Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire Research Articles

Consultation liaison psychiatry in Greece

To investigate the relationship among brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) serum concentrations, BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and personality profile in drug-naïve schizophrenic patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and healthy participants.This cross-sectional study included fifty FEP patients and fifty healthy participants who served as controls. To study their personality profile the standardized Greek version of the Alternative Five-Factor Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ) was administered. Serum BDNF levels were measured and genotyping of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was performed in patients and healthy subjects.FEP patients presented lower BDNF serum concentrations (P = 0.002) and higher scores in ZKPQ Neuroticism (P = 0.001) and Aggression–Hostility (P = 0.002) scales while lower scores in the ZKPQ Sociability scale (P < 0.001) than healthy participants. Multivariate analysis revealed that the odds of being assessed with FEP were 0.4 times lower in those with higher BDNF values (P < 0.001) and 1.8 times greater in those with higher Neuroticism scores (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences with respect to the Val66Met polymorphism between patients and healthy participants.Reduced BDNF serum concentrations along with higher Neuroticism scores might be associated with FEP. A complex interplay between BDNF serum concentrations, personality traits, BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, and psychotic symptomatology has been arisen but further investigation is needed to better clarify the observed associations.

Personality and specialty interest in medical students

Background: Research on the relationship between personality and specialty interest is important because of its implications in student career counseling and in forecasting future specialty distribution.Aim: This study was designed to test the following hypotheses: 1. Students interested in ‘surgical’ specialties would obtain higher scores on a measure of ‘impulsive sensation seeking’ and lower scores on a measure of ‘neuroticism-anxiety’. 2. Students interested in ‘hospital-based’ specialties would score lower on a measure of ‘sociability’ whereas those interested in ‘primary care’ would score higher on this measure. In addition to these two hypotheses, gender differences on personality were also examined.Method: Study participants were 1,076 students who matriculated at Jefferson Medical College between 2002 to 2006. A short version of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman personality questionnaire (ZKPQ) measuring five personality factors of ‘impulsive sensation Seeking’, ‘neuroticism–anxiety’, ‘aggression-hostility’, ‘sociability’, and ‘activity’ was completed by research participants at the beginning of medical school. Students were also asked to note their specialty interests.Results: Multivariate statistical analyses confirmed the first and partially confirmed the second research hypotheses. Results also showed that men scored higher on ‘impulsive sensation seeking,’ and women outscored men in the ‘neuroticism–Anxiety’ and ‘activity’ scales.Conclusions: Findings suggest that information about the personalities of medical students can help to predict their career interests. Implications for career counseling are discussed.

ZUCKERMAN-KUHLMAN PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE: PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES IN A SAMPLE OF THE GENERAL POPULATION

The Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire, a tool designed to measure the alternative five-factor model of personality, was translated and adapted into the Spanish language. Some psychometric results with students have already been reported, but to date, there appears to be no published data on the psychometric properties of the questionnaire in a general population sample in any culture. The aim of the present study was to provide psychometric properties for a large Spanish community sample with a wide representation of adult age-range, a representative distribution of sexes, and a balanced distribution of education within the sample. Participants volunteered and were selected on a random basis. The questionnaire was administered to 1,000 participants of both sexes (51.4% women) with ages ranging from 18 to 88 years (M = 45.4, SD = 18.7). Analysis gave a normal distribution of all scales, good internal consistencies, and discriminant validity. Sex differences were in accord with data from tests measuring similar personality traits. Finally, the original five-component structure was also replicated.

Habituation of P3a and P3b brain potentials in men engaged in extreme sports

Do person characteristics determine when novel, attention-grabbing stimuli loose their novelty? The aim of the present study was to investigate habituation of the visual event-related potentials (ERP) P3a and P3b in men that (1) were engaged in extreme sports, (2) had extremely high scores on the Impulsivity Sensation Seeking scale of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ), yet were not engaged in extreme sports, or (3) had extremely low scores on ZKPQ. The results showed that P3a habituated significantly more in extreme sporters than in the other groups. The same was not found in comparison of the high and the low ZKPQ scorers. There were not differences between the groups in overall amplitude. It is concluded that ERP habituation may be more relevant than mere amplitude to the sensation seeking trait in extreme sporters, and that they differ from others in ERPs related to automatic alerting-related processes, not controlled cognitive processing.

