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History of the Diagnosis of a Sexually Transmitted Disease is Linked to Normal Variation in Personality Traits
Abstract
Introduction. Stable individual differences in personality traits have well-documented associations with various aspects of health. One of the health outcomes that directly depends on people's behavioral choices, and may therefore be linked to personality traits, is having a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
Aim. The study examines the associations between a comprehensive set of basic personality traits and past STD history in a demographically diverse sample.
Methods. Participants were 2,110 Estonians (1,175 women) between the ages of 19 and 89 (mean age 45.8 years, SD = 17.0). The five-factor model personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness) and their specific facets were rated by participants themselves and knowledgeable informants. Sex, age, and educational level were controlled for.
Main Outcome Measure. History of STD diagnosis based on medical records and/or self-report.
Results. History of STD diagnosis was associated with higher Neuroticism and lower Agreeableness in both self- and informant-ratings. Among the specific personality facets, the strongest correlates of STD were high hostility and impulsiveness and low deliberation.
Conclusions. Individual differences in several personality traits are associated with a history of STD diagnosis. Assuming that certain personality traits may predispose people to behaviors that entail a higher risk for STD, these findings can be used for the early identification of people at greater STD risk and for developing personality-tailored intervention programs. Mõttus R, Realo A, Allik J, Esko T, and Metspalu A. History of the diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease is linked to normal variation in personality traits. J Sex Med 2012;9:2861–2867.
... The items were residualised for age, sex and education, and subjected to principal components analysis (PCA), followed by oblimin rotation. Similarly to Mõttus, Realo, Allik, Esko and Metspalu (2012), two components were extracted accounting for 25% of the variance. Three items were removed from the analyses due to low loadings (b0.2) on either of the factors ("rice/pasta"), or loading equally on both factors (0.26 and 0.27 -"eggs"; 0.39 and 0.31 -"compote/jam"). ...
... The final two-component solution contained 13 items and explained 28% of the variance. Consistently with Mõttus, Realo, Allik, Esko and Metspalu (2012), the two components were interpreted as health aware diet and traditional diet (See Table S1 for the full list of factor loadings). Individual scores on the two components were used in subsequent analyses. ...
... To investigate the associations of personality domains and facets with diabetes diagnosis, we fitted a series of logistic regression models, for one self-or informant-rated domain or facet at a time (cf. Mõttus, Realo, Allik, Esko, & Metspalu, 2012), controlling for age, sex and education (Table 1). Scores of two self-reported personality domains (neuroticism and openness), and four self-reported facets (N5: Impulsiveness, E4: Activity, O6: Values, and C2: Order) were significantly associated with diabetes diagnosis (ps b .05). ...
The aim of this paper is three-fold. First, we identified self- and informant-rated Five-Factor Model (FFM) personality domains and facets associated with diabetes diagnosis. Second, we tested whether the associations were independent of the rater method-specific variance. Lastly, we examined whether the observed associations were mediated by BMI, alcohol intake, dietary habits, and exercise. The participants were members of the Estonian Biobank (N = 3592; 1145 men; Mage = 46.6 ± 7.0 years). We fit a series of logistic regression models predicting diabetes diagnosis from one self- or informant-rated personality domain or facet at a time, controlling for age, sex, and education. Diabetes diagnosis was significantly associated with the N5: Impulsiveness, E4: Activity, and C2: Order facets. Method-independent variance, estimated by means of bi-factor models, was significantly related with diabetes for two of the facets, E4: Activity (β = − 0.106, p = .007) and C2: Order (β = − 0.089, p = .037), but not for N5: Impulsiveness. The strongest mediator of the personality–diabetes association was BMI, explaining 30–50% of the observed associations. We discuss implications of the current results.
... The items were residualised for age, sex and education, and subjected to principal components analysis (PCA), followed by oblimin rotation. Similarly to Mõttus, Realo, Allik, Esko and Metspalu (2012), two components were extracted accounting for 25% of the variance. Three items were removed from the analyses due to low loadings (b0.2) on either of the factors ("rice/pasta"), or loading equally on both factors (0.26 and 0.27 -"eggs"; 0.39 and 0.31 -"compote/jam"). ...
