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Abstract
BackgroundThe Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS) is an on-going, large population-based longitudinal twin study. We aimed (1) to investigate the reliability of two different versions (125-items and 238-items) of Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) used in the CATSS and the validity of extracting the short version from the long version, (2) to compare these personality dimensions between twins and adolescents from the general population, and (3) to investigate the genetic structure of Cloninger's model.MethodReliability and correlation analyses were conducted for both TCI versions, 2,714 CATSS-twins were compared to 631 adolescents from the general population, and the genetic structure was investigated through univariate genetic analyses, using a model-fitting approach with structural equation-modeling techniques based on same-sex twin pairs from the CATSS (423 monozygotic and 408 dizygotic pairs).ResultsThe TCI scores from the short and long versions showed comparable reliability coefficients and were strongly correlated. Twins scored about half a standard deviation higher in the character scales. Three of the four temperament dimensions (Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, and Persistence) had strong genetic and non-shared environmental effects, while Reward Dependence and the three character dimensions had moderate genetic effects, and both shared and non-shared environmental effects.ConclusionsTwins showed higher scores in character dimensions compared to adolescents from the general population. At least among adolescents there is a shared environmental influence for all of the character dimensions, but only for one of the temperament dimensions (i.e., Reward Dependence). This specific finding regarding the existence of shared environmental factors behind the character dimensions in adolescence, together with earlier findings showing a small shared environmental effects on character among young adults and no shared environmental effects on character among adults, suggest that there is a shift in type of environmental influence from adolescence to adulthood regarding character.
Highlights
Cloninger’s psychobiological model of personality [1] consists of four temperament and three character dimensions
The temperament dimensions are defined in terms of individual differences in behavioral learning mechanisms: the behavioral activation system which reflects the tendency toward exploratory action and intense excitement in response to novel stimuli (Novelty Seeking); the behavioral inhibition system which reflects the tendency to respond intensely to aversive stimuli and to avoid punishment and novel stimuli (Harm Avoidance); the behavioral maintenance system which reflects the tendency to respond strongly to reward and to learn to maintain rewarded behavior (Reward Dependence); and the propensity to persevere in behaviors despite frustration and fatigue (Persistence)
The reliability coefficients (Cronbach’s a) for the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) dimensions across all four samples and TCI versions were acceptable, with the exception of the temperament dimension of Reward Dependence and Persistence derived from the 125-item version
Summary
Cloninger’s psychobiological model of personality [1] consists of four temperament and three character dimensions. The temperament dimensions are defined in terms of individual differences in behavioral learning mechanisms: the behavioral activation system which reflects the tendency toward exploratory action and intense excitement in response to novel stimuli (Novelty Seeking); the behavioral inhibition system which reflects the tendency to respond intensely to aversive stimuli and to avoid punishment and novel stimuli (Harm Avoidance); the behavioral maintenance system which reflects the tendency to respond strongly to reward and to learn to maintain rewarded behavior (Reward Dependence); and the propensity to persevere in behaviors despite frustration and fatigue (Persistence) Character involves both neurobiological and sociocultural mechanisms of semantic and self-aware learning (i.e., self-concepts about goals and values or what people make of themselves intentionally). We aimed (1) to investigate the reliability of two different versions (125-items and 238-items) of Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) used in the CATSS and the validity of extracting the short version from the long version, (2) to compare these personality dimensions between twins and adolescents from the general population, and (3) to investigate the genetic structure of Cloninger’s model
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