Rethinking Personality and Inner Conflict: Evidence from Dialogical Self Theory

A new study co-authored by doc. Marek Preiss, grounded in Dialogical Self Theory, examined the relationship between personality traits and inner psychological conflicts. The research included 240 participants who completed three well-established measures: the NEO-FFI (Big Five), the I-Position Inventory, and the Inner Conflicts Inventory.

The study aimed to replicate earlier work by Raggatt and Weatherly, which suggested that individuals with mid-range personality scores are more prone to inner conflicts associated with those traits. This replication was not confirmed. Instead, novel patterns emerged:

• Neuroticism-related conflicts showed a strong positive association with Neuroticism itself, suggesting the prevalence of anxious and confrontational inner dialogues.

• Openness-related conflicts correlated with both Openness to Experience and Extraversion, indicating more flexible and integrative cognitive processes.

These findings suggest the existence of two distinct forms of inner conflict:

1. Anxiety-driven conflict marked by confrontation and self-doubt.

2. Cognitively flexible conflict is shaped by openness, creativity, and integration.

The results deepen our understanding of how personality dimensions influence the ways individuals navigate tensions within themselves, advancing both psychological theory and applied research.