Normal Personality Traits Research Articles

Development of an Inconsistent Responding Scale for the Big Five Inventory-2

The Big Five Inventory − 2 (BFI-2) is a commonly used self-report assessment of normal personality trait domains (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Negative Emotionality, Open-Mindedness) and facets. To date, however, no direct measures of response distortion have been developed for it to identify potentially invalid responses. Such distortions (e.g., careless or random responding) can adversely impact data quality. The current study developed and provided initial validation data for an inconsistent responding scale within the BFI-2 to identify careless responders using two large undergraduate samples and a community sample. To create the scale, we first identified highly correlated BFI-2 item pairs in one undergraduate sample (N = 1,461) and then computed a total score by summing the absolute differences of these item pairs. This scale, the Detection of Response Inconsistency Procedure (DRIP), differentiated randomly generated and genuine data and generally correlated as expected with personality domains and other inconsistent responding scales across samples. The DRIP also incrementally predicted random data beyond a composite of items with exceptionally high or low base rates of endorsement from the Comprehensive Infrequency/Frequency Item Repository. We provide recommendations for DRIP cut scores that can detect careless responding while balancing sensitivity and specificity.

C. Robert Cloninger: Mechanisms and conditions by which temperament, character, and personality development can regulate health and well-being

Dr. C. Robert Cloninger's contributions have been foundational in understanding temperament, personality, and their biological and genetic underpinnings. Cloninger explored how temperament, character, and personality traits are influenced by genetic factors and how they predict various psychological disorders, such as alcoholism and personality disorders. His prospective studies involving adoptees reared apart from their biological parents provided crucial insights into the heritability and development of personality traits independent of environmental influences. Moreover, Cloninger's pioneering work in conducting the first genome-wide association and linkage studies of normal personality traits laid the groundwork for subsequent research in psychiatry and behavioral genetics, linking specific genetic profiles to patterns of temperament and personality. He is also the creator of two extensively employed personality assessment instruments: the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Dr. Cloninger serves as Director of the Anthropedia Institute and Professor Emeritus at Washington University in St. Louis, where he studies the biopsychosocial foundations of personality that influence health and illness. The Anthropedia Institute is the research branch of the Anthropedia Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of human well-being through initiatives in health care and education. He served as Wallace Renard Professor of Psychiatry & Genetics, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, and founding Director of the Sansone Center for Well-being at Washington University until July 2019. Dr. Cloninger is a member of the National Academy of Medicine USA, Fellow of the American Academy for Advancement of Science, and an editor of various journals in psychiatry, psychology, and genetics. We are pleased to share Dr. Cloninger's answers to the Genomic Press Interview.

Can Forced-Choice Response Format Reduce Faking of Socially Aversive Personality Traits?

Self-report assessments are the standard for personality measurement, but motivated respondents are able to manipulate or fake their responses to typical Likert scale self-report. Although progress has been made in research seeking to reduce faking, most of it has focused on normative personality traits such as those measured by the five factor model. The measurement of socially aversive personality (e.g., the Dark Triad) is less well-researched. The negative aspects of socially aversive traits increase the opportunity and motivation of respondents to fake typical single-stimulus self-report assessments underscoring the need for faking resistant response formats. A possible way to reduce faking that has been explored in basic personality research is the use of the forced-choice response format. This study applied this method to socially aversive traits and illustrated best practices to create new multidimensional forced-choice and single-stimulus measures of socially aversive personality traits. Results indicated that participants were able to artificially alter their scores when asked to respond like an ideal job applicant, and counter to expectations, the forced-choice format did not decrease faking. Our results indicate that even when best practices are followed, forced-choice format is not a panacea for respondent faking.

The Alternative Model of Personality Disorders: Assessment, Convergent and Discriminant Validity, and a Look to the Future.

The Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) is a dimensional, empirically based diagnostic system developed to overcome the serious limitations of traditional categories. We review the mounting evidence on its convergent and discriminant validity, with an incursion into the less-studied ICD-11 system. In the literature, the AMPD's Pathological Trait Model (Criterion B) shows excellent convergence with normal personality traits, and it could be useful as an organizing framework for mental disorders. In contrast, Personality Functioning (Criterion A) cannot be distinguished from personality traits, lacks both discriminant and incremental validity, and has a shaky theoretical background. We offer some suggestions with a view to the future. These include removing Criterion A, using the real-life consequences of traits as indicators of severity, delving into the dynamic mechanisms underlying traits, and furthering the integration of currently disengaged psychological paradigms that can shape a sounder clinical science.

