Goals of HEXACO personality traits: taxonomy and an assessment

We aimed at identifying personal goals related to traits in the HEXACO model, and at developing a comprehensive assessment of such goals. In Study 1 (N =231), a systematic exploratory study, goals ascribed to trait-consistent behaviors were elicited. Unique goals were identified from more than 7000 textual responses, using a combination of network analysis and expert ratings. In Study 2 (N = 512), we developed an initial assessment of such goals and examined their structure using hierarchical cluster analysis. In Study 3 (N =759), we refined the assessment of goals and investigated the relationships between goals and other relevant constructs, including traits, values, and basic motivational tendencies. The results showed that all traits reflected specific goals and motivations, albeit some traits seemed to be more imbued with goal content than others. Having available a taxonomy and assessment of personality-related goals opens new possibilities for investigating motivational personality processes.