Character Dimension Of Self-directedness Research Articles

Effects of Self-Esteem and Coping Skills on Compulsive Buying in Patients with Major Depression: The Moderator Role of Temperament and Character

Objective: In this study, we aimed to test how compulsive buying behavior is affected by self-esteem and coping skills in depressed patients and whether this is related to temperament character traits. Materials and Methods: 106 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and 98 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS), Compulsive Online Buying Scale (COBS), Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced-R (COPE-R), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were applied to the participants. Results: A significant difference was found in patients with depression in terms of compulsive buying, coping skills, and self-esteem compared to the control group. In addition, the difference between the total scores of the temperament dimensions of harm avoidance, novelty seeking, persistence, and the character dimensions of self-directedness and cooperativeness was found to be significant. There are two models in the study. The firstly revealed that depression severity does not directly affect on compulsive buying behavior, but compulsive buying behavior is indirectly affected by self-esteem and coping skills. The secondly showed that temperament and character traits directly affect coping and self-esteem regardless of the severity of depression. Conclusion: The presence and severity of compulsive buying behavior in patients with depression can be interpreted as an indicator of decreased self-esteem and frequently used maladaptive coping mechanisms.

Temperament and character differences in psychopathic and non-psychopathic antisocial adolescents

The present study tested the possibility of distinguishing between different types of antisocial adolescents based on psychopathic characteristics, and the differences between antisocial adolescents of different ages and subtypes in relation to the Cloninger's personality dimension. The sample included 101 antisocial male adolescents, divided into two age groups (71 respondents in the 13-17 age group and 30 in the 18-25 age group). After conducting model-based cluster analyses, non-psychopathic type (without pronounced signs of psychopathy) and psychopathic type (with pronounced antisocial, lifestyle and interpersonal facet) (Hare’s model) were singled out in the whole sample. Within the psychopathic type, in comparison with juveniles, older adolescents showed a significantly lower expression of character dimensions of Self-directedness and Cooperativeness, which are key in determining all personality disorders. Within the group of juvenile offenders, members of the two subtypes did not differ significantly in temperament and character, which indicates that juveniles are in the process of personality development, especially when it comes to their character, so they are more susceptible to treatment and their outcomes are uncertain. The results suggest that the inflation of psychopathic scores may occur in juveniles due to the identification of developmental features of adolescence (impulsivity, immaturity) as psychopathic, which implies the need to apply basic personality models in the assessment of antisocial adolescent.

The Relationship Between Attachment Style and Social Network Addiction with the Mediating Role of Personality Traits

Background: Social network sites (SNS) addiction has recently been a major concern and a common problem worldwide that makes it essential to examine the specifications of users and identify antecedents of it. Objectives: This study aimed at examining the relationship between attachment style and social media addiction with the mediating role of personality traits. Patients and Methods: In this research, the sample population was comprised of all of the students of universities in Tehran, Iran, during the academic year of 2018 - 2019. The participants (n = 241) were selected from universities in Tehran using the conventional method. The data were collected using measure of attachment qualities (MAQ), Social Media Disorder scale (SMDS), and Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and then the data were analyzed using the chi-square, correlation coefficient, and structural modeling tests by SPSS and LISREL software. Results: The results showed there is a significant relationship between the worry-ambivalent (r = 0.308, P < 0.05) and the disorganize-ambivalent (r = 0.322, P < 0.05) (attachment styles) and the SNS addiction. Moreover, the structural model showed that among attachment styles, the ambivalence-disorganize attachment could mediate the social network addiction based on the character dimension of self-directedness (CFI: 0.94, NFI: 0.92, RMSEA: 0.09). Conclusions: The character dimension of self-directedness can reduce the adverse effects of insecure attachment and thus reduce the risk of addiction to SNS.

Temperament and character personality profile and affective temperaments in self-poisoning nonlethal suicide attempters

Involvement of personality traits in susceptibility to suicidal behaviour has attracted considerable research interest over the past decades. This study was motivated by reports that emotionality may play a potentially confounding role in the association between the personality profile and suicidal behaviour. We assessed the association between personality traits, as measured using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and suicidal behaviour, while controlling for the effects of Affective Temperaments, measured using the Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A) in a sample of 140 consecutive self-poisoning nonlethal suicide (SNS) attempters admitted to the Emergency Toxicology Clinic, comparing them with a sample of 140 age and sex matched healthy controls. After controlling for Affective Temperaments, the temperament dimension of Novelty Seeking (NS) and the character dimensions of Self-directedness and Self-transcendence remained significantly associated with SNS attempts. NS, in particular, was most consistently and uniquely associated with suicidal behaviour. The present study conveys the difficulty in disentangling the personality profile of SNS attempters from their emotionality. We conclude that the risk associated with certain personality traits is often entirely mediated by Affective Temperaments and few dimensions independently contribute to the risk of self-poisoning nonlethal suicidal behaviour.