How are poor sleepers with other clinical conditions affected by maladaptive personality traits? A neural network-based analysis.

Psychopathology research mainly focused on the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between personality and psychiatric disorders without considering the moment-to-moment dynamics of personality in response to environmental situations. The present study aimed to both cluster a young sample according to three mixed clinical conditions (poor sleep quality, depression, and somatization) and to predict the derived clusters by maladaptive personality traits and sex differences using a deep machine learning approach. A sample of 839 adults aged 18-40 years (64% female) from the west of Iran were clustered according to the mixed clinical conditions using the cluster analysis techniques. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) modeling is used to predict the derived clusters by maladaptive personality traits and biological gender. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify independent variables with high sensitivity specific to the derived clusters. The cluster analysis techniques suggested a fully stable and acceptable four-cluster solution for Depressed Poor Sleepers, Nonclinical Good Sleepers, Subclinical Poor Sleepers, and Clinical Poor Sleepers. The ANN model led to the identification of one hidden layer with two hidden units. The results of Area under the ROC Curve were relatively to completely acceptable, ranging from.726 to.855. Anhedonia, perceptual dysregulation, depressivity, anxiousness, and unusual beliefs are the most valuable traits with importance higher than 70%. The machine learning approach can be well used to predict mixed clinical conditions by maladaptive personality traits. Future research can test the complexity of normal personality traits connected to mixed clinical conditions.

Understanding the association between normal and maladaptive personality traits: Replication and extension of Morey etal. (2020).

The Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) within the DSM-5 includes separable components representing general personality dysfunction (Criterion A) and maladaptive personality traits (Criterion B). Some critique Criterion A for accounting for little incremental variance in PD beyond Criterion B. However, Morey etal. (2020) hypothesized that personality dysfunction is a key mechanism through which normal-range traits account for the maladaptive component of personality traits, justifying its inclusion. We sought to replicate and extend this work in a psychiatric sample with mixed methods. In total, 152 participants recruited from mental health clinics completed multiple measures of personality dysfunction and normal-range and maladaptive traits. Replication was only partially achieved. The degree of incremental prediction of maladaptive traits and the extent to which personality dysfunction explained the relations between normal-range and maladaptive traits varied significantly across traits, and those effects that reached significance were small in magnitude. Removing variance due to personality dysfunction reduced intercorrelations among maladaptive traits by only a small amount. Counter to Morey etal. (2020), our results failed to support maladaptive traits as composites of normal-range traits and personality dysfunction, suggesting that other methods of distinguishing personality pathology severity and style are needed.

Exploring the dynamics of neuroticism: A comprehensive analysis of two different workplace settings

This research delves into the multifaceted dimensions of neuroticism, a fundamental trait in personality psychology, and its implications in the workplace. Grounded in psychological theories and the Big Five personality traits model, the study aims to unravel the nuances of neuroticism, exploring its historical evolution from a concept of pathological anxiety to a contemporary understanding as a normal personality trait. Motivated by firsthand observations of disparate approaches to neuroticism in the automotive industry across Romania and the United Kingdom, the study investigates the cultural and individual factors influencing these variations. The workplace, as a dynamic and culturally diverse arena, serves as a crucial backdrop for understanding how neuroticism manifests and its potential impact on employee well-being and organizational dynamics. The research unfolds against the backdrop of globalization, emphasizing the need to examine cultural differences in the manifestation of neuroticism. Drawing on insights from the automotive industry, the study explores the implications of neuroticism on team dynamics, organizational culture, and overall workplace productivity. The significance of the study lies in its potential to inform organizational policies, management strategies, and intercultural training programs aimed at optimizing workplace environments. By uncovering the cultural dimensions of neuroticism, the research seeks to contribute nuanced insights that can guide the development of targeted interventions for creating healthier and more productive work environments for employees across different cultural backgrounds. In conclusion, this study offers a comprehensive exploration of neuroticism, weaving together psychological theories, workplace dynamics, and cultural considerations. By shedding light on the interplay between neuroticism and cultural diversity, the research aims to provide valuable insights for both academic research and practical applications in organizational settings.

