How Emotional Stability and Openness to Experience Support Invention: A Study with German Independent Inventors

Abstract

How does invention depend on personality? Do inventors differ from noninventors? This study investigated the personal factors influencing a sample of independent inventors in Germany (N = 69). Standardized psychological questionnaires were employed to assess the Big Five personality dimensions, willingness to take risks, self-concept, and self-efficacy. For a comparison with noninventors, scores from reference samples were taken. Hypotheses were formulated based on research into creativity and entrepreneurship and the normative DABEI Stage Model of invention. As expected, the independent inventors showed higher levels of extraversion and openness to experience. In addition, independent inventors stood out in terms of emotional stability (low neuroticism scores). Surprisingly, in this sample success as an inventor correlated negatively with openness to experience. The interpretation is along the lines that inventors may work in a focused manner and technical implementation of an innovative idea may be optimized with great persistence. Discussion centers around the generalizability of the results.

Acknowledgments

Our thanks are due to the Hans-Sauer-Stiftung, Munich, which supported this study. This article has been preceded by a previous publication by Braun, Meig, & Neyer (2009).

Notes

Note. The first two columns are taken from Table 1 on p. 3 of the DABEI manual (DABEI, 1987).

Note. Bold scales are relevant to the hypothesis on differences between inventors vs. non-inventors. FSAL = Frankfurt Selbstkonzeptskala zur allgemeinen Leistungsfähigkeit. FSVE = Selbstkonzeptskala zur Verhaltens- und Entscheidungssicherheit.

^a Big-Five factors: first reference sample by the Borkenau and Ostendorf (1993) test manual; second reference sample by Körner, Geyer, and Brähler (2002).

*p < 0.05 (bilateral). **p < 0.01 (bilateral).