Cluster Of Personality Traits Research Articles

Personality profiles of candidate patients for surgical treatment of obesity in the context of recommendations for psychological interventions in the pre- and post-operative periods

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to investigate and identify similarities and differences in the severity of personality traits of candi-date patients for surgical treatment of obesity in the context of developing psychological recommendations in the pre- and post-operative period.Participants and procedureThe study included 101 patients (74 females, 27 males) aged between 22 and 64 (M = 40.46, SD = 9.25) undergoing evalua-tion for surgical treatment of obesity at the University Hospital in Krakow. An examination of personality traits with the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) was conducted. The results presented here are an extract from an ongoing longitudinal study. The data were statistically processed using cluster analysis.ResultsThree clusters of personality traits were identified. The first cluster is characterised by low results in the factor Neuroticism and high results in the factors Extraversion, Openness to experience, Conscientiousness. The second cluster shows high val-ues in the Neuroticism factor and low values in the Extraversion and Conscientiousness factors. Third cluster is character-ised by low results in the factor Neuroticism and Extraversion, and high results in Openness to experience and Conscien-tiousness factors.ConclusionsThe three identified clusters of personality traits of bariatric patients indicate a diversity of patients in terms of personality trait profiles. Due to the characteristics of these profiles and the resulting functioning modes, the first profile has been called ‘action-focused’, the second profile ‘emotion-focused’ and the third profile ‘avoidance-focused’. The results justify the need for an individualised approach in the surgical treatment of obesity. The results presented are of clinical value to the psychologist’s practice in the context of developing treatment-relevant recommendations for psychological interventions in the pre- and postoperative periods. The specific nature of the profiles provides a foundation for recommending, based on the principles of sound clinical practice, psychological interventions conducive to positive treatment outcomes.

A bottom-up approach dramatically increases the predictability of body mass from personality traits.

Personality traits consistently relate to and allow predicting body mass index (BMI), but these associations may not be adequately captured with existing inventories' domains or facets. Here, we aimed to test the limits of how accurately BMI can be predicted from and described with personality traits. We used three large datasets (combined N ≈ 100,000) with nearly 700 personality assessment items to (a) empirically identify clusters of personality traits linked to BMI and (b) identify relatively small sets of items that predict BMI as accurately as possible. Factor analysis revealed 14 trait clusters showing well-established personality trait-BMI associations (disorganization, anger) and lesser-known or novel ones (altruism, obedience). Most of items' predictive accuracy (up to r = .24 here but plausibly much higher) was captured by relatively few items. Brief scales that predict BMI have potential clinical applications-for instance, screening for risk of excessive weight gain or related complications.

A genome-wide association study of a rage-related misophonia symptom and the genetic link with audiological traits, psychiatric disorders, and personality.

People with misophonia experience strong negative emotional responses to sounds and associated stimuli-mostly human produced-to an extent that it may cause impairment in social functioning. The exact nature of the disorder remains a matter of ongoing research and debate. Here, we investigated the genetic etiology of misophonia to understand contributing genetic factors and shed light on individual differences in characteristics that are related to the disorder. For misophonia, we used an unpublished genome-wide association study (GWAS) from genetic service provider 23andMe, Inc., on a self-report item probing a single common misophonic symptom: the occurrence of rage when others produce eating sounds. First, we used gene-based and functional annotation analyses to explore neurobiological determinants of the rage-related misophonia symptom. Next, we calculated genetic correlations (r G) of this rage-related misophonia symptom GWAS with a wide range of traits and disorders from audiology (tinnitus, hearing performance, and hearing trauma), psychiatry, neurology, and personality traits. The rage-related misophonia symptom was significantly correlated with tinnitus, major depression disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; 0.12 < r G < 0.22). Stronger genetic correlations (0.21 < r G < 0.42) were observed for two clusters of personality traits: a guilt/neuroticism and an irritability/sensitivity cluster. Our results showed no genetic correlation with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and psychotic disorders. A negative correlation with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was found, which may be surprising given the previously reported comorbidities and the sensory sensitivity reported in ASD. Clustering algorithms showed that rage-related misophonia consistently clustered with MDD, generalized anxiety, PTSD, and related personality traits. We conclude that-based on the genetics of a common misophonia symptom-misophonia most strongly clusters with psychiatric disorders and a personality profile consistent with anxiety and PTSD.

