Related Personality Variables Research Articles

Tipologii ale agresorilor familiali: variabile teoretice și rezultate empirice

This study aimed to delineate the profile of the domestic abusers according to by examining personality dimensions (impulsivity, aggression-hostility, neuroticism) and related personality variables (rumination, personality disorders, emotional distress, physical aggression and hostility) in men serving custodial sentences for domestic violence offenses and examining possible differences between types of perpetrators and substance use patterns, and the presence or experience of violence in the family of origin. The research sample included 173 men aged 21 to 70 years, (M=38.76; SD=11.217). Cluster analysis of the empirical data identified four distinct subtypes of domestic abusers: non-pathological aggressors, borderline/dysphoric aggressors, antisocial/generally violent aggressors and the antisocial subtype. These findings align with the existing literature, underscoring that family aggressors are not a homogeneous group.

The Relationship Between Assessment Centre Outcomes and Personality Traits

The present study aimed to assess the nomological validity of the Assessment Centre (AC). More specifically, the authors investigated the relationship between theoretically related personality variables and AC ratings in a personnel selection procedure. Previous studies have reported contradictory findings regarding the nomological validity of the Assessment Centre. We identified shortcomings in the previous studies and demonstrated the nomological validity of the AC in a relatively large sample of line manager candidates (N = 314). Our results are in harmony with trait activation theory, and this confirms the nomological validity of Assessment Centres. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Cognitive and personality variables as predictors of sexism against women in Spanish adolescents

Previous research on the antecedents of sexism against women have not considered simultaneously the effects of sex, personality, and cognitive variables (need for closure and critical thinking disposition) in relation to sexism. We evaluated whether in adolescence, these indicators could predict sexist attitudes towards women using structural models. The sample comprised 709 Spanish high-school students (mean age = 16.79). 51.5% were female. Sex (being male), need for closure and critical thinking were the most relevant predictors of sexism. The disposition to think critically is as relevant as the motivational dimension of cognition (need for closure) to predict sexism. Multi-group structural models by sex were estimated, and a moderator effect was found between openness to experience and sexism. We suggest future lines of research to disentangle the effects of personality and cognition on sexism and to guide intervention programs to reduce sexist attitudes among adolescents.

Personality Predictors of Gratitude to God: Examining the Roles of Positive Emotional Traits and Adaptive Relational Styles

Research relating personality variables to gratitude to God (GTG) is in its nascent stages, as only a few descriptive, correlational studies have been conducted on this topic. We investigated whether two kinds of personality variables—positive emotional traits and adaptive relational styles—predicted higher GTG. Hypotheses linking these variables to GTG were based on a novel, preregistered conceptual framework. We also explored whether general gratitude statistically mediated these links. In a cross-sectional study of N = 698 undergraduates from the United States, participants completed self-report measures of personality predictors, situational GTG and situational general gratitude in response to a positive event, as well as trait GTG. Correlations showed strong support for hypotheses connecting GTG (situational and trait) with positive emotional traits (extraversion, optimism, vitality, self-esteem). Correlations also supported hypotheses for one adaptive relational style (agreeableness) but not others (honesty–humility, lack of entitlement, secure attachment). General gratitude was a mediator of associations between positive emotional traits and both trait and situational GTG, and general gratitude mediated associations between adaptive relational styles and trait GTG. These results provide initial evidence suggesting that positive emotional traits have consistent, direct (and indirect via gratitude) links to GTG, whereas the evidence for adaptive relational styles was more inconsistent and indirectly mediated via general gratitude.

The role of social context in risky decision-making: Presence of friend and low resistance to peer influence increase risky decision-making.

Following sociocultural and personality theory, the current study addresses the need to investigate the influence of the social context and related personality variables on risky decision-making. Risky decision-making was assessed in six daily-life scenarios in a sample of 357 adult participants, ages 18-75. Scenarios differed regarding competition (competitive vs. non-competitive) and presence of others (alone, with friends, or with acquaintances). Additionally, the personality variables ego-strength, agreeableness, and resistance-to-peer influence as well as demographic variables were assessed. Results showed that participants made more risky decisions in the non-competitive scenarios and in the scenarios when they were accompanied by a friend compared to when they were alone. Regression analyses revealed that men made more risky decisions than women. High resistance-to-peer influence and agreeableness whereas related to fewer risky decisions. Overall, results showed the strong influence of social and personality factors on risky decision-making which could have implications for prevention programmes. Further, these results show that a pure cognitive approach to the study of risky decision-making is too narrow. Considering cognition, social context, and personality traits together seems to be a promising approach for the study of risky daily-life decisions.