... The final two-component solution contained 13 items and explained 28% of the variance. Consistently with Mõttus, Realo, Allik, Esko and Metspalu (2012), the two components were interpreted as health aware diet and traditional diet (See Table S1 for the full list of factor loadings). Individual scores on the two components were used in subsequent analyses. ...
... To investigate the associations of personality domains and facets with diabetes diagnosis, we fitted a series of logistic regression models, for one self-or informant-rated domain or facet at a time (cf. Mõttus, Realo, Allik, Esko, & Metspalu, 2012), controlling for age, sex and education (Table 1). Scores of two self-reported personality domains (neuroticism and openness), and four self-reported facets (N5: Impulsiveness, E4: Activity, O6: Values, and C2: Order) were significantly associated with diabetes diagnosis (ps b .05). ...
... Research on nonrespiratory communicable diseases and the FFM may inform predictions about responses to contagious SARS. Aspects of neuroticism, (low) conscientiousness, and (low) agreeableness may predict HIV risk behavior (Trobst et al., 2002) and sexually transmitted infection (Mõttus et al., 2012). Would this generalize to SARS? ...
... In planned and EAs, agreeableness and conscientiousness predicted endorsement of SD and hygiene. This agrees with prior literature on health (Strickhouser et al., 2017), health behaviors (Roberts et al., 2005), and nonrespiratory contagions (Mõttus et al., 2012). Neuroticism may play a small role in hygiene intent, whereas extroversion's negative links to SD and hygiene vanished after controlling for other traits. ...
Who embraces directions to socially distance, boost hygiene, and protect others during a pandemic of contagious respiratory disease? Do differently phrased public-health messages appeal to different people? I based predictions on the five-factor, triarchic psychopathy, and Dark Triad models of normal-range and dark traits; the extended parallel process model (EPPM); and schema-congruence theory. In a survey of 502 online participants, normal-range traits (esp agreeableness and conscientiousness) predicted endorsement of social distancing and hygiene, as well as the appeal of health messages in general. Consistent with the EPPM, conscientiousness and neuroticism had an interaction. Dark traits (esp psychopathy, meanness, and disinhibition) predicted low endorsement of health behaviors and the intent to knowingly expose others to risk. Most participants preferred a message appealing to compassion (“Help protect the vulnerable…”), but dark traits predicted lower appeal of that message. Personality appears relevant to epidemiology and public-health communication in a contagious-disease context.
... Research on nonrespiratory communicable diseases and the FFM may inform predictions about responses to contagious SARS. Aspects of neuroticism, (low) conscientiousness, and (low) agreeableness may predict HIV risk behavior (Trobst et al., 2002) and sexually transmitted infection (Mõttus et al., 2012). Would this generalize to SARS? ...
... In planned and EAs, agreeableness and conscientiousness predicted endorsement of SD and hygiene. This agrees with prior literature on health (Strickhouser et al., 2017), health behaviors (Roberts et al., 2005), and nonrespiratory contagions (Mõttus et al., 2012). Neuroticism may play a small role in hygiene intent, whereas extroversion's negative links to SD and hygiene vanished after controlling for other traits. ...
Who embraces directions to socially distance, boost hygiene, and protect others during a pandemic of contagious respiratory disease? Do differently phrased public-health messages appeal to different people? I based predictions on the five-factor, triarchic psychopathy, and Dark Triad models of normal-range and dark traits; the extended parallel process model (EPPM); and schema-congruence theory. In a survey of 502 online participants, normal-range traits (esp. agreeableness and conscientiousness) predicted endorsement of social distancing and hygiene, as well as the appeal of health messages in general. Consistent with the EPPM, conscientiousness and neuroticism evidenced an interaction. Dark traits (esp. psychopathy, meanness, and disinhibition) predicted low endorsement of health behaviors and the intent to knowingly expose others to risk. Most participants preferred a message appealing to compassion (“Help protect the vulnerable...”), but dark traits predicted lower appeal of that message. Personality appears relevant to epidemiology and public-health communication in a contagious-disease context.
... In COVID-19 patients, people with neuroticism personality traits are more affected by COVID-19 and experience more psychological damage than people with extraversion, agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness personality traits [2]. People with neuroticism personality traits turn to risky behaviors such as drinking alcohol and smoking having unprotected sex, engaging in delinquent activities, to feel calm and escape from anxiety and stress, and the more stress there is, the more these behaviors increase [29,49]. People with introverted personality traits experience more social support in stressful situations because they have high social relationships, and these people maintain positive psychological characteristics for a longer period of time than introverted people [1,38]. ...