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Revised Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-140) in a Psychiatric Outpatient Sample in Iran

Background: Cloninger first proposed the personality theory, considering both normal and abnormal personality traits. Later, different complementary versions of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) found their way into the academic milieu to enhance their psychometric properties and efficiency in both experimental and clinical settings. Objectives: The main objective of the current research was to investigate the principal psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-140). Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study. The data included information on psychiatric outpatients visiting Roozbeh psychiatric hospital in 9 months in 2021. Purposive sampling was performed on volunteers. A total of 471 outpatients filled out the TCI-140, 150 of whom also filled out the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 (PID-5). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed using principal component analysis (PCA) by Promax rotation. Results: The internal consistency of all dimensions (Cronbach's alpha: Above 0.70, except for reward dependence) was proved to be satisfactory, but that of some subscales (NS1, NS4, RD4, CO3, and CO5) was quite poor. Test-retest reliability confirmed that for all dimensions, ICC > 0.70, indicating a high reliability. The findings of the PCA revealed that all dimensions were loaded in accordance with the theoretical expectations. At the facet level, all the facets were loaded on their factors except for sentimentality and dependence. According to the correlation findings, the concurrent validity of TCI-140 was acceptable for PID-5. The results showed that HA had relatively high positive correlations with detachment (r = 0.55) and negative affect (r = 0.48). Conclusions: The results confirmed the satisfactory reliability and validity of the Persian version of TCI-140 despite its drawbacks. Hence, it can be employed to examine personality traits.

Predicting narcissistic personality traits from brain and psychological features: A supervised machine learning approach

ABSTRACTNarcissism is a multifaceted construct often linked to pathological conditions whose neural correlates are still poorly understood. Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings related to the neural underpinnings of narcissism, probably due to methodological limitations such as the low number of participants or the use of mass univariate methods. The present study aimed to overcome the previous methodological limitations and to build a predictive model of narcissistic traits based on neural and psychological features. In this respect, two machine learning-based methods (Kernel Ridge Regression and Support Vector Regression) were used to predict narcissistic traits from brain structural organization and from other relevant normal and abnormal personality features. Results showed that a circuit including the lateral and middle frontal gyri, the angular gyrus, Rolandic operculum, and Heschl’s gyrus successfully predicted narcissistic personality traits (p < 0.003). Moreover, narcissistic traits were predicted by normal (openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness) and abnormal (borderline, antisocial, insecure, addicted, negativistic, machiavellianism) personality traits. This study is the first to predict narcissistic personality traits via a supervised machine learning approach. As such, these results may expand the possibility of deriving personality traits from neural and psychological features.

The role of maladaptive personality in behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia

AbstractBackgroundAlthough research demonstrated a significant link between premorbid normative personality traits and the severity of behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) and associated emotional distress of the caregiver, little is known about the relationship of BPSD symptoms and associated distress with maladaptive traits.MethodInformants (N = 182) of Dutch nursing home residents with dementia aged 65+, completed the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire to assess the severity of BPSD and associated emotional distress. Premorbid maladaptive personality traits were evaluated using informant versions of a brief version of the Personality Inventory for Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders‐5 (PID‐5‐BF), and two age‐specific personality measures, the Informant Personality Questionnaire (HAP), and Gerontological Personality disorder Scale. Relationships between premorbid personality and BPSD were investigated with correlational and ordinal regression analyses.ResultsBPSD severity and distress were associated with medium sized correlations to Negative Affectivity, Antagonism and indications of personality disorder presence. The emotional distress also correlated with a medium effect with Detachment. Higher scores on maladaptive personality traits increased the odds of higher BPSD severity and distress.ConclusionResults found with age‐specific personality measures were in line with results found with other measures of (mal)adaptive traits. Several maladaptive personality traits had a significant relationship with the BPSD severity and associated emotional distress. We therefore encourage to implement personality assessment within BPSD treatment strategies. This way care becomes more person‐focused and more tailored to the specific needs of patients and caregivers.

Late Onset Personality Disorders in Mid-Life and Older Adults.

There is little research on personality disorder (PD) onset in older age. Many studies have shown that normative personality traits change across the life span, even into later life. This study aimed to investigate the onset of PDs in later adulthood (>age 55), and the possible influence of major life events on predicting this late onset. The current analysis was conducted with data from the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN). Structured diagnostic interviews were administered three times over five years. Logistic regressions were conducted predicting late onset PD from baseline to FU5 and from FU5 to FU10 as a function of each major life event. 75 PD onsets occurred from baseline to FU5, and 39 PD onsets occurred from FU5 to FU10. Personal illness predicted the onset of PDs from FU5 to FU10.