Examining affect and perfectionism in relation to eating disorder symptoms among women with anorexia nervosa

This study examined personality and affective variables in relation to eating disorder symptoms in anorexia nervosa (AN). Women (N=118) with DSM-IV AN completed baseline questionnaires (Beck Depression Inventory, Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale) and interviews (Eating Disorder Examination, Yale-Brown-Cornell Eating Disorder Scale), followed by two weeks of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) involving multiple daily reports of affective states and eating disorder behaviors. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted using eating disorder symptoms as dependent variables (i.e., EMA binge eating, EMA self-induced vomiting, eating disorder rituals, eating disorder preoccupations, dietary restraint). Predictor variables were maladaptive perfectionism (baseline), depressive symptoms (baseline), and affect lability (EMA). Results revealed that affect lability was independently associated with binge eating, whereas depressive symptoms were independently associated with self-induced vomiting. Depressive symptoms were independently associated with eating disorder rituals, whereas both depressive symptoms and maladaptive perfectionism were independently associated with eating disorder preoccupations. Finally, maladaptive perfectionism and affect lability were both independently associated with dietary restraint. This pattern of findings suggests the importance of affective and personality constructs in relation to eating disorder symptoms in AN and may highlight the importance of targeting these variables in the context of treatment.

Clever and crude but not kind: Narcissism, self-esteem, and the self-reference effect

According to the agency model of narcissism (Campbell, Brunell, & Finkel, 2006) narcissists view themselves as high on agentic traits but low on communal traits. To test if this self-view extends to recall, two experiments examined the extent to which narcissism was associated with self-ratings and recall of agentic and communal traits that varied in valence. Across both experiments a trait description task was followed by a surprise recall task for the trait words and then completion of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI; Raskin & Terry, 1988). Within the self-reference condition narcissism was related to higher selection in the trait description task and to higher recall of positive-agentic (e.g., clever) traits. This general pattern of results occurred for narcissism even while controlling for the related personality variables of self-esteem, agency, and communion. In contrast to narcissism, within the self-referent group self-esteem predicted higher recall for positive-communal traits (e.g., kind) but lower recall for negative-communal traits, a finding consistent with mnemic neglect. Overall, results supported the agency model of narcissism and extended this model to suggest that narcissists rate themselves more highly not only on positive-agentic traits but also on negative-communal traits.

Attitudes do matter: The role of attitudes and personality in DUI offenders

Several studies have related personality variables with antisocial behavior. Among antisocial behaviors, driving under the influence (DUI) has received growing attention in recent years, particularly in relation to the role of personality. However, it has been shown that personality alone is not sufficient to accurately predict DUI. As a result, there is growing interest in identifying other types of individual differences that might predict this behavior better, such as attitudinal variables. The aim of this study was to examine differences in personality dimensions and attitudes between a group of DUI offenders and a comparison group. Ninety-eight subjects were assessed: 51 subjects who had been convicted of a DUI offense following a diversion program, and 47 drivers without criminal records. Personality was measured with the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and antisocial attitudes were assessed with the Jesness Inventory-Revised. Results indicated that offenders were more prone to show antisocial attitudes (p<.001) than comparisons. In terms of personality, there were no significant differences between the two groups. These findings suggest that attitudes may be useful predictors of DUI and should be taken into account in interventions designed to avoid recidivism.

P02-475 - Trauma related psychopathology in unaccompanied refugee minors

ObjectivesTo present a multimodal analysis of psychopathology among African unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) in Austria. These youths experience well documented war and flight related non-normative stressors on their way from Africa to Europe. We have previously reported 17% of PTSD, a number below expectations. We now report on trauma related personality variables which indicate that these youths are resilient but at high risk for decompensation. We tested the hypothesis that PTSD specific defenses would be high (most notably dissociation, conversion, projection, withdrawal and somatization).MethodsForty-one URMs participated in the study. The following standardized instruments were used: UCLA PTSD Index for DSM IV, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents, Weinberger Adjustment Inventory, Response Evaluation Measure for the measurement of defenses.ResultsLevels of psychopathology were below previously reported levels in URMs. By contrast, all defenses previously reported as elevated in PTSD (conversion, projection, dissociation, withdrawal and somatization) showed significant increases (p &lt; 0.05), putting these defenses in the 80–95TH percentile for the norm population.ConclusionsWhile syndromal illness was less than expected, indicators of trauma related habitual function were all elevated. The present findings reveal that URMs manage the extreme stress of their lives by defensive self-regulation. These findings have implications for diagnosis and management.

The role of chance events in the school-to-work transition: The influence of demographic, personality and career development variables

Chance events are considered important in career development, yet little empirical research is available on their predictors and consequences. The present study investigated socio-demographic (gender, nationality, school-type), personality (openness, locus of control) and career development variables (career decidedness, career planning) in relation to perceived chance events with a retrospective ( N = 229, eleventh grade), and 1-year longitudinal prospective study ( N = 245, eighth/ninth grade) among Swiss adolescents. The results showed that the majority of both groups reported a significant influence of chance events on their transition from compulsory school to vocational education or high school. Importance of chance events related to socio-demographics and personality but not career preparation. Career preparation and chance events predicted subjective career success in terms of wish correspondence and overall satisfaction with transition outcome among the younger cohort. Implications include the necessity to integrate both thorough career preparation and chance events in theory and counseling practice.