Background
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients suffer from psychological and psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Because there was no comprehensive study on psychological factors in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Iran, we investigated the predictive role of personality traits and demographic features on post-traumatic stress disorder in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.
Results
In this research method first, 160 patients selected randomly and completed relevant questionnaires, which are prepared online. We examined the multivariate linear regression between the mentioned variables. The results showed that the independent variables are able to predict changes in post-traumatic stress disorder ( P < 0.001). The percentage of explanation of changes in dependent variables was equal to 0.77, 0.65, 0.71, and 0.68, respectively.
Conclusion
People’s personality traits play a key role in facing and responding to stressful environmental events for instance COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result, some personality traits such as conscientiousness protect people from stress even though, neuroticism personality trait cause instability and make people more stresses, identifying these traits and treating them is.
... There are a number of possible explanations for our result, for instance, generally individuals who score higher on Neuroticism are more likely to experience negative emotional responses and distress during stressful and uncertain situations such as COVID-19 pandemic [69,70]. They are also more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, having unprotected sex, and participating in delinquent activities, in an attempt to relieve stress which could be detrimental to their mental health [72]. Furthermore, people who score high in Neuroticism tend to be less interested in contributing to their social environment [39], which could lead to these individuals be less able to integrate socially, contribute, and adjust to the changed environmental circumstances [73] happening during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
The COVID-19 epidemic was first reported in 2019 and rapidly spread across the globe. Many studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected mental health. Individual differences such as personality could influence people’s responses to the pandemic. For example, the results of a previous study by Shokrkon and Nicoladis (2021) showed that the personality trait of Extroversion positively and Neuroticism negatively contributed to the mental health of Canadians. The goal of our study was to replicate this study using the same tasks and a similar population and extend it by including all 5 personality traits in our analysis and also controlling for the variable of Response to COVID-19 Stress (in addition to demographic variables). Our results were similar to Shokrkon and Nicoladis (2021) and we also found that Extroversion positively and Neuroticism negatively are associated to the mental health of Canadians. We also found that Agreeableness, Openness to Experience, and Conscientiousness are positively and significantly related to the mental health of Canadians. Our results could provide a guide for the screening of people more at risk for mental health issues based on personality traits.
... Lack of knowledge in general but especially in people who are living with HIV (PLWH) often leads to self-stigma. Many people are unaware that there is treatment for the disease and that they are able to lead an otherwise healthy lifestyle (Mõttus et al., 2012). HIV/ AIDSrelated discrimination and stigma remain major barriers to effective HIV prevention although there is the option of provision of treatment, care and support across the globe including South Africa (UNAIDS, 2013). ...
With an official HIV infection rate of 18,5%, approximately one in five South Africans are HIV positive. Despite this prevalence, stigma and discrimination associated with being HIV positive is wide spread. HIV-related stigma emanates from the fact that HIV is associated with risky behaviors such as drug use, sexual promiscuity, homosexuality and transactional sex. Participants were recruited through announcements in classrooms and during community meetings. Participants were selected if they knew someone who was discriminated against HIV as a result of being affected by HIV. The status of the participants was irrelevant. Seven focus group sessions were conducted with 62 participants. The results show that stigma is seen as a result of lack of HIV knowledge, with participants from rural areas showing more knowledge regarding HIV transmission and care as compared to urban participants. Most participants agreed that disclosure leads to more voluntary HIV testing, obtaining treatment and preventing further transmission of HIV. The results of this study provide indications that stigma can be mitigated by increasing knowledge of HIV prevention, targeted information campaigns in urban areas, and encouraging discussion about stigma and discrimination against the disease. Programmes should apply the Theory of Planned Behavior for the development of such interventions, take culture, creed, and other social affiliation into consideration.
