Personality's voice: how personality traits shape verbal processes in collaborative problem-solving

Abstract

This exploratory study examined the associations between personality traits and verbal interactions during collaborative problem solving (CPS) in adult workplace teams. Using the Business Attitudes Questionnaire, we examined personality domains, facets, and compounds in relation to CPS-specific verbal behaviors and linguistic indicators. Data were collected from 36 participants across nine professional teams during a CPS training exercise consisting of multiple problem-solving intervals. Verbal interactions were analyzed through quantitative content analysis, in which utterance-level CPS behaviors were coded and transformed into relative frequencies, complemented by dictionary-based linguistic analysis using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count. The analyses were treated as exploratory. Multilevel models accounting for repeated observations within individuals suggested that Openness, particularly the Change-Oriented facet, was linked to greater knowledge sharing and cognitive process word use. Ambitious individuals tended to contribute more to shared knowledge but less to coordination and negotiation, while Results-oriented individuals tended to show higher word counts, and Strategic individuals tended to use more analytical language. The study serves as an initial empirical mapping of possible theory-informed links between personality and verbal CPS processes and identifies directions for future confirmatory research.