Personality predictors of the time course for lung cancer onset

Numerous findings suggest that personality is linked to the incidence and experience of negative health outcomes. More specifically, trait negative affect is negatively related to a number of health outcomes. The current study expands our understanding of the link between personality and disease by examining the time course for lung cancer onset. In a sample of patients who had recently undergone surgical resection for lung cancer, a variety of negative affect related personality variables were assessed to determine their relationship with age at surgery. After controlling for smoking behavior, it was found that trait negative affect was associated with time course for lung cancer onset, such that those with higher (vs. lower) levels of trait negative affect manifested lung cancer earlier in their lives. Thus, trait negative affect represents an independent risk factor among those prone to lung cancer (i.e., smokers).

Drug Use, Personality and Partner Violence: A Model of Separate, Additive, Contributions in an Active Drug User Sample

Drug use is considered a main contributing factor to crime and violence. This research examined the evidence regarding the relationship between drug abuse and the occurrence of intimate partner violence. Current drug using men were assessed on aggression related personality variables, their drug use, and the occurrence of violence in their close relationships. A latent aggression factor and recent amphetamine use were the only variables found to be significantly associated with violence. No other drug use variables were found to be associated with violence by the participant and the overall drug use factor was not found to be associated with violence or aggressive personality. The widely accepted notion that increased substance use directly leads to increases in violent behavior was only partially supported, at least within this drug using population. The assessment of aggressive personality, rather than of drug use, is suggested for correctional as well as clinical settings in which drug users are prevalent when determining susceptibility to violence.

Clinical and experimental pain perception is attenuated in patients with painless myocardial infarction

Background. The lack of pain alarm in painless myocardial infarction (MI) leads to increased morbidity and mortality, since patients do not seek medical treatment in a timely manner. We aimed to explore whether reduced systemic pain perception in response to experimental stimuli and pain related personality variables characterizes painless MI patients. Methods. Level of chest pain intensity was assessed by numerical scale, range from 0 (no pain) to 100 (maximal pain). Heat pain threshold, magnitude estimation of supra-threshold phasic and tonic painful stimuli as well as anxiety and pain catastrophizing scores were assessed in 92 acute MI patients; 67 with and 25 without chest pain, respectively. All experimental stimuli were performed by Thermal Sensory Analysis (TSA) and applied to the right forearm. Results. Greater intensity of chest pain scores was inversely correlated with lower pain threshold (r=−0.417, p<0.001), and directly associated with higher pain scores in response to the heat pain (r=0.354, p=0.002). Patients with painful MI demonstrated lower pain threshold (41.9±3.6°C vs. 44.9±3.8°C, p=0.001) and higher catastrophizing level (10.6±12.0 vs. 5.4±8.8, p=0.032). Logistic regression analysis revealed that older age and lower pain scores in response to supra-threshold painful stimuli were associated with greater risk for painless MI. The demographic variables, history of ischemic heart, risk factors for coronary artery disease, ST-T segment changes on ECG and troponin levels were similar in both groups. Conclusions. This study suggests that reduced systemic pain perception as well as cognitive personality variables play an important role in the etiology of painless MI.

Personality, Coping and Posttraumatic Growth in Emergency Ambulance Personnel

Inherent in emergency service work is a relatively high level of exposure to potentially traumatic experiences. Traditionally, research has examined the negative or pathological effects that trauma may have on individuals, as well as variables that are proposed to influence post-trauma outcomes, for example, personality, coping, organisational and demographic factors. In recent years, empirical post-trauma research has broadened its scope to investigate positive changes that may also occur following the experience of a traumatic event. This study examines personality and coping variables in relation to levels of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in emergency ambulance personnel (N = 526). Correlations revealed that extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and coping levels significantly relate to perceptions of PTG. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the relationship between personality and PTG is largely mediated by levels of coping. Implications of the research include the tailorin...

Personality, Coping and Posttraumatic Growth in Emergency Ambulance Personnel.

Inherent in emergency service work is a relatively high level of exposure to potentially traumatic experiences. Traditionally, research has examined the negative or pathological effects that trauma may have on individuals, as well as variables that are proposed to influence post-trauma outcomes, for example, personality, coping, organisational and demographic factors. In recent years, empirical post-trauma research has broadened its scope to investigate positive changes that may also occur following the experience of a traumatic event. This study examines personality and coping variables in relation to levels of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in emergency ambulance personnel (N = 526). Correlations revealed that extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and coping levels significantly relate to perceptions of PTG. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the relationship between personality and PTG is largely mediated by levels of coping. Implications of the research include the tailorin...