Personality traits associated with suicidal behaviors in patients with depression: The CRESCEND study

The aim of the current study was to identify personality traits associated with suicidal behavior in patients with depression. Of the 1183 patients screened for an observational cohort study of depression, 334 (28.2%) who completed the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were included in these analyses. To minimize the effect of current mood state, the TCI was performed 12weeks after initiation of treatment, and we adjusted for the severity of depression. Of the 344 participants, 59 had a lifetime history of at least one suicide attempt, 37 had a lifetime history of multiple suicide attempts, and 5 attempted suicide during the 12-week study period. At baseline, patients with a lifetime history of at least one suicide attempt, a lifetime history of multiple suicide attempts, and a suicide attempt during the study period expressed more serious current suicidal ideation than did those without such a history, despite the absence of differences among the groups in the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Of the seven personality scales of the TCI, lower scores on the self-directedness scale of the character dimension were associated with a history of at least one suicide attempt (OR [95% CI], 0.91 [0.87–0.96]; p<0.001), a history of multiple suicide attempts (0.91 [0.86–0.97]; p=0.003), and suicide attempts during study period (0.80 [0.69–0.94]; p=0.006). These findings suggest that depressed patients with a history of suicidal behavior differ from non-attempters with regard to personality traits, especially the character dimension of self-directedness. It is noteworthy that this result emerged after controlling for the effect of current mood state.

ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, temperament, and character: Phenotypical associations and etiology in a Swedish childhood twin study

ObjectiveTo explore the links between neurodevelopmental disorders – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – and personality in a population-based, genetically sensitive study of children. MethodA population-based sample of 1886 twins aged 9 and 12, enriched for childhood mental health problems, was recruited from the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS). Parents were interviewed over the telephone using the Autism-Tics, AD/HD and other Comorbidities (A-TAC) inventory, and in a second step they rated their children according to the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI). ResultsADHD was strongly correlated with novelty seeking, while ASD was correlated positively with harm avoidance and negatively with reward dependence. The strongest associations between personality traits and neurodevelopmental disorders were negative correlations between the character dimensions of self-directedness and cooperativeness and ADHD and ASD alike. Cross-twin cross-trait correlations between ADHD, ASD, and personality dimensions in monozygotic twins were more than double those in dizygotic twins, indicating a strong genetic effect behind the phenotypic covariation between neurodevelopmental disorders and personality. ConclusionsNeurodevelopmental disorders are linked specifically to particular temperament profiles and generally to hampered development of the self-governing strategies referred to as “character.” Poor self-agency and cooperation may be core functional outcomes in the separation of children with handicapping conditions from those with traits only reminiscent of neurodevelopmental disorders. The associations between neurodevelopmental disorders and personality are at least partly due to genetic effects influencing both conditions. As a consequence, personality must be broadly considered in neuropsychiatry, just as neuropsychiatric disorders and their genetic, neurodevelopmental, and cognitive susceptibilities have to be in personality research and clinical treatment.

Relationship between temperament and anxiety disorders: a systematic review

The relationship between anxiety disorders and personality traits, in their temperamental and character dimensions, has been the subject of numerous studies using the dimensional approach of the psychobiological personality. The aim of this review was to identify temperament and character traits linked both to anxiety symptoms and to specific anxious disorders comparing the data obtained from studies using the two forms of Cloninger temperament and character inventory (TCI and TCI-R). Besides the study aimed to identify, through the comparison of data, the most appropriate model to represent the relationship between personality traits and anxiety disorders. Results showed a high direct correlation between the temperamental dimension of Harm Avoidance and anxiety symptoms and an high inverse correlation between the character dimension of Self-Directedness and anxiety symptoms. Moreover specific anxiety disorders has showed typical correlation with specific temperamental and character traits. The comparison between the longitudinal studies argues in favor of a “precursor model” of explanation of these correlations whereby personality can be used to individuate early manifestations of anxiety disorder.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and Personality in Patients Attending a Primary Health Center