Classification of Low and High Schizotypy Levels via Evaluation of Brain Connectivity.

Schizotypy is a latent cluster of personality traits that denote a vulnerability for schizophrenia or a type of spectrum disorder. The aim of the study is to investigate parametric effective brain connectivity features for classifying high versus low schizotypy (LS) status. Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are recorded from 13 high schizotypy (HS) and 11 LS participants during an emotional auditory odd-ball task. The brain connectivity signals for machine learning are taken after the settlement of event-related potentials. A multivariate autoregressive (MVAR)-based connectivity measure is estimated from the EEG signals using the directed transfer functions (DTFs) method. The values of DTF power in five standard frequency bands are used as features. The support vector machines (SVMs) revealed significant differences between HS and LS. The accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of the results using SVM are as high as 89.21%, 90.3%, and 88.2%, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the effective brain connectivity in prefrontal/parietal and prefrontal/frontal brain regions considerably changes according to schizotypal status. These findings prove that the brain connectivity indices offer valuable biomarkers for detecting schizotypal personality. Further monitoring of the changes in DTF following the diagnosis of schizotypy may lead to the early identification of schizophrenia and other spectrum disorders.

Sensitivity to criticism and praise predicts schizotypy in the non-clinical population: The role of affect and perceived expressed emotion

BackgroundSchizotypy represents a cluster of personality traits consisting of magical beliefs, perceptual aberrations, disorganisation, and anhedonia. Schizotypy denotes a vulnerability for psychosis, one reason being psychosocial stress. High expressed emotion (EE), a rating of high criticism, hostility, and emotional over-involvement from a close relative, denotes psychosocial stress and vulnerability to psychosis, and is associated with schizotypy. This study aimed to decipher the relationship of schizotypy to perceived criticism and perceived praise in terms of affect and perceived EE. MethodsNinety-eight healthy participants listened to short audio-clips containing criticism, praise, and neutral comments from a stranger, and evaluated them in terms of the comments’ arousal and personal relevance. Participants also answered self-report questionnaires of schizotypy, depression, mood, and perceived EE. Correlational analyses tested the relationship between schizotypy and the evaluations of criticism and praise. Mediation analyses then tested whether depression, positive mood, and perceived EE explained these relationships. ResultsGreater relevance of standard criticism correlated with higher positive schizotypy. This association was fully mediated by high depression and perceived irritability from a close relative. Lower relevance of standard praise correlated with higher cognitive disorganisation (another schizotypal trait). This relationship was partially mediated by low positive mood and high perceived intrusiveness from a close relative. ConclusionGreater perceived criticism and lower perceived praise predict schizotypy in the healthy population. Affect and interpersonal sensitivity towards a close relative explain these relationships, such that depression increases perceived criticism, and positive mood increases perceived praise. Perceived EE defines the interpersonal nature of schizotypy.

Executive Functions as the Factor of Cognitive Efficiency in Elderly Patients with Essential Arterial Hypertension

Psychopathy is a cluster of personality traits associated with high rates of aggression. While research on psychopathic traits largely focuses on neurobiological factors implicated in aggression, other research suggests that contextual factors, such as social exclusion, also contribute to promoting aggression. Yet, the relationships among psychopathic traits, neural processing of exclusion, and aggression remain unknown. A sample of 76 adolescents and young adults completed Cyberball, a task involving conditions of social inclusion, ambiguous exclusion, and unambiguous exclusion. During Cyberball, a slow wave (SW) event-related potential (an index of elaborative processing) and self-reported anger were measured. Additionally, acts of real-world aggression were assessed. Results indicated that as psychopathic traits increased, SW during ambiguous exclusion also increased, but SW during inclusion decreased. However, the combination of smaller SW during ambiguous exclusion and higher psychopathic traits predicted heightened anger following Cyberball and more frequent real-world aggression. This response to social exclusion among individuals with elevated psychopathic traits may represent an unreflective, reactive style that exacerbates anger and aggression in certain contexts. These data suggest that neurobiological dysfunction in elaborative processing is related to psychopathic traits, and social context comprises another important influence on the aggression of individuals with elevated psychopathic traits.