Individual differences in drug abuse vulnerability: d-Amphetamine and sensation-seeking status

While the personality dimensions of novelty seeking and sensation seeking are associated with drug abuse vulnerability, the mechanisms associated with this vulnerability remain obscure. This study examined the behavioral effects of d-amphetamine in healthy volunteers scoring in the upper and lower quartiles based on age- and gender-adjusted population norms on the impulsive Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS) of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman personality questionnaire (ZKPQ). Participants completed 7-day outpatient studies examining the subjective, performance, and cardiovascular effects of d-amphetamine (0, 7.5, and 15 mg/70 kg, p.o.) under double-blind conditions according to a randomized block design. Performance tasks included behavioral measures of impulsivity, including attention, inhibition, and risk-taking behavior. No differences in baseline performance or d-amphetamine effects on measures of attention, inhibition, and risk-taking behavior were observed. High impulsive sensation seekers reported greater increases on several subjective report measures associated with drug abuse potential, including visual analog scales feel drug, like drug, and high. Healthy adults scoring in the top quartile on the population of the impulsive SSS of the ZKPQ may be vulnerable to the abuse potential of d-amphetamine.

Neuroticism-Anxiety, Impulsive-Sensation Seeking and autonomic responses to somatosensory stimuli

This study focused on autonomic responding in participants who scored high vs. low on the Neuroticism-Anxiety (N-Anx) and Impulsive-Sensation Seeking (Imp-SS) dimensions of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire—Form III. Participants were presented with series of tones (standards, deviants and novels) and they received a mild electric shock (one, two or three pulses) at each 15th tone. Resting pre-stimulus skin conductance level (SCL) and heart rate (HR) level was recorded, as well as the skin conductance response (SCR) and (anticipatory) HR response to the electric stimuli. The autonomic measures differentiated between high- vs. low Imp-SS participants but failed to discriminate between high- vs. low N-Anx participants, with the exception that high N-Anx participants showed smaller SCRs on some trials compared to the low N-Anx participants. High Imp-SS had a lower pre-stimulus SCL and smaller SCRs to deviant stimuli compared to low Imp-SS participants. Additionally, their HR acceleration was smaller in anticipation of the first and the deviant tones whereas their deceleratory response was larger relative to the HR changes observed for the low Imp-SS participants. This pattern of findings was taken to suggest that high Imp-SS participants are more arousable and less prone to defensive reactions to novel or aversive stimulation.

Exteroceptive suppression of temporalis muscle activity in subjects with high and low aggression traits

Study aim There is evidence that the second exteroceptive suppression period of temporalis muscle activity (ES2) is modulated by the 5-HT neuronal activity in the brainstem, and the aggression trait is also connected with the cerebral 5-HT neuronal innervation. We therefore studied the temporalis ES2 in subjects with high and low aggression traits. Methods Sixty-five subjects with either low or high aggression trends, judged by clinical interview, answered the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ), the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scales (SSS) and the Plutchik–van Praag Depression Inventory (PVP). These also underwent a temporalis ES2 test procedure. Twenty-two subjects with a high ZKPQ aggression trait score and 27 with a low score were selected for data analysis. Results On average, the high aggression group displayed significantly reduced temporalis ES2 duration, elevated ZKPQ Impulsive Sensation Seeking, Neuroticism-Anxiety and Aggression-Hostility, and PVP scores. The personality traits were not related with either latency or duration of temporalis ES2 in any group. The PVP score, however, was negatively correlated with ES2 duration in all 49 subjects. Conclusions This study demonstrates neurophysiologic signs of brainstem dysfunction in subjects with high aggression traits.