Personality influences lifestyle behaviors, and particularly dietary behavior. The possible association of personality with adherence to the Mediterranean diet pattern (MDP) has not been reported. The objective of this study was to analyze the possible association of personality traits with adherence to the MDP, controlling for sociodemographic variables, presence of chronic illnesses, minor psychiatric morbidity, body mass index (BMI), daily smoking, and physical activity. This cross-sectional study included 206 patients, age 18 to 65 years, recruited at a primary health service in Granada, Spain, during 2007 to 2008. The participants answered a questionnaire, including sociodemographic characteristics, data on personality, and MDP. Personality was measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-125). Adherence to MDP was measured using the validated 14-point Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). MEDAS score was directly associated with the character dimension of self-directedness, age, and minor psychiatric morbidity score; and inversely with marital status (widowed, separated, or divorced) and BMI. Because highly self-directed individuals may respond better to diet advice, consideration of personality may prove helpful in the design of interventions to enhance the adherence to MDP. To improve the adherence to MDP in interventions with patients with low self-directedness, more intensive professional support and counseling with tailored messages about the health benefits of MDP may be indicated.

Temperament and Character Profiles of Sasang Typology in an Adult Clinical Sample

The purpose of this study was to examine the biopsychological personality profiles of traditional Korean Sasang typology based on the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) in a Korean adult clinical sample. A total of 97 adults completed the Korean version of the TCI. The participants were classified as one of three traditional Korean Sasang types (31 So-Yang, 41 Tae-Eum, 25 So-Eum) by three specialists in Sasang typology. The seven dimensions of TCI were compared between the different Sasang types using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and profile analysis. There were no significant differences in age, gender and education across the Sasang types. The TCI profile for each of the Sasang types was significantly different (profile analysis, df = 5.038, F = 3.546, P = .004). There were significant differences in the temperament dimensions of Novelty Seeking (F = 3.43, P = .036) and Harm Avoidance (F = 5.43, P = .006) among the Sasang types. The Novelty Seeking score of the So-Yang type (31.90 ± 9.87) was higher than that of the So-Eum type (25.24 ± 9.21; P = .019) while the So-Eum type (44.64 ± 8.47) scored higher on the Harm Avoidance score compared to the So-Yang type (35.16 ± 11.50; P = .003). There were no significant differences in the temperament dimension of Reward Dependence and Persistence, and the three character dimensions of Self-Directedness, Cooperativeness and Self-Transcendence. Results demonstrated distinct temperament traits associated with traditional Korean Sasang types using an objective biopsychological personality inventory. With further study, the Sasang typology may lead to enhanced clinical safety and efficacy as part of personalized medicine with traditional medicine.

Personality and Fatigue in Medical Students

Among medical students, fatigue is a common complaint and is related to poor academic outcomes. Associations of scores on personality traits and fatigue in medical students were examined. A group of 125 healthy second-year medical students completed a questionnaire about fatigue, the Japanese version of the Chalder Fatigue Scale, and the Temperament and Character Inventory. On simple regression analyses, the Temperament and Character Inventory dimension of Harm Avoidance was positively associated with Fatigue scores and those on Self-directedness were negatively associated. Similarly, on multiple regression analyses adjusted for age and sex, scores on the Temperament and Character Inventory dimension of Harm Avoidance were positively associated with Fatigue scores, and those for Self-directedness were negatively associated. These correlations were evident even after adjustment for other Temperament and Character Inventory dimensions. The temperament dimension of Harm Avoidance and the character dimension of Self-directedness were both associated with Fatigue in medical students.

Alexithymia and temperament and character model of personality in patients with major depressive disorder

Alexithymia is thought to be a stable personality trait and a predisposing risk factor for depression. In this study, we aimed to identify the prevalence of alexithymia in a depressed and nondepressed sample and examined the relationship between Cloninger's psychobiological model of personality with alexithymia. The Turkish version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Turkish version of the Temperament and Character Inventory, and the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to 81 depressed patients and 51 controls. The mean age of the groups was 30.5 ± 7.7 and 32.75 ± 8.73, respectively. Depression severity was evaluated with the BDI. In the depressed group, 33.3% were alexithymic, and alexithymic subjects had significantly higher BDI scores. Depressed individuals were significantly more alexithymic than the controls on the total and all the 3 subscales of TAS-20. The TAS-20 total score was negatively correlated with the temperament dimension of Reward Dependence (RD) and the character dimension of Self-Directedness (SD). In the TAS-20 subscale, difficulties in identifying feelings was positively correlated with Self-Transcendence and negatively correlated with SD. The difficulties in expressing feelings subscale was negatively correlated with RD and SD. In the depressed patient group, the temperament dimension of RD was significantly lower in the alexithymic group. The rate of alexithymia is found high among this sample of Turkish depressed patients, and the results suggested a strong connection between alexithymia and depression. Alexithymia is explained by specific dimensions and subscale within Cloninger's psychobiological model of personality in this sample of depressed Turkish patients.