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/MT6NN8TT6ENXUEU7NRQX/full?target=10.1080/10911359.2022.2052223
... [18][19][20] On the other hand, they may engage in unhealthy activities, such as risky sexual behaviors or excessive use of cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol, in order to find emotional comfort and relief. 21 From this point of view, past research has shown that people higher in neuroticism often think themselves to be powerless and helpless when facing stressful situations, and rely on emotionfocused rather than problem-focused coping strategies. 22,23 Recent studies aimed at examining the associations between neuroticism and compliance with the COVID-19 restrictions are incongruent, showing unclear and conflicting results. ...
Introduction:
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led governments to implement some containment measures to flatten the curve of the diffusion of the virus. The current study aims to investigate individual differences in compliance with these restrictive behaviors. In a sample of Italian individuals (N = 300), we examined whether sociodemographic factors, personality traits, fatalism, and fear could be considered as possible predictors.
Methods:
We performed a series of standard multiple regression analyses and proposed a mediation analysis to test the associations among variables.
Results:
Overall, our results suggested that men are less likely to engage in preventive behaviors, younger individuals are more reluctant to adhere to social distancing mandates, and fear has a functional role in predicting positive outcomes.
Conclusion:
The results of our analyses are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.
... Neurotic individuals have also been found to exhibit a significantly greater level of mental illness due to the COVID-19 induced loneliness compared to individuals scoring high on extraversion, agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness [20]. Neurotic individuals are also more likely to engage in risky behaviors (e.g., cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, having unprotected sex, engaging in delinquent activities, etc.) to get relief from stressors [23], and consistent vigilance induced by the anxiety leads to adopting strict precautionary behaviors [24]. ...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health problems have increased and are likely to be influenced by personality traits. The present study investigated the association between personality traits and mental health problems (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) symptoms, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms) through the person centered approach because this has some advantages over the variable-centered approach. The data were collected from a sample of 765 Chinese citizens who participated in an online survey in October 2020. Latent profile analysis identified three latent personality profiles-highly adaptive, adaptive, and maladaptive. Highly adaptive individuals had higher extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and lower neuroticism, while maladaptive individuals had lower extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and higher neuroticism. Multivariate analysis of variance results showed that individuals with highly adaptive profiles had lower anxiety , depression, and PTSD symptoms compared to individuals with adaptive and maladaptive profiles. The findings of the present study indicate mental health professionals would benefit from formulated intervention plans given the association between latent personality profiles and mental health problems.
... For example, individuals who score high on Neuroticism are more often concerned about their health (Van Dijk et al., 2016) and therefore more likely to maintain good health habits because of an anxietyprovoked vigilance (Friedman, 2000;Weiss & Deary, 2019). On the other hand, people high in Neuroticism may engage in health-risk behaviour to seek emotional relief (Mõttus et al., 2012) and turn to undesirable coping behaviour (Cooper et al., 2000). In the context of a pandemic that is unknown and fear-inducing, anxiety might elicit watchful guideline adherence. ...
Without the vaccine, the only way to prevent the spread of coronavirus is following Covid-19 preventive guidelines such as keeping social distance, wearing masks and gloves, reducing mobility, etc. Success depends on how many individuals strictly follow the suggestions from epidemiologists. In this study, we examined who and why is adhering to the guidelines. A community sample of 500 participants fulfilled a short Big Five Inventory (BFI), Questionnaire of Approach and Avoidance Motivation (QAAM), and two scales constructed according to the Covid-19 epidemiological guidelines in Croatia. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis indicate that agreeable and conscientious individuals are complying more with preventive measures. In addition, approach, not avoidance, motivation appears to be more important in following the guidelines. Results are discussed in terms of framing messages to explain goals that might be reached by compliant behaviour rather than emphasising the negative consequences of the pandemic. Emphasising negative consequences seems to produce negative emotional states with no beneficial changes on the behavioural level.
... Personality traits are widely recognized as risk factors for drug use (MacLean et al. 2011;Terracciano et al. 2008a;Turiano et al. 2012) and other risky behaviors that lead to poor health outcomes (Moffitt et al. 2011;Mottus et al. 2012;Ozer and Benet-Martinez 2006;Paunonen 2003;Paunonen 2003;Sutin et al. 2011;Trobst et al. 2002;Vollrath et al. 1999. However, less research has been conducted on the links between personality and substance use in minority populations, including Latinos, which is the largest and second-fastest growing (after Asian Americans) minority group in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau 2013). ...
