Personality, situation and physiological arousability

Abstract

Predictions from the physiological arousability concept in H.J. Eysenck's personality theory were investigated. Interindividual differences ( N =42) in extraversion, neuroticism, aggressivity and somatic complaints (questionnaire data) were related (1) to level and variability of physiological reactivity and (2) to an index of arousability. A large sample of 48 experimental conditions differing widely in ‘intensity’ and emotional ‘stressfulness’, and 34 physiological parameters comprising somato-motor, autonomic, and EEG variables were employed. Physiological data were aggregated into four functionally significant variates. Psychophysiological relationships were analysed with canonical, multiple and Pearson correlations. A randomization procedure was used to detect violations of statistical assumptions. Results did not support the predictions: (1) Level and variability of reactivity were not related to personality, (2) extraversion was not more closely related to arousability than neuroticism, (3) stimulus intensity (physiologically operationalized) failed to be a significant moderator of personality x arousability relationships, and (4) neuroticism did not have closer relationships to arousability within emotionally stressful than within nonstressful situations. Results from exploratory analyses suggested that (1) the trait of aggressivity has been hitherto underestimated, it possessed the largest psychophysiological relationships, (2) different sources of arousal (one stimulus bound and one related to the entire setting) could sometimes interact in determining the degree of personality x arousability correlations, and (3) less normative situations (permitting larger behavioural variability) could be at least as effective as highly normative task periods in producing notable correlations. In conclusion, the arousability concept in personality theory is hampered by the vague notion of what a ‘situation’ is.