Burnout in psychiatric physicians. Results of an empirical study

The study aimed at assessing burnout in psychiatrists and psychiatric residents, all of them working in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, and at identifying some of its correlates. Potentially burnout- related demographic, work, leisure activities, and personality (Munich Personality Test) variables were studied in three subgroups of 307 probands--psychiatric residents, psychiatrists working as staff members or in leading positions in psychiatric institutions, and psychiatrists working in private practice--the degree of burnout having been assessed with the Tedium Measure (TM). The mean TM score of all probands of 2.9 (SD = 0.7) was on a low level, high TM scores (> 3.5) were indicated by 57 (18%) participants. Significantly higher TM scores were indicated by psychiatric residents, who also scored higher with regard to neuroticism and lower with regard to frustration tolerance on MPT. Neuroticism alone explained a substantial proportion of the total TM variance in individual groups. Work-related variables turned out to be of a small importance only, whereas no influence could be demonstrated for different leisure activities.

A Cross-Cultural Study of Response Biases in Personality Measures

The purposes of this study were to (a) compare the response bias tendencies of U.S. and Philippine college students and men and women in each culture when responding to personality measures, (b) examine the comparability of different measures of the same response biases, (c) examine the stability or consistency of response biases across instruments, (d) examine the extent to which controlling for response biases affects cultural mean comparisons in personality variables, and (e) test hypothesized personality correlates of response biases. The results did not support the presence of large cross-cultural or gender differences in response biases. Moderate to high agreement was found between different indexes of the same biases. Participants' response bias tendencies were moderately stable across instruments. Controlling for response biases led to trivial changes in effect sizes; in most cases, conclusions about cultural differences in personality constructs did not change. Most hypotheses relating personality variables to response biases were not supported.

Self-concept and Anxiety in Immigrant Children

In a longitudinal study of acculturation in Germany, a total sample ( N 364) of immigrant and nonimmigrant elementary schoolchildren were tested in regard to achievement related personality variables, such as self-concept, anxiety, and peer relations. The participants belonged to one of four subgroups: (1) nonimmigrants from the Western region of Germany; (2) nonimmigrants from the Eastern region; (3) German-speaking immigrants from the former German Democratic Republic; and (4) immigrants with poor German language skills from the former USSR. Migration did not seem to lead to a global decrease of self-concept or to an increase of general anxiety. However, the immigrant children did differ in their self-concept in the German language and in test anxiety from the nonimmigrant children. The chosen parameters proved to be fairly stable over time in the German-speaking groups and in the immigrant group with poor German language skills, the self-concept was more stable with a longer stay in Germany. Overall, comparing the immigrants with the nonimmigrants: (a) an acceleration in the development of self-evaluations; and (b) an interruption in the gradual stabilisation of the personality became apparent.

The Effects of Attitudes on Teenage Premarital Pregnancy and its Resolution

Drawing on problem behavior theory and complementary models of behavior, I examine the influence of attitudes and related personality variables on the probability of teenage premaritalpregnancy and, when a pregnancy occurs, whether it is resolved by abortion, having an out-of-wedlock birth, or marrying before the birth. A sample of non-Hispanic white adolescents is drawn from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and analyzed using the nested logit method. The estimates show that self-esteem, locus of control, attitudes toward women's family roles, attitudes toward school, educational aspirations, and religiosity are associated with premarital pregnancy and its resolution in directions predicted by theory. The effects of self-esteem, attitudes toward school, attitudes toward women's family roles, and educational expectations are substantively important. Attitudes and related personality variables are important paths through which family background characteristics influence adolescent sexual and marriage behavior.

Shyness and education: the relationship between shyness, social class and personality variables in adolescents.

The study considers the relationship between shyness, some related personality variables and socio-economic status. Adolescent shyness levels are examined using two self-report questionnaires which cover the spectrum of inherent, emotional and situational shyness. These findings were correlated with individual levels of anxiety, neuroticism and also with socio-economic status. The educational implications of these results are discussed and the problem of the definition of shyness is addressed. The sample comprised 650 adolescents in the age range 11-18 years, drawn at random from two secondary schools, the number of boys being 300 and the number of girls 350. The results indicate that high levels of both situational and inherent shyness are related significantly to high levels of anxiety and neuroticism. Inherent shyness and situational shyness correlate only moderately with one another. Low levels of situational and inherent shyness are related positively and significantly to high levels of self-esteem and extraversion. Similar patterns of relationships occur for the other variables considered. The stability coefficients of correlations for each type of shyness were high after an interval of six months. Furthermore, shyness is related significantly to the socio-economic class of adolescents: a relatively higher percentage of shyness occurs among adolescents of lower socio-economic class.