Personality traits associated with intrinsic academic motivation in medical students

Motivation is one of the most important psychological concepts in education and is related to academic outcomes in medical students. In this study, the relationships between personality traits and intrinsic academic motivation were examined in medical students. The study group consisted of 119 Year 2 medical students at Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine. They completed questionnaires dealing with intrinsic academic motivation (the Intrinsic Motivation Scale toward Learning) and personality (the Temperament and Character Inventory [TCI]). On simple regression analyses, the TCI dimensions of persistence, self-directedness, co-operativeness and self-transcendence were positively associated with intrinsic academic motivation. On multiple regression analysis adjusted for age and gender, the TCI dimensions of persistence, self-directedness and self-transcendence were positively associated with intrinsic academic motivation. The temperament dimension of persistence and the character dimensions of self-directedness and self-transcendence are associated with intrinsic academic motivation in medical students.

Psychometric characteristic of the Italian version of the Temperament and Character Inventory—Revised, personality, psychopathology, and attachment styles

In this article, we described the psychometric characteristics of the revised version of the Cloninger's personality Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-R), Italian translation. Two independent samples, which were composed of 355 and 385 nonclinical mother-language Italian subjects, respectively, completed the TCI-R. A further sample of psychiatric outpatients was compared with community samples. We analyzed the internal consistency of each dimension, the test-retest reliability and the factorial structure of the questionnaire. Furthermore, we explored the potential association between personality, psychopathologic indicators (evaluated by the Symptom Checklist-90), behavior dyscontrol measures, and adaptive and maladaptive interpersonal styles. As a whole, the internal consistency of the TCI-R scales was adequate, although some differences in Cronbach α values were observed between the 2 samples in some TCI-R subfacets. The factorial structure was consistent with the original hypothesis of Cloninger and test-retest showed a good stability of the scores over the time. Normal data for the Italian population were also calculated. Furthermore, the character dimensions of self-directedness and cooperativeness were related with some psychopathologic domains in our sample and negatively with impulsiveness, anger, and hostility. Novelty seeking was associated with impulsiveness, whereas harm avoidance was associated with anger and hostility. On the contrary, persistence and reward dependence were inversely correlated with such traits. Harm avoidance, reward dependence, self-directedness, and cooperativeness were strongly related with measures of attachment. Finally, significant differences were observed in both temperament and character traits between community subjects and psychiatric outpatients. In the present study, the validity of the Italian translation of the TCI-R is therefore supported. Personality features are also confirmed as risk factors for specific psychopathologic domains, impulsivity, anger, and hostility. Furthermore, we found attachment styles of nonclinical subjects correlated with personality features.

The Role of the TCI-R (Temperament Character Inventory) in Individualized Treatment Plannning in a Population of Addicted Professionals

This article discusses a multi-faceted treatment paradigm used to service professionals with addictive disorders. Individualized treatment plans are developed based on a multitude of factors including administration of the TCI-R (Temperament Character Inventory), MCMI-III (Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory) and the WASI (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence). Treatment goals include specific therapeutic interventions and patient and therapist-directed tasks related to enhanced development of the character dimensions of Self-Directedness, Cooperativeness and Self-Transcendence, as measured on Cloninger's TCI-R inventory.

High harm avoidance and low self-directedness in euthymic young adults with recurrent, early-onset depression

Background The personality dimensions of harm avoidance (HA) and self-directedness (SD), as measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), have been widely associated with depression and there is preliminary evidence that they may represent trait markers for depression. However, many studies in this area are limited by the use of heterogeneous samples of depressed patients and by the confounding effect of depressed mood during personality testing. The current study compares TCI personality dimension scores in a group of euthymic young adults with recurrent early-onset major depressive disorder (RE-MDD) to well-matched euthymic controls. Methods Fifty-two young adults with a past history of RE-MDD were recruited from consecutive referrals to a psychiatric clinic at a university health service. Eighty nine controls were also recruited. Euthymia was established in patients by a score of less than 9 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) and in controls by a Becks Depression Inventory (BDI) score of less than 10. All participants completed the TCI-125. Results Patients and controls were well matched in terms of sociodemographic profile. Euthymic RE-MDD patients scored significantly higher than controls on the temperament dimension of harm avoidance (HA; mean score 14.5 versus 7.8, p < 0.0001) and significantly lower than controls on the character dimension of self-directedness (SD; mean score 14.1 versus 19.9, p < 0.0001). Covariance analysis suggested that both HA and SD contributed independently to the familial risk of depression. Limitations Subjects and controls all came from relatively affluent social backgrounds—these findings may not generalise to more socioeconomically diverse populations. The possibility of a ‘scarring effect’ of depressive episodes on self-reported personality dimension scores cannot be excluded. Conclusions High HA and low SD represent trait markers for liability to recurrent major depressive disorder in young adults. Further research is needed to replicate these findings and to assess the contribution that the experience of depressive episodes makes to self-reported personality dimension scores.