Analysis of the Relationship between Higher-Order Factor Structure of Personality Disorders and the Five-Factor Model of Personality.

The growing body of evidence on the dimensional classification of personality disorders (PD) has resulted in its acceptance in the ICD-11 classification, which abolished categories and retains only a general description of PD. Specifying the type of PD is optional, and the suggested domains represent maladaptive variants of the five-factor model of personality (FFM). The aim of our study was to explore the existence of a joint structure between maladaptive and normal personality traits, and to investigate how these structures are integrated. The study included 223 patients who had been diagnosed with PD and completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders and the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R). To determine the degree of overlap between PD domains and NEO PI-R scales, a canonical analysis of covariance was conducted. Our findings showed a relationship between the internalizing PD spectrum (consisting of avoidant, dependent, and borderline traits with detached and anankastic traits) and high neuroticism, low conscientiousness, and moderately low agreeableness and extroversion, suggesting the existence of a broad personality disorder factor. However, the internalizing dimensions exhibited a more pronounced effect within this construct. Furthermore, we identified a second function that demonstrated a link between the externalizing PD spectrum (including narcissistic, histrionic, and antisocial traits) and high extraversion, high openness, and low agreeableness, suggesting the existence of an externalizing factor. Overall, our findings provide evidence for a joint structure of maladaptive and normal personality traits in a sample of personality disorders and emphasize the importance of integrating the FFM model in PD evaluation in clinical practice, suggesting that differentiating between major subgroups could assist in adjusting therapeutic approaches.

Personality traits and disorders in Alzheimer's disease.

The relationships between axis II personality disorders and the normative personality traits were explored in the context of current and pre-morbid personality assessment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study was conducted with four groups who were administered the NEO-FFI and the PDQ-4+, in the form of individual interview sessions. Current personality measure: consisting of 44 female participants (AD group) and, the control group, consisting of 80 female participants from the population at large. Pre-morbid personality measure: AD group informants (n=40); control group informants (n=42). The results are in line with the literature review and provide new research data. By factorial discriminant analysis, the current and pre-morbid personality variables that differentiate AD from control groups are identified. The personality traits variables are the best discriminators such as low agreeableness, low openness to experience, and high neuroticism, suggesting that the maladaptive personality functioning can be described extending the range of psychopathology to a dimensional approach. The study of personality variables seems to suggest, in their inclusion, the possibility to increase sensitivity toward an assessment in AD.

Influence of maladaptive personality traits on women's posttraumatic cognitions of IPV.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a problem for women worldwide. One factor that affects the severity of women's distress in the aftermath of IPV is how they make meaning of the violence they experienced. Posttraumatic meaning-making takes the form of 3 distinct posttraumatic cognitions: self-blame, other negative thoughts about oneself, and negative thoughts about the world. Women's posttraumatic cognitions in the aftermath of IPV are in part a function of personality. Research on personality and posttraumatic cognitions has focused primarily on the influence of normative personality traits, although maladaptive personality traits are more common in clinical assessment. One of the most common models of maladaptive traits is DSM-5's Alternative Model of Personality Disorder (AMPD), which contains 5 maladaptive variants of normative personality traits (Antagonism, Detachment, Disinhibition, Negative Affect, and Psychoticism). Although there is increasing research on the AMPD traits in general, there is limited research on the influence of these traits on women's response to IPV specifically. In this study we examine the association between AMPD traits and posttraumatic cognitions of IPV in a sample of women exposed to IPV (N = 199) using a Bayesian approach to multiple regressions. Results suggest that IPV and Negative Affect were the primary influences on all 3 IPV-related posttraumatic cognitions and that other traits had differential effects depending on the type of posttraumatic cognition under analysis. These findings clarify our understanding of individual differences in posttraumatic response and have implications for the treatment of women exposed to IPV. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Una versión reducida y modificada del Inventario de Personalidad para el DSM-5 (PID-5) en la Argentina