Neural processing of social exclusion in individuals with psychopathic traits: Links to anger and aggression

Psychopathy is a cluster of personality traits associated with high rates of aggression. While research on psychopathic traits largely focuses on neurobiological factors implicated in aggression, other research suggests that contextual factors, such as social exclusion, also contribute to promoting aggression. Yet, the relationships among psychopathic traits, neural processing of exclusion, and aggression remain unknown. A sample of 76 adolescents and young adults completed Cyberball, a task involving conditions of social inclusion, ambiguous exclusion, and unambiguous exclusion. During Cyberball, a slow wave (SW) event-related potential (an index of elaborative processing) and self-reported anger were measured. Additionally, acts of real-world aggression were assessed. Results indicated that as psychopathic traits increased, SW during ambiguous exclusion also increased, but SW during inclusion decreased. However, the combination of smaller SW during ambiguous exclusion and higher psychopathic traits predicted heightened anger following Cyberball and more frequent real-world aggression. This response to social exclusion among individuals with elevated psychopathic traits may represent an unreflective, reactive style that exacerbates anger and aggression in certain contexts. These data suggest that neurobiological dysfunction in elaborative processing is related to psychopathic traits, and social context comprises another important influence on the aggression of individuals with elevated psychopathic traits.

An Examination of State-Level Personality Variation and Physician Aid in Dying Legislation

ContextPhysician aid in dying is a controversial topic in the U.S., and legislation exists in some states. Personality traits are associated with preferences for end-of-life care and also tend to cluster systematically across states and other geographic regions. Such clustering of personality traits could relate to legislation including physician aid in dying. ObjectiveTo determine whether average levels of personality traits in each U.S. state differ between states with and without physician aid in dying legislation. MethodsThis secondary analysis of national surveys included data on state demographics, political leanings, and state-level averages of Five-Factor Model personality traits. Wilcoxon tests and logistic regression tests were used to assess whether state-level averages in personality traits differed across states with and without physician aid in dying legislation. ResultsStates with physician aid in dying legislation had significantly higher average levels of the trait of openness and significantly lower average levels of the trait of neuroticism. The association with openness was no longer significant after accounting for state conservative advantage. ConclusionThe social dialogue and potential controversy surrounding physician aid in dying may be linked to aggregate differences in state personality profiles. States with physician aid in dying legislation tend to be areas where constituents are on average more open minded and experience greater emotional stability. More work is needed to ascertain whether the experiences of receiving and providing end-of-life care may differ across these regions, particularly in relation to conversations around physician aid in dying.

Teaching originality? Common habits behind creative production in science and arts

Originality is a prerequisite for world-changing science and arts alike, but it cannot be taught. Or can it? Here, we show that a set of habits that are—surprisingly—shared among successful artists and scientists may catalyze creative output. We reveal three groups of such habits, each corresponding to a cluster of personality traits, shown to be shared by creative artists and scientists. The first habit group “embrace the unexpected” corresponds to the character trait “openness to new experiences” and encompasses tendencies to go ahead without a plan, collect diverse experiences, and take risks. The second group “create conditions for creation” links to the personality trait “autonomous” and encompasses simple habits such as making empty time and carrying a notebook. The third class of habits “break away from dogma” links to the shared personality trait “norm doubting” and stands for a strong drive to escape from established systems and also occasionally destroy part of one’s own work to break tunnel vision and start anew. Although personality traits are hard to change, the habits we found hint at techniques or skills that may be taught.