Empathy in medical students as related to specialty interest, personality, and perceptions of mother and father

This study was designed to examine relationships between empathy, specialty interest, personality and perceptions of mother and father. Participants were 422 first-year medical students who completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), and the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ, short form). They also reported their specialty interest and their perceptions of early relationships with their parents. Results showed that women outscored men on the empathy scale. Also, we found that higher scores on the JSPE were associated with students’ interest in people-oriented specialties (as opposed to procedure- and technology-oriented specialties), higher level of satisfaction with early maternal relationship, higher sociability and lower aggressive-hostility scores. Controlling for gender and social desirability did not change the general pattern of findings.

Consensual Validity Parameters of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire: Evidence From Self-Reports and Spouse Reports

One way of validating questionnaire responses is correlating them with ratings made by external assessors who know the ratee well: This is known as consensual validity. In this study, we assessed the consensual validity of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ; Zuckerman, 2002; Zuckerman, Kuhlman, Joireman, Teta, & Kraft, 1993). A multitrait-multimethod matrix of self-reported and spouse reported personality ratings was used to establish convergent and discriminant validity by means of Campbell and Fiske's (1959) evaluative criteria. Self-reports of 86 men and 85 women were correlated with their spouses' reports. Intraclass correlations ranged from .47 to .63 for the 5 dimensions, providing strong evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The results obtained favor the use of the ZKPQ as a valid self-report measure of personality traits.

The Role of Temperament in the Development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Amongst Journalists

The literature indicates that journalists, who have been exposed to traumatic situations, risk developing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Certain temperament traits, such as neuroticism and compulsiveness, have been found to increase vulnerability to the development of PTSD amongst police officers. Few research studies have investigated temperament and a sense of coherence as factors mediating occupational stress in journalists exposed to trauma. The aim of this study was to address this dearth by investigating whether differences in the experience of trauma, temperament traits and a sense of coherence amongst journalists will influence the degree of PTSD experienced. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised was used to divide journalists into three groups, namely, those with minor reactions ( n=10), moderate reactions ( n=24) and severe reactions of clinical importance ( n=16). Analyses of variance followed by Scheffé post hoc multiple comparisons technique indicated statistically significant differences between the three groups regarding experience of trauma as measured by the Trauma Questionnaire, temperament traits as measured by the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire and sense of coherence as measured by the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire. The results show that various factors could have an impact on how journalists deal with the traumatic stories they cover, as well as their personal outcomes after covering these stories. Journalists who develop severe PTSD differ in terms of their perceptions of the trauma, temperament profiles and sense of coherence, which impacts on their way of coping with the traumatic situations they face daily.

Factors associated with risk for subsequent injuries after traumatic spinal cord injury

Krause JS. Factors associated with risk for subsequent injuries after traumatic spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:1503–8. Objectives To identify the annual incidence and risk factors for subsequent injury among subjects with preexisting spinal cord injury (SCI) Design Cross-sectional, mailed survey. Setting A specialty hospital in the southeastern United States. Participants Subjects (N=1328) with SCI participated in this study (response rate, 72%), each of whom met the following inclusion criteria: (1) traumatic SCI with residual impairment American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grades A through D, (2) nonsurgical onset, (3) age 18 years or older at the time of the study, and (4) a minimum of 12 months post-SCI. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures A general health assessment survey was used that required participants to report the number of injuries that were severe enough to require treatment in a clinic, emergency department, or hospital in the past year, as well as whether any injury resulted in hospitalization. Risk measures included the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CAGE, Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire, Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale, and prescription medication usage. Results Nineteen percent of participants reported at least 1 injury within the past year, with an annual incidence of .33 when considering those with multiple injuries. Twenty-seven percent of those with at least 1 injury reported 1 or more injury-related hospitalizations in the past year. Being younger; having an ASIA grade D injury; higher sensation-seeking scores; heavy drinking; and prescription medication use for pain, spasticity, depression, and sleep were associated with a greater likelihood of subsequent injuries. Conclusions Subsequent injuries impact nearly 20% of people with SCI annually; yet, this problem has received little attention in the literature. Further study is needed to identify the costs, severity, and circumstances surrounding injury to design prevention programs that target risk behaviors.