The official classification of personality disorders in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) remains categorical. However, a dimensional alternative for personality disorders is presented as an emerging model. The model is organized in five higher order domains (Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition and Psychoticism), with relationships with the Big Five Model of Personality, strongly established within the Personality Psychology. The proposal also includes 25 facets or second-order traits, included within the main domains. Domains and facets represent psychopathological traits with clinical relevance. To assess this model, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) was developed. PID-5 has two forms: extensive (220 items) that assesses domains and facets, and brief (25 items) that assesses only the domains. In a previous study, evidence for a short version (31 items) adapted to the Argentine population was provided, that overcomes some of the limitations of the original one. In this work, the psychometric properties of a reduced and modified version of the PID-5 are studied, which allows evaluating five domains and 25 facets, through a reduced number of items (108). We worked with a non-probabilistic sample of n = 525 subjects from the general population, who answered the adapted version of the PID-5 and the Adjectives Checklist to Assess the Big Five Personality Factors (AEP), a Big Five Model measure. The following data analyses were performed: (1) Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis to evaluate the internal structure of PID-5; (2) reliability analysis to assess the internal consistency of the PID-5 scales; (3) item analysis to assess discriminating power; (4) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to examine significant differences due to gender and age; and (5) bivariate correlation analysis to analyze PID-5 convergent validity. The results provided evidence of validity and reliability. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis suggested a five-factor structure. The facets presented factor loadings in the domain theoretically expected, with some exceptions: Suspiciousness (loaded in Psychoticism), Hostility (loaded in Disinhibition), Depressivity (loaded in Detachment) and Insensitivity (loaded in Detachment). CFA also suggested a good model fit (CFI = .98; RMSEA = .04; SRMR = 0.083). Psychoticism, Detachment, and Disinhibition facets had their higher factor loadings in the expected domain. Negative affectivity showed higher correlations with the rest of the scales. Internal consistency was satisfactory, especially at the domain level, and the items had good discrimination indices. Correlations with the corresponding of the Big Five factors were observed, similar to previous studies. The five PID-5 domains were also found positively correlated. Additionally, gender and age differences were found. In line with previous literature, results suggest that some facets scales are “pure” markers of these domains ( e. g. , Psychoticism and Antagonism facets), whereas others ( e. g. , Negative Affectivity facets such as Depressiveness, Suspicion, Hostility), are located “in between” domains since they share features of more than one domain. Psychoticism facets presented higher loadings in their domains and lower in the rest. This is not surprising; although most of psychopathology cannot be understood as categories, schizophyte and Schizotypal Personality Disorder are exceptions, and Psychoticism would be the representation of these categories in the APA model. Findings also provide evidence of convergent validity for the instrument, as well as theorical evidence regarding the relationship between normal and pathological personality traits. This version can be used to evaluate the model, both in research and clinical practice. It has advantages over the original longer version, in terms of administration time and participants' fatigue, while maintaining its psychometric properties. The results are also expected to contribute to the recent literature on the dimensional approach to personality psychopathology. However, complementary studies, particularly with a clinical population, are needed. https://doi.org/10.16888/interd.2023.40.1.7

DISPARITAS PUTUSAN TINDAK PIDANA PENYALAHGUNAAN NARKOTIKA OLEH ANAK DALAM PERSPEKTIF HAM

Narcotics users can be classified in various ways, including as narcotics addicts or victims of narcotics addiction. Naltrexone users and abusers are defined as those who use or abuse narcotics to the point of becoming physically and psychologically dependent on the drugs they use. In accordance with Article 54 of the Narcotics Law, the following things occur: It is specifically stated that "narcotics addicts and victims of narcotics abuse are required to undergo medical rehabilitation and social rehabilitation" and this refers to the provisions of SEMA No. 4 of 2010. Based on the Decision of the District Court of Semarang Number 407/Pid.SUS/2016/PN.Smg, the author gives examples of narcotics abusers who were ordered to undergo rehabilitation for 6 (six) months. The research method that the author uses is a normative juridical method, namely by conducting secondary data sources, namely data that are directly related to the problem being studied, and which consists of a number of data obtained from library books, laws and regulations, and others. related to the implementation of drug abuse rehabilitation programs. Following up on the research findings, the authors came to the conclusion that the legal considerations are that drug abusers must undergo medical rehabilitation and social rehabilitation in addition to imprisonment. In order to reintegrate into society, one's character and morals must be examined. For drug addicts, social rehabilitation is the process of reintroducing them to society, so they don't repeat their actions. Social rehabilitation also aims to reintegrate addicts and/or drug abusers into society by restoring thought processes, emotions, and behavios that are indicators of change. They have normal personality traits and are able to interact with others in their social environment (in a rehabilitation environment).

Do normal personality traits connect to the dynamic processes of psychopathology?