Soft Skills Identification for Guidance and Job Placement: Presentation of the Project UNIMC (Macerata University) for Soft Skills

The issue of recognition, validation and certification of skills, especially those developed in non-formal and informal fields, is becoming a current topic for all educative institutions, including University. Soft skills is a psycho-sociological term relating to a cluster of personality traits, social abilities, communication, language, personal attitudes that characterize relationships with other people. Soft skills complement hard skills which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities. In Italy the legal framework on skills is leaded by the Legislative Decree n. 13/13. According to the Decree, University should assure the effective implementation of lifelong learning through guidance and counselling services. The University of Macerata (UNIMC) has been involved from a long time in the field of soft skills with many activities, formal as well as informal and non-formal. A system to recognize and validate them has been experienced in the last years. The objective of the paper is to describe the designed procedures aimed to the recognition and validation of soft skills such as observation, active listening, communication in small group and problem solving. Each skill was operationalized through the identification of specific indicators to recognize three level of expertise: basic, intermediate, advanced. Moreover several tasks were tested in order to identify a set of activities useful for the aim of a kind of formal recognition.

An interesting review on soft skills and dental practice.

In today's world of education, we concentrate on teaching activities and academic knowledge. We are taught to improve our clinical skills. Soft skills refer to the cluster of personality traits, social graces, and personal habits, facility with language, friendliness and personal habits that mark people to varying degrees. Soft Skills are interpersonal, psychological, self-promoted and non-technical qualities for every practitioner and academician, whereas hard skills are new tools or equipment and professional knowledge. Hence, more and more clinicians now days consider soft skills as important job criteria. An increase in service industry and competitive practices emphasizes the need for soft skills. Soft Skills are very important and useful in personal and professional life.

Soft Skills: Education beyond Academics

Soft skills is a sociological term relating to a person's Emotional Intelligence Quotient, the cluster of personality traits, social graces, communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that characterize relationships with other people. Soft skills complement hard skills, which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities. A person's soft skill is an important part of their individual contribution to the success of an organization. Particularly those organizations dealing with customers face-toface are generally more successful if they train their staff to use these skills. Screening or training for personal habits or traits such as dependability and conscientiousness can yield significant return on investment for an organization. For this reason, soft skills are increasingly sought out by employers in addition to standard qualifications. Soft skills play a critical role in the career growth of individuals. The expectations begin with the basic foundation of ethics, integrity, and value. Equally non negotiable criteria are a strong work ethic and a professional and positive attitude. In today’s job market, employers are not necessarily looking at the most skilled person. If a perfectly skilled job candidate were to come in for an interview and had absolutely no soft skills, the employer may consider looking for some one else. It is completely personal. Soft skills are those nuances that make a person individually unique and stand out. These skills are all about how a person works with others, maintains a positive attitude under pressure, solves a personal or work crisis and communicates both ethically and effectively.

360 degree assessments of team role behaviours in different contexts

Purpose – This article aims to present and discuss research findings on 360 degree assessments of team role behaviours in different contexts. In so doing, it brings together and develops two themes previously explored by the author, namely: the need to introduce a significant social dimension into thinking about team roles; the need to recognise that appropriate leadership behaviour is not universal but contingent upon context. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed sample of public sector managers in the UK completed a team role self-assessment questionnaire and had a 360 degree assessment completed on them. The research looked at the degree of correlation between the self-assessments and the 360 assessments and its statistical significance, exploring the ways in which the nine team roles are more or less valued in different contexts. Findings – Statistically significant relationships were found between measures of leadership contexts and team role behaviours. More importantly for this research, 360 degree assessments of team role behaviours were also found to vary in different contexts. Similarities and differences were found in the team roles behaviours that were typical in particular contexts and those that were valued in such contexts. Research limitations/implications – The range of contexts explored in this article was limited. Two contextual variables derived from the model of “dynamic” leadership were examined, namely the level of influence over change and the level of influence over others. In both cases, high and low levels of influence were considered. It would be useful to explore other contextual variables. It would also be useful to see if the observed relationships were found in situations other than the UK public sector. Practical implications – First, the findings reinforce the view that there is a significant social dimension to team roles, they cannot be viewed merely as clusters of personality traits, they are related to social roles and the influence people have in such roles. Second, teams are likely to be more effective if the behaviour of individual team members is appropriate to the social roles and contexts that they find themselves in. Third, what people tend to do in particular situations is not necessarily the same as that which is valued in such situations. Originality/value – The findings reinforce the conclusions of earlier research by the author and associates. In so doing, they lend support to original team role and leadership models developed by these individuals, as well as highlighting links between the two models. They also highlight differences between what people tend to do in particular situations and what is likely to be valued in such situations.

