding #3:
Kids whose skills increased over time also experienced positive life outcomes, including better academic engagement, friendship quality, and well-being. So skill changes matter for adolescents' success.
Kids whose skills increased over time also experienced positive life outcomes, including better academic engagement, friendship quality, and well-being. So skill changes matter for adolescents' success.
February 25, 2025 at 7:45 PM
4/5 Key finding #3:
Kids whose skills increased over time also experienced positive life outcomes, including better academic engagement, friendship quality, and well-being. So skill changes matter for adolescents' success.
Kids whose skills increased over time also experienced positive life outcomes, including better academic engagement, friendship quality, and well-being. So skill changes matter for adolescents' success.
3/5 Key finding #2:
Most Big Five personality traits did *not* show mean-level change or individual differences in change. So it seems easier for skills to change than traits.
Most Big Five personality traits did *not* show mean-level change or individual differences in change. So it seems easier for skills to change than traits.
February 25, 2025 at 7:45 PM
3/5 Key finding #2:
Most Big Five personality traits did *not* show mean-level change or individual differences in change. So it seems easier for skills to change than traits.
Most Big Five personality traits did *not* show mean-level change or individual differences in change. So it seems easier for skills to change than traits.
2/5 Key finding #1:
There were significant individual differences in change for all five skill domains: self-management, social engagement, cooperation, emotional resilience, and innovation skills. So some kids increased over time, while others decreased.
There were significant individual differences in change for all five skill domains: self-management, social engagement, cooperation, emotional resilience, and innovation skills. So some kids increased over time, while others decreased.
February 25, 2025 at 7:45 PM
2/5 Key finding #1:
There were significant individual differences in change for all five skill domains: self-management, social engagement, cooperation, emotional resilience, and innovation skills. So some kids increased over time, while others decreased.
There were significant individual differences in change for all five skill domains: self-management, social engagement, cooperation, emotional resilience, and innovation skills. So some kids increased over time, while others decreased.
4/ Bottom line:
Success in adolescence isn't just about sticking to your personality. Social, emotional, and behavioral skills can help kids adapt and thrive, even when stepping out of their comfort zone.
Want to know more? Check out the full paper!
osf.io/d2z5b/downlo...
Success in adolescence isn't just about sticking to your personality. Social, emotional, and behavioral skills can help kids adapt and thrive, even when stepping out of their comfort zone.
Want to know more? Check out the full paper!
osf.io/d2z5b/downlo...
osf.io
December 11, 2024 at 6:48 PM
4/ Bottom line:
Success in adolescence isn't just about sticking to your personality. Social, emotional, and behavioral skills can help kids adapt and thrive, even when stepping out of their comfort zone.
Want to know more? Check out the full paper!
osf.io/d2z5b/downlo...
Success in adolescence isn't just about sticking to your personality. Social, emotional, and behavioral skills can help kids adapt and thrive, even when stepping out of their comfort zone.
Want to know more? Check out the full paper!
osf.io/d2z5b/downlo...
3/ A couple examples:
* High cooperation and emotional resilience skills helped counteract low trait agreeableness and emotional stability in managing friendships.
* High innovation skills (like creativity and cultural competence) outweighed trait open-mindedness in predicting multiple outcomes.
* High cooperation and emotional resilience skills helped counteract low trait agreeableness and emotional stability in managing friendships.
* High innovation skills (like creativity and cultural competence) outweighed trait open-mindedness in predicting multiple outcomes.
December 11, 2024 at 6:48 PM
3/ A couple examples:
* High cooperation and emotional resilience skills helped counteract low trait agreeableness and emotional stability in managing friendships.
* High innovation skills (like creativity and cultural competence) outweighed trait open-mindedness in predicting multiple outcomes.
* High cooperation and emotional resilience skills helped counteract low trait agreeableness and emotional stability in managing friendships.
* High innovation skills (like creativity and cultural competence) outweighed trait open-mindedness in predicting multiple outcomes.
2/ Traits = what you *tend to do* on average.
Skills = what you *can do* when needed.
They're not always perfectly aligned, and mismatches matter. Adolescents with higher skills than traits--who can "rise to the occasion"--fared better across academic, social, and emotional domains.
Skills = what you *can do* when needed.
They're not always perfectly aligned, and mismatches matter. Adolescents with higher skills than traits--who can "rise to the occasion"--fared better across academic, social, and emotional domains.
December 11, 2024 at 6:48 PM
2/ Traits = what you *tend to do* on average.
Skills = what you *can do* when needed.
They're not always perfectly aligned, and mismatches matter. Adolescents with higher skills than traits--who can "rise to the occasion"--fared better across academic, social, and emotional domains.
Skills = what you *can do* when needed.
They're not always perfectly aligned, and mismatches matter. Adolescents with higher skills than traits--who can "rise to the occasion"--fared better across academic, social, and emotional domains.
Yeah, one helpful outcome of all the replication work is a clearer understanding of how much data you need to get robust estimates.
November 22, 2024 at 1:18 AM
Yeah, one helpful outcome of all the replication work is a clearer understanding of how much data you need to get robust estimates.
Individual correlations stabilize around 250 participants. For multivariate stuff like factor analysis, you’d want an extra buffer, so I’d recommend 400 to 500.
November 22, 2024 at 1:10 AM
Individual correlations stabilize around 250 participants. For multivariate stuff like factor analysis, you’d want an extra buffer, so I’d recommend 400 to 500.