Extraversion Stability Research Articles

Extraversion development in childhood, adolescence and adulthood: Testing the role of sport participation in three nationally-representative samples

ABSTRACT This research sought to test whether sport participation relates to the development of trait extraversion across three life phases. Sport participation and extraversion were measured in children aged 10.5 ± 0.5 years (n = 3600), in adolescents aged 14.5 ± 0.5 years (n = 3463), and in adults with a mean age of 49.4 ± 18.0 years (n = 12,280), with corresponding data collected four years earlier. There were small mean-level decreases in extraversion during childhood and adulthood, and a large decrease in extraversion during adolescence. Four-year rank-order stability in extraversion was .58 in childhood, .61 in adolescence and .76 in adulthood. Sport participation was associated with higher extraversion in all three samples. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, children and adolescents who dropped out of sport showed greater decreases in extraversion than those who continued participation in sport. Sport participation was unrelated to mean-level change in extraversion during adulthood. Sport participation was also associated with greater intra-individual stability in extraversion for children, adolescents and adults. There were no significant sex moderation effects for mean-level change or individual-level stability. These findings provide evidence that sport participation might have an important role in trait extraversion stability and change across the lifespan.

Peer Sociometric Status and Personality Development from Middle Childhood to Preadolescence

Sociometric status, the regard that other group members confer to an individual, is one of the most ubiquitous and behaviourally relevant attributes assigned to the person by the social environment. Despite this, its contribution to personality development has received little attention. The present three–wave longitudinal study, spanning the age range 7–13 years ( n = 1222), sought to fill this gap by examining the transactional pathways between peer sociometric status (measured by peer nominations) and Five–Factor personality traits (measured by self–ratings and parent and teacher ratings). Sociometric status prospectively predicted the development of extraversion. By contrast, agreeableness and neuroticism prospectively predicted the development of sociometric status. Furthermore, individual–level stability in extraversion was associated with individual–level stability in sociometric status. The results were robust across different sources of personality ratings. We argue that peer sociometric status in the school classroom is the type of environmental effect that has potential to explain personality development. Because of its stability, broadness, and possible impact across a variety of personality processes, sociometric status can both repetitiously and simultaneously influence the network of multiple inter–correlated micro–level personality processes, potentially leading to a new network equilibrium that manifests in changes at the level of the broad personality trait. © 2019 European Association of Personality Psychology

Trajectories of Personality Traits Preceding Dementia Diagnosis.

Several retrospective studies using informant report have shown that individuals with dementia demonstrate considerable personality change. Two prospective studies, also using informant report, have shown that individuals who develop dementia show some personality changes prior to diagnosis. The current study is the first to assess personality trait change prior to dementia diagnosis using self-report measures from longitudinal data. This study used data from the Swedish OCTO-Twin Study, a longitudinal panel of 702 twins aged 80 and older. Analysis was restricted to 86 individuals who completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory and received a dementia diagnosis during follow-up occasions. Latent growth curve analyses were used to examine trajectories of extraversion and neuroticism preceding dementia diagnosis. Controlling for sex, age, education, depressive symptoms, and the interaction between age and education, growth curve analyses revealed a linear increase in neuroticism and stability in extraversion. Individuals who were eventually diagnosed with dementia showed a significant increase in neuroticism preceding diagnosis of dementia. Personality change, specifically an increase in neuroticism, may be an early indicator of dementia. Identification of early indicators of dementia may facilitate development of screening assessments and aid in early care strategies and planning.

Psychopathy and Personality: Advances and Debates.

Nine original articles comprise this special issue of the Journal of Personality addressing personality-based perspectives of psychopathy. In this introduction to the special issue, we review five advances and areas of agreement that are highlighted across the articles, including the utility of trait perspectives to psychopathy, the emergence of a prototypical trait profile of psychopathy, the importance of recognizing earlier developmental manifestations of psychopathy, the ongoing study and revelation of the basic neural underpinnings of psychopathy, and the important theoretical and empirical association between psychopathy and antisocial behavior. At the same time, several important debates remain, which are also highlighted in the special issue's articles. These debates center around the necessity and sufficiency of certain psychopathy traits, the role of traits alternatively labeled stable Extraversion, fearless dominance, or boldness, and the validity and utility of separating psychopathy from Machiavellianism as is done in research on the Dark Triad.