Clusters of personality traits and psychological symptoms associated with later benzodiazepine prescriptions in the general population: The HUNT Cohort Study

ObjectiveThe aim of this population-based study was to identify factors associated with later benzodiazepine prescriptions, including clusters of personality traits, self-esteem characteristics, sleep difficulties, depression and anxiety symptoms. MethodsA 13year historical cohort study (n=58,967) was carried out and baseline measures of self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms, sleep difficulties, self-esteem and personality traits were obtained from the second wave of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT 2, 1995–1997), Norway. Data on benzodiazepine prescriptions were collected from the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD, 2004–2008) for each case in the cohort. Results and conclusionsWe found that a combined high extraversion and high neuroticism personality score at baseline was associated with increased benzodiazepine prescription rates. Further, sleep difficulties, low self-esteem and high depression and anxiety scores were also linked to later prescriptions of benzodiazepines, in particular chronic and high dose benzodiazepine prescriptions patterns. The findings are discussed in relation to prescription practice and policy.

Factor structure of the B-Scan 360: A measure of corporate psychopathy.

Psychopathy is a clinical construct defined by a cluster of personality traits and behaviors, including grandiosity, egocentricity, deceptiveness, shallow emotions, lack of empathy or remorse, irresponsibility, impulsivity, and a tendency to ignore or violate social norms. The majority of empirical research on psychopathy involves forensic populations most commonly assessed with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), a 20-item rating scale that measures 4 related factors or dimensions (Interpersonal, Affective, Lifestyle, and Antisocial) that underpin the superordinate construct of psychopathy. Recently, researchers have turned their attention to the nature and implications of psychopathic features in the workplace. This research has been hampered by the lack of an assessment tool geared to the corporate/organizational world. Here we describe the B-Scan 360, an instrument that uses ratings of others to measure psychopathic features in workplace settings. In this study, large samples of participants used an online survey system to rate their supervisors on the B-Scan 360. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a reliable 20-item, 4-factor model that is consistent with the PCL-R 4-factor model of psychopathy. Although more research is needed before the B-Scan 360 can be used in organizational settings, we believe that these results represent an important step forward in the study of corporate psychopathy.

Personality Questionnaires as Helpful Tools of Social Competence Assessment. Implications for Pre-selection of Candidates for Positions Demanding Good Interpersonal Skills

The paper presents original study and its findings concerning the possibility of using personality questionnaires as tools of social competence assessment. According to the findings, there are numerous and strong correlations between some personality traits and social competence. Empirical findings point out that measuring some clusters of personality traits can be very helpful in the process of social competence assessment, and adds incremental validity over measuring individual personality traits and its correlations with social competence. It is suggested that personality questionnaires should be best applied at pre-selection stage of professional selection procedure. They can be helpful to select candidates, who have interpersonal predispositions necessary for posts demanding good interpersonal skills.

