Personality as long-term predictor of coping

Abstract

In this study, the cross-sectional and longitudinal influence of personality traits on dispositional coping was examined. The sample consisted of 229 psychiatric outpatients who were investigated twice in an interval of six years. Personality was assessed twice with the Basic Character Inventory, which measures 17 general neurotic, impulsive hysterical and obsessive traits. Coping was measured once, at follow-up, with a questionnaire that provides scores for 15 problem-focused, uplifting-mood and avoidance/discharge dispositional coping styles. Personality traits were found to be significant short-term and long-term predictors of coping. The neurotic and hysterical traits both showed numerous and remarkably stable correlations with coping over time. The obsessive traits proved to be poorer predictors of coping cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Neurotic traits were negative predictors of problem-focused coping, ‘uplifting mood’ coping and positive predictors of avoidance/emotional discharge coping. They seemed to constitute a risk factor for the coping process. Hysterical traits, especially sociability, were positive predictors of problem-focused coping, coping directed at uplifting mood, and negative predictors of avoidance coping. They seemed to function as a resource in the coping process.