A personality assessment of top eight interuniversity female archers for various divisions of bow in India

The main purpose of the study was to assess the personality traits of top eight Interuniversity female archers for various Divisions of bow in India. For the study 24 archers were selected from various divisions of Bow (Indian Round, Recurve and Compound). The age of the subjects were ranging from 17-30 years. Eysenck's personality inventory was used to assess the respective personality traits. The data was analyzed by applying descriptive statistics such as Mean, Standard Deviation and coefficient of variation were applied to the data. The finding of the study showed that there was Neuroticism and Extraversion stability in the behaviour of archers of every division.

Fearless dominance and psychopathy: A response to Lilienfeld et al.

We respond to criticisms raised by Lilienfeld et al. (2012, The role of fearless dominance in psychopathy: Confusions, controversies, and clarifications. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 3, 327-340) about our meta-analysis (Miller & Lynam, 2012, An examination of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory's nomological network: A meta-analytic review. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 3, 305-326). We argue that Lilienfeld et al. commit multiple logical and scientific errors throughout their response: minimizing the centrality of antisocial behavior in previous conceptions of psychopathy, magnifying the role of psychological health in these same conceptions, ignoring the relative sizes of relations, and selective reporting of studies and specific findings within studies. We identify two points of agreement with Lilienfeld et al.: (a) the presence of fearless dominance (FD) traits is not sufficient to indicate the presence of psychopathy; and (b) traits related to FD may have a role to play in psychopathy. Beyond these points of agreement, we find Lilienfeld et al.'s response to be less than compelling. We reiterate our main conclusions that Psychopathic Personality Inventory's FD subscale assesses stable extraversion and is, at best, considered a diagnostic specifier rather than an essential feature.

Personality and the Happiness of Others: A Study among 13‐ to 15‐Year‐Old Adolescents

This study was designed to assess the level of concern for the happiness of others among a sample of 13‐ to 15‐year‐old adolescents in England and Wales (N = 3,095) and to test the theory that concern for the happiness of others occupies a different psychological space (within Eysenck's three‐dimensional model of personality) from the space occupied by personal happiness. The data demonstrated a high level of concern for the happiness of others, with 84 per cent of the adolescents saying that, “It is important to me to make other people happy”. While high levels of personal happiness are generally shown to be associated with low neuroticism and high extraversion (stable extraversion), these data demonstrated that high levels of concern for the happiness of others tend to be associated with high neuroticism, high extraversion, high social conformity, and low psychoticism.

Happiness as Stable Extraversion: Internal Consistency Reliability and Construct Validity of the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Among Undergraduate Students

The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) was developed by Hills and Argyle (2002) to provide a more accessible equivalent measure of the Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI). The aim of the present study was to examine the internal consistency reliability, and construct validity of this new instrument alongside the Eysenckian dimensional model of personality. The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was completed by a sample of 131 undergraduate students together with the abbreviated form of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The data demonstrated good internal consistency reliability (alpha = .92) and good construct validity in terms of positive association with extraversion (r = .38 p < .001) and negative association with neuroticism (r = −.57 p < .001). The kind of happiness measured by the OHQ is clearly associated with stable extraversion.

Clergy Personality and Collaborative Ministry: The Way Ahead for Stable Extraverts?

A sample of 991 male clergy affiliated to the Evangelical Alliance in the United Kingdom completed the short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, together with a scale regarding collaborative ministry. The data demonstrated that effective collaborative ministry was significantly related to the clergy's personality. Effective collaborative ministry was correlated positively with extraversion, correlated negatively with neuroticism, and unrelated to psychoticism. While the model of collaborative ministry may provide an exciting way ahead for clergy who display stable extraversion, this may be a less welcome route for clergy who display neurotic introversion.

Personality and Glossolalia: A Study Among Male Evangelical Clergy

A sample of 991 male clergy affiliated with the Evangelical Alliance in the United Kingdom completed the short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, together with a question regarding the practice of glossolalia. The data demonstrated that glossolalia was correlated positively with extraversion, correlated negatively with neuroticism, and unrelated to psychoticism. Glossolalia was associated with stable extraversion, and contrary to some theories, completely unrelated to psychopathology.

Are Evangelical Anglican Clergy as Happy as They Could Be? A Quantitive Perspective in Empirical Theology

The Oxford Happiness Inventory, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and a three-element churchmanship measure were completed by 202 male clergy and 60 female clergy. The findings show that both happiness and evangelical churchmanship are associated with stable extraversion. After controlling for personality variables evangelical Anglican clergy are seen to be less happy than their catholic counterparts.