Sensation seeking, exposure to psychosocial stressors, and body modifications in a college population

A sample of 281 (females=160) college students with body modifications completed a demographics questionnaire, questions about body modification practices, the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS-V; Zuckerman, 1994), the Impulsivity subscale of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ; Zuckerman, Kuhlman, Joireman, Teta, & Kraft, 1993), and a selected portion of the History of Psychosocial Stressors (HPS; Scotti, 1992, 1999). Gender differences were found on the number of body modifications and when they were first obtained. In general, males with tattoos and piercings had higher scores than females on subscales of the SSS-V. Females with piercings and tattoos had higher scores on the Impulsive Sensation Seeking subscale of the ZKPQ. No gender differences were found when participants were asked if he/she would obtain another body modification or if his/her friends had a body modification. Gender and sensation seeking preference were predictive of number of tattoos but not number of piercings. Exposure with psychosocial stressors was predictive of number of piercings but not number of tattoos. These results suggest that sensation seeking preferences and exposure to a psychosocial stressor may be associated with obtaining a body modification in some college students.

Psychometric Properties of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire in a Spanish Sample

An important question in trait theory is how many major traits are necessary to describe personality and exactly what traits these are. Several investigators have made attempts to answer these questions with solutions of 3, 5, and even 16 primary factors. The Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ) is a questionnaire aimed at the evaluation of a five-factor model, which emerged from factor analyses of scales and items. The results were five basic factors, similar in men and women: Neuroticism-Anxiety, Activity, Sociability, Impulsive Sensation-Seeking, and Aggression-Hostility. This study assesses the psychometric properties of the Catalan translation of the ZKPQ. The ZKPQ was administered to a total sample of 933 subjects with an age range from 17 to 25 years. The results obtained show good internal consistency of all the scales and good discriminant validity shown by the lack of correlation among scales. Gender differences are also in the predicted directions. Finally, the replicability of the original five-component structure was also demonstrated. The present findings show this Catalan version to be a reliable tool for research in the field of personality structure and demonstrate the cross-cultural reliability of the factor structure developed from American subjects.

Emotion-related effects of speech rate and rising vs. falling background music melody during audio news: the moderating influence of personality

We examined the personality-related differences in people’s emotional and other responses to news messages with a slow vs. a fast speech rate and a rising vs. a falling background music melody. Personality was measured with the Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioural Activation System (BAS) scales and the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire. Physiological parameters studied were electrodermal activity (EDA), pulse transit time, and interbeat intervals. Several findings consistent with the similarity-attraction theory emerged. For example, subjects scoring high on the BAS, Activity, and Aggression-Hostility dimensions reacted more positively to the news with a fast compared to a slow speech rate. The rising-melody news also elicited higher EDA than the falling-melody news among high BAS scorers. The results suggest that users may be attracted to media messages with audio characteristics manifesting emotions or a personality similar to their own.

Alternative Personality Variables and the Relationship to Holland's Personality Types in College Students

This study examined the relationship of alternative personality systems and vocational interests in a sample of college students. The sample (N = 126) consisted of undergraduate college students who were administered the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI), the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire Brief Form (MPQ-BF), the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ), and the Sensation Seeking scale (SSS-V). It was determined that younger college students generally have undifferentiated vocational profiles. There is, however, a trend for men to be interested in Realistic, Enterprising, and Investigative vocations, whereas women were interested in Social, Enterprising, and Artistic vocations. Men and women had different associations between scores on personality inventories and interests in certain vocations. Finally, significant convergence between similar scales on the instruments was indicated. The findings reveal that the utilization of alternative personality traits and their linkage to vocational interests in clinical settings are vital for merging the two domains.

The relationship between the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire and traits delineating personality pathology

This study explores the relationship between the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ) scales of normative personality with basic dimensions of disordered personality assessed by the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology—Basic Questionnaire (DAPP-BQ). The DAPP-BQ was used to establish the relationship between ZKPQ scales and dimensions of personality disorder because the relationship of the DAPP-BQ scales to the other major models of personality has been established. One hundred and forty-nine university students in China completed the Chinese language versions of the DAPP-BQ and ZKPQ. The psychometric properties of the scales in this sample were satisfactory. The factorial analysis of the ZKPQ and DAPP-BQ scales yielded five factors that were named Emotional Dysregulation, Dissocial, Impulsive Misconduct, Inhibition, and Compulsivity.