Factors related to severity of vomiting behaviors in bulimia nervosa

Assessments of the severity of vomiting (weekly frequency), depressive and eating-related psychopathology, anger level and management, and personality dimensions were used to characterize patients with bulimia nervosa binge purging type (BN-BP). The sample comprised 130 outpatients with BN and 130 control women. The Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were administered to all patients. The Self-Directedness dimension of the TCI and the Bulimia subscale of the EDI-2 were the strongest predictors of the severity of bulimic behavior; anger levels and anger expression were not so strongly related to illness severity. A more severe form of bulimic symptomatology probably has substrata in specific character deficits (low Self-Directedness on the TCI) and particular psychopathological features (high bulimia on the EDI-2). Patients with a high frequency of vomiting need specific therapeutic interventions to enhance the character dimension of Self-Directedness.

Correlations between trait anxiety, personality and fatigue: Study based on the Temperament and Character Inventory

Objective In our study, we explored the associations among anxiety, the dimensions of Cloninger's theoretically based and empirically validated psychobiological model of personality (Temperament and Character Inventory, TCI) and fatigue in order to clarify the personality risk factors for fatigue. Methods Fifth-year students ( n=89) and freshmen ( n=162) at Saga Medical School and psychiatric outpatients of Saga Medical School Hospital ( n=101) were investigated with the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI, Japanese version), the TCI (Japanese version), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) and the self-rating Fatigue Symptom Checklist (FSC), which describe fatigue along three subscales (general, physical and psychological fatigue). Correlation and ANOVA analyses were performed in this study. Results The analysis identified a significant relation ( P<.0005) between trait anxiety and fatigue. The TCI dimension of harm avoidance (HA) is positively correlated with both trait anxiety and fatigue (general fatigue, psychological fatigue and physical fatigue). The character dimension of self-directedness is negatively correlated with both trait anxiety and fatigue. Conclusion There is an inherent relationship among trait anxiety, the temperament dimension of harm avoidance, character dimension of self-directedness and fatigue. The TCI dimensions, harm avoidance and self-directedness, might be considered as predictors for fatigue-related disorders.

Hopelessness, Loneliness, Self-Esteem, and Personality in Russian Male Delinquent Adolescents versus Controls

The aim of the present study was to test for possible interrelations between hopelessness, loneliness, self-esteem, and personality in samples of delinquent adolescents (n = 187) and controls (n = 103) from the Arkhangelsk region in Russia. The subjects were assessed by means of the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Beck’s Hopelessness Scale, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, and Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). The delinquents differed from the controls in most of the variables under investigation. The loneliness and hopelessness scales were highly interrelated. Furthermore, they correlated with the temperament dimension of harm avoidance and inversely correlated with the character dimension of self-directedness. Self-esteem appeared to be exclusively related with self-directedness. Our results reflect relationships between certain personality traits and psychological symptoms and indicate the potential of the TCI as a clinical assessment tool.

The relationship of dysfunctional attitudes to personality in depressed patients

Aim: To examine the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and personality in depressed patients. Method: One hundred depressed patients completed both the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS) and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Results: Scores on the DAS correlated with duration of depression, age of onset of depression, age, harm avoidance and self-directedness. In a multiple regression analysis three measures explained 45% of the DAS score. These were duration of depression, reward dependence and self-directedness. In both the univariate analyses and multiple regression the strongest predictor of dysfunctional attitudes was the character dimension of self-directedness. Conclusion: The character dimension of self-directedness in the TCI which assesses an individuals' self-concept, relates highly with the dysfunctional attitudes score on the DAS. Given that the TCI assesses personality within a broader framework of a psychobiologic and developmental model, self-directedness may have a wider application as a measure of self-concept than the DAS.