Self-related Core Beliefs and Personality Traits: A Meta-analysis

Core beliefs as relatively stable cognitions about the self have been proposed as relevant variables concerning the development and emergence of personality traits, yet empirical evidence on their associations remains fragmented. This meta-analysis synthesizes quantitative findings on relationships between self-related core beliefs and personality traits. Eligible studies reported associations between validated self-report measures of core beliefs and established personality trait measures. Only studies with adult samples were included. A systematic literature search identified 148 studies comprising 182 independent samples and 1,399 effect sizes.Multilevel random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to account for dependent effect sizes. Core beliefs were integrated using the CorBel model, which distinguishes 20 belief facets across the domains of self-esteem, agency, and communion. Results showed systematic belief–trait associations. Most effects were small to moderate (|r| ≈ .10–.30), with stronger associations for beliefs reflecting global self-esteem and emotional vulnerability (e.g., worthy with neuroticism, r≈ −.61). Adaptive trait profiles were associated with positively valenced beliefs, whereas maladaptive profiles were linked to negatively valenced beliefs. Conclusions are limited by cross-sectional designs and measurement heterogeneity. Nonetheless, the findings support the view that core beliefs and personality traits are functionally related yet conceptually distinct, thus providing evidence in favor of recently proposed personality models. Results might stimulate research regarding the directionality and underlying dynamics of these associations as well as theeffects of targeted interventions.