Anasakti, the Hindu Ideal, and its Relationship to Well-Being and Orientations to Happiness

Anasakti, a Sanskrit term for traits like non-attachment, equipoise, selfless duty orientation, and effort in the absence of concern for the outcome, can be regarded as a Hindu-ideal cluster of personality traits. The relationship of Anasakti with well-being and the three distinct happiness orientations was explored through a study of 676 college students and a sample of 65 yogic practitioners in India. The findings revealed that the yogic practitioners were markedly higher in Anasakti than the secular population. For the yogic population, there was a large correlation between Anasakti and the Orientation to Meaningful Life, and it accounted for more than 20% of the variance in the regression of Anasakti against all the measures of well-being. The yogic population's scores also correlated with several other measures of well-being. The scores of the secular population were less strongly related to the well-being scores; though, several correlation coefficients were statistically significant.

S66-01 The Lundby study - background and recent findings in a 50-year perspective

Aims:To describe the Lundby Study and present recent data for the period 1947-1997.Methods:The Lundby population consisting of 3563 probands was investigated by semi-structured interviews in 1947, 1957, 1972 and 1997. Sufficient information was available for 94-99%. Best estimate consensus diagnoses have been used since 1957 together with DSM-IV and ICD-10 in 1997.Results:From 1947-1972 to 1972-1997 a decrease in almost all age- and sex-specific incidences of neurotic and organic disorders was observed, whereas psychotic disorders increased consistently in males, but decreased in most age intervals in females. Women had higher first incidence depression rates than men and the average annual rate was lower for women and tended to be lower for men 1972-1997 as compared with 1947-1972. Median age at first onset of depression was around 35 years for individuals followed up for 30-49 years. The recurrence rate was about 40% and varied from 17% to 76% depending on length of follow-up. Transition to diagnoses other than depression was registered in 21% of the total sample, alcohol disorders in 7% and bipolar disorders in 2%.The overall long-term suicide risk varied from 5,6% to 6.8%. The long term suicide risk was 3.1% for medium and 13.7% for severe MDD. Severity and male sex were risk factors. After the introduction of TCAs a fall in suicide rates among depressed individuals was observed. Certain clusters of personality traits may predict functional psychosis.Conclusions:Low attrition rates over 50 years and reasonable diagnostic uniformity make comparisons over time justifiable.

Contrasts, changes, and correlates in actual and potential intercultural adjustment

A comparison was made between students studying abroad (SA) in a foreign culture versus students staying in their home culture (Home) in relation to potential and actual intercultural adjustment. In addition, the SA sample was followed over four time periods from pre-departure, beginning, middle, and end of the study abroad semester. The SA group was higher than the Home group in actual adjustment and most of the measures of potential intercultural adjustment both at the beginning and at the end of the semester. SA students changes in the Intercultural Adjustment Potential Scale (ICAPS) did not support a single theory of adjustment. ICAPS Total and Emotional Regulation scores for the SA group at pre-departure were significantly correlated with actual adjustment three months later at the end of the semester. Clusters of personality traits and coping strategies were significantly related to average measures ICAPS Total, Emotional Regulation, and Satisfaction with Life. Actual and potential intercultural adjustment changed in opposite directions over the course of the foreign sojourn. Discussion focuses on key features that may enhance both actual and potential intercultural adjustment.

A controlled investigation of current and premorbid personality: Characteristics of Parkinson's disease patients

It has been suggested that before development of motor symptoms, Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with idiopathic display a specific cluster of personality traits consisting of increased rigidity, conscientiousness, industriousness, orderliness, and cautiousness. The idea of such a distinctive premorbid personality profile remains controversial. This hypothesis was reexamined using a methodology that expands on previous studies. Patients with idiopathic PD, probable Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and medical controls with nonneurological chronic progressive motor disorders were rated by a close relative on the NEO-Personality Inventory (PI) to compare current and premorbid personality profiles. For PD and control subjects, current and past self-ratings were also obtained. Results do not support the postulated distinctive PD personality either premorbidly or following onset of symptoms. Both in terms of the premorbid personality profile and perceived changes in personality post-dating the onset of illness, PD patients are similar to AD patients. Though not differing from medical controls premorbidly, after developing symptoms, PD patients were described as less extroverted; less exploratory and curious; and less organized, goal directed, and disciplined.