Psychometric properties of the Zuckerman–Kuhlman personality questionnaire (ZKPQ-III-R): a study of a shortened form

This study was designed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire, form III Revised (1993). The structure of the questionnaire was analysed by Exploratory (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) procedures in a sample of 1.006 university students. Several of the 89-items were grouped into different factors than in the Zuckerman et al.'s analyses, while other items were highly correlated among them (and Modification Indexes regarding covariances among them were also high). It was found that a 69-item model showed better fit, similar reliability coefficients, and slightly better construct and convergent validity than the 89-item version. The use of this reduced version in the investigation of the Zuckerman's Alternative Five Factor personality model in the Spanish language context has been suggested.

ZUCKERMAN-KUHLMAN'S PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE IN PATIENTS WITH MAJOR DEPRESSION

Depression influences personality measures like Eysenck's Big Three, Costa and McCrae's Big Five or Cloninger's Seven Factor models, and might also affect Zuckerman-Kuhlman's Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ), an alternative five-factor model. The authors therefore tested ZKPQ in 85 patients suffering from major depression and in 82 healthy subjects in order to clarify this effect. Depressive mood was measured with Plutchik – van Praag's Depression Inventory (PVP). Patients scored significantly higher on PVP, Neuroticism-Anxiety and Aggression-Hostility, but lower on Activity and Sociablity than did healthy volunteers. In the general sample (N = 167), Neuroticism-Anxiety and Aggression-Hostility scores were positively correlated, while the Sociability score was negatively correlated with the PVP score. These results indicate that when the clinical significance relating to personality traits in patients is interpreted, depressive mood must also be considered.

Five-factor personality measures in Chinese university students: effects of one-child policy?

Since the one-child policy was implemented in China in 1979, many investigators have studied the psychological consequences to children without siblings. Although the results are not conclusive, there is evidence that children who have siblings, rather than only children, have increased anxiety and depression. Whether the differences between students with and without siblings would continue when they reached university age is an interesting question. We used the Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire to assess personality traits and the Plutchik–van Praag Depression Inventory to measure depressed mood in 134 university students with and 126 university students without siblings. Most students without siblings (93.7%) were reared in urban areas, while 90.3% of students with siblings came from rural areas. Parental professions were higher in social status and annual family incomes were higher in students without siblings. Increased neuroticism–anxiety, aggression–hostility, and depressed mood were found in students with siblings. Gender and annual family income were not significantly related to personality in the two groups, and birth-order position was not related to personality in the students with siblings. In contrast, the depression score was positively correlated with neuroticism–anxiety and aggression–hostility, but negatively correlated with parental occupation and annual family income. The greater competition to receive high education, reduced benefits from society, and lower level of social respect might nurture these personality traits in students with siblings. These findings might, in some limited aspects, indicate that the one-child policy affects personality traits and depressed mood in students with siblings.

A role for complement in antibody-mediated inflammation: C5 deficient DBA/1 mice are resistant to collagen-induced arthritis

This study aimed to determine which personality dimension(s) as measured by the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire best explain a given coping strategy as measured by the COPE-48. Additionally, to clarify the location of these strategies in the broader framework of personality structure. Neuroticism-Anxiety contributed mostly to strategies focused on emotions, acceptance and denial, Activity to proactive and resolute strategies, and Sociability to obtaining emotional support and advice. Moreover, Impulsive Sensation-Seeking contributed to denial and substance use while Aggression-Hostility to focus on and venting of emotions, and inversely to restrain coping. Besides, we replicated the approach-avoidance axis and obtained an independent component grouping Religion and the inverse of Drugs, Humor and Impulsive Sensation-Seeking. Positioning coping strategies within the well-known, broader and multidimensional space of personality structure may help in a better understanding of its organization and a rethinking of its conceptualization including their underlying neurobiological basis, ultimate evolutionary nature and survival functions.