Type D Personality: A Five-Factor Model Perspective

This study investigated the position of Type D (high Negative Affectivity and high Social Inhibition) within the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality. A sample of 155 healthy subjects were administered the Type D Scale and the NEO-FFI, assessing the FFM traits. Subjects also filled out the General Health Questionnaire and the Job Stress Survey. Negative Affectivity was positively correlated with Neuroticism (0.74) and negatively with Conscientiousness ( m 0.38), Agreeableness ( m 0.37), and Extraversion ( m 0.35). Social Inhibition was negatively correlated with Extraversion ( m 0.61) and Conscientiousness ( m 0.40) and positively with Neuroticism (0.50). Type D subjects reported more somatic distress ( p <0.0001), anxiety ( p <0.0001) and depression ( p <0.01) than non-Type D subjects. An alternative one-dimensional representation of the D-traits was suggested, conceptualized as a dimension ranging from neurotic introversion with relatively low conscientiousness to stable extraversion with relatively high conscientiousness. These findings are discussed in the light of the renewed interest in psychology for type versus dimensional representations of individual differences.

The Relationship Between Personality and Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction with Ministry Among Female Stipendiary Anglican Clergy in the UK

A sample of 565 female stipendiary Anglican clergy in the UK completed the short form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire together with indices of satisfaction with ministry and of dissatisfaction with ministry. The data demonstrate that satisfaction with ministry is associated with stable extraversion, while dissatisfaction with ministry is associated with toughminded neuroticism. Satisfaction and dissatisfaction with ministry are not opposite ends of the same continuum.

Happiness as stable extraversion: A cross-cultural examination of the reliability and validity of the Oxford Happiness Inventory among students in the U.K., U.S.A., Australia, and Canada

The Oxford Happiness Inventory and the short form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire were completed by four samples of students: 378 in the U.K., 212 in the U.S.A., 255 in Australia, and 231 in Canada. The findings confirm the internal reliability of the Oxford Happiness Inventory and support the view that happiness could be called stable extraversion.

Happiness is a thing called stable extraversion: a further examination of the relationship between the Oxford Happiness Inventory and Eysencks dimensional model of personality and gender

The Oxford Happiness Inventory and the short form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire were completed by 121 male and 335 female students in Wales. The findings confirm the internal reliability of the Oxford Happiness Inventory and support the view that happiness is a thing called stable extraversion.

Are Charismatic Ministers Less Stable? A Study among Male Anglican Clergy

A sample of 222 male clergy within the Church in Wales completed the short form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, together with an index of charismatic experience. Contrary to theoretical expectations, charismatic experience was correlated negatively with neuroticism and positively with extraversion, but was unrelated to either psychoticism or lie scale scores. The charismatic experience is associated with stable extra version.

Stability in extraversion and aspects of social support at midlife.

This investigation used participants from the University of North Carolina Alumni Heart Study in an exploration of extraversion and aspects of social support at midlife. Results indicated that extraversion measured at college entry and at midlife was positively correlated with social activity and perceived social support measured later in middle adulthood. Multiple regression correlational analyses suggested that both the stable and changing components of extraversion influence structural and functional aspects of social support. Further, the changing component of extraversion was found to be significantly associated with greater social activity, perceived social support, and an increased likelihood of seeking support when faced with a stressful problem in middle adulthood. Overall, the development of sociability and outgoingness in interpersonal relationships during adolescence and young adulthood is suggested to be an important antecedent of the structural characteristics and functional dynamics of social support at midlife.

Stability in extraversion and aspects of social support at midlife.

Stability in extraversion and aspects of social support at midlife.

Personality and charismatic experience among adult christians

A sample of 368 committed Christian adults completed the Index of Charismatic Experience together with the short form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The data demonstrate that, according to the MBTI typology, Christians who prefer “thinking” are likely to score higher on the Index of Charismatic Experience than Christians who prefer “feeling”. According to the Eysenckian dimensional model of personality, the charismatic experience is associated with stable extraversion.

The genetic structure of personality I. Phenotypic factor structure of the EPQ in an Australian sample

The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was completed by 4874 female and 2746 male Australian adults from the Australian Twin Register. Tetrachoric correlations between item responses were computed by maximum likelihood, and factor analysed. Stable Extraversion, Neuroticism and Social desirability (‘Lie’) factors were identified. In the four-factor solution, the fourth factor was clearly a Psychoticism factor, which had loadings greater than 0.2 on all but two of the items of the P scale. When more than four factors were estimated, however, this factor progressively split into Unconventional/impulsive behavior, suspiciousness, cruelty and punctuality factors. These P factors were stable across sexes and, in an oblique rotation, only moderately correlated. The factorial heterogeneity of the P scale is overlooked because of under-extraction of factors in the conventional 4-factor solution.