Within the theoretical framework of the five-factor model of personality, existing research identifies personality profiles significantly related to certain at-risk behaviors, such as substance use and poor health outcomes. Among Latinos, there is limited knowledge on whether personality traits are associated with substance use behaviors. This study uses a sample of Mexican (N = 323) and Mexicans American (N = 1,143) participants to examine the interplay of culture and personality differences in relation to substance use and alcohol dependence. Mexican Americans reported higher use of cocaine and marijuana, while Mexicans were more likely to report cigarette smoking. Lower Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were associated with a higher likelihood of substance use and alcohol dependence. Higher Extraversion was associated with higher likelihood of substance use, Openness with marijuana use, and for Neuroticism the associations differed across cultural groups and drug-type used. The study identified cross-cultural communalities and differences in personality traits related to drug use and dependence.
... , dietary habits(Mõttus et al., 2012b), smoking cessation(Fernández del Río et al., 2015), consumer behaviour (Otero-López & Villardefrancos Pol, 2013), sexually transmitted disease(Mõttus, Realo, Allik, Esko, & Metspalu, 2012c), relationship status and quality ...
Much of personality research attempts to identify causal links between personality traits and various types of outcomes. I argue that causal interpretations require traits to be seen as existentially and holistically real and the associations to be independent of specific ways of operationalizing the traits. Among other things, this means that, to the extents that causality is to be ascribed to such holistic traits, items and facets of those traits should be similarly associated with specific outcomes, except for variability in the degrees to which they reflect the traits (i.e., factor loadings). I argue that, before drawing causal inferences about personality trait-outcome associations, presence of this condition should be routinely tested by, for example, systematically comparing the outcome associations of individual items or facets, or sampling different indicators for measuring the same purported traits. Existing evidence suggests that observed associations between personality traits and outcomes at least sometimes depend on which particular items or facets have been included in trait operationalizations, calling trait-level causal interpretations into question. However, this has rarely been considered in the literature. I argue that when outcome associations are specific to facets, they should not be generalized to traits. Furthermore, when the associations are specific to particular items, they should not even be generalized to facets.
The personality of individuals is clustered by geographic regions; a resident of a region is more similar to another resident than to a random non-resident. Research in geographical psychology often has focused on this clustering effect in broad regions, such as countries and states, using broad domains of personality, such as the Big Five. We examined the extent to which (a) a narrower geographic unit, the U.S. ZIP Code, accounted for more variance explained in aggregating personality than a broader region, the U.S. state; and (b) progressively narrower personality traits (domains, facets, and nuances, respectively) provided more specificity in describing personality-demographic relationships. Results from this study (nparticipants = 39,886, nzipcodes = 2,074) indicated that the variance explained by aggregating personality was multiple times as large for U.S. ZIP Codes than for states (median = 4.4). At the level of personality domains, ZIP Code population density and income disparity were positively correlated with Openness and negatively correlated with Conscientiousness and Agreeableness. Facets within each domain were differentially correlated with each demographic, which demonstrated that facets added specificity to the personality-demographic relationships beyond that of domains. Item-level analysis revealed the most specific finding: higher population density and income disparity were associated with politically liberal attitudes and beliefs of self-exceptionalism, while lower density and income disparity were associated with authoritarian attitudes and concern for abiding by rules and laws. Findings suggest that future studies in geographical and personality psychology could benefit from using the narrowest feasible unit of analysis.
This study examined the associations between personality traits and psychological and behavioural responses to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Personality was assessed in January/February 2020 when the public was not aware of the spread of coronavirus in the USA. Participants were reassessed in late March 2020 with four sets of questions about the pandemic: concerns, precautions, preparatory behaviours, and duration estimates. The sample consisted of N = 2066 participants (mean age = 51.42; range = 18–98; 48.5% women). Regression models were used to analyse the data with age, gender, education, race, and ethnicity as covariates. Consistent with the preregistered hypotheses, higher neuroticism was related to more concerns and longer duration estimates related to COVID‐19, higher extraversion was related to shorter duration estimates, and higher conscientiousness was associated with more precautions. In contrast to the preregistered hypotheses, higher neuroticism was associated with fewer precautions and unrelated to preparatory behaviours. Age moderated several trait–response associations, suggesting that some of the responses were associated more strongly in older adults, a group