The purpose of this article is to reveal whether traits can predict the core processes constituting borderline personality disorder (BPD). A large sample, including many with BPD, completed personality questionnaires and reported trigger and symptom experiences 5 times per day for 2 weeks. Multilevel modeling revealed first that symptoms were strongly contingent upon concurrent triggers and that BPD's association to symptoms was largely due to this contingency. Second, personality traits predicted all components of this process: trigger experiences, symptom intensity, and the contingency of the symptoms on triggers. However, normal personality traits only partially accounted for the heightened experience of triggers, elevated symptoms, and magnified reactivity to triggers among those with BPD. Thus, normal personality traits are capable of explaining the dynamic processes characteristic of clinical disorders, meaning that normal traits can elucidate even complex dynamic clinical processes. However, traits appear to only partially contain the active ingredients responsible for the core process in BPD. Aspects of the disorder other than traits may account for the heightened trigger experience, elevated symptom intensity, and magnified reactivity to triggers in those with BPD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychometric Proprieties of a Romanian Inventory (ETPduo) Designed to Assess Personality Disorders Based on the DSM-5 and the ICD-10: Evidence for Reliability and Validity in Nonclinical Samples

The aim of the present research was to assess the psychometric proprieties of the ETPduo questionnaire (Romanian acronym for Evaluation of Personality Disorders), a new instrument designed to measure personality disorders based on two official classifying systems – the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition) and the International Classification of Diseases (tenth edition). In Study 1a (N = 1,536) and 1b (N = 267), we sought to evaluate the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the ETPduo questionnaire, as well as the unidimensionality of the instrument’s scales. Results showed that the scales have very good reliability and acceptable temporal stability. Confirmatory factor analyses generally indicated that the questionnaire’s scales are unidimensional and very few poorly loading items were identified. In Study 2 (N = 746), we aimed to assess the construct validity of the ETPduo questionnaire, by correlating the scores on the instrument with two other measures designed to assess normal and pathological personality traits. Results were mostly in line with our expectations. The two studies suggest that ETPduo is a reliable and valid measure of personality disorders. However, further validation of the instrument on a clinical sample is required.

A preliminary investigation of intellectual humility as a protective factor for maladaptive personality traits

Personality disorders are a major public health concern that onset during adolescence and young adulthood. There has been a recent interest in studying the role of positive psychology constructs in personality pathology. A positive psychology construct that has been tested in conjunction with normative personality traits, but not yet maladaptive personality traits, is intellectual humility (IH). Evaluating links between IH and maladaptive personality traits would advance prior research and could also inform new prevention and intervention strategies for personality pathology, as well as increase clinical applications for IH. The current study therefore aimed to examine associations between IH and the five maladaptive traits outlined in the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders from Section III of the DSM-5: negative affect, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism. The sample included 897 young adults between the ages of 18–25 (79.8% female), who completed the five-factor Personality Inventory for DSM-5 and the three-factor Intellectual Humility Scale as part of a cross-sectional online study. Five hierarchical regression models were evaluated. All five maladaptive traits were significantly and inversely predicted by at least one of the three IH domains, over and above age and gender. Relative to the other maladaptive traits, antagonism had the greatest amount of variability explained (23.7%) by IH factors (compared to the 4–10% variance explained in the other traits). Clinical implications, particularly for personality disorders that involve antagonism, and future research directions are discussed.

The impact of personality character on choosing the medical specialty among medical students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: As the emerging number of medical students globally and in Saudi Arabia is rising each year, personality characteristics and their association with the specialty of choice for medical students have not been still completely studied. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of personality characteristics of medical students on choosing their medical specialty. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted across multiple medical universities in Saudi Arabia from October 2021 to June 2022. All adult medical students studying at medical universities in Saudi Arabia were included. A self-administered google forum survey was distributed to medical students through different social media platforms (WhatsApp university groups, Twitter, and Telegram). A minimum sample size of 377 was calculated. We assessed the participants&amp;apos; personalities using The Big Five inventory, which is the most commonly used scale across different countries to examine normal adult personality traits; it consists of five personality dimensions which are: extraversion which refers to social tendency, conscientiousness refers to being oriented, openness refers to the tendency of curiosity, and neuroticism referring to the tendency to be anxious and feel negative emotions. Results: Findings indicate that among 15 included specialties, choosing orthopedic surgery was significantly associated with the highest mean scores in extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Furthermore, choosing Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) and orthopedic surgery were significantly associated with the highest openness scores. Conclusion: This study has shown that each personality trait seems to be attracted to different medical specialties. So, identifying personality traits might be helpful for medical students to decide on the best future medical specialty that suits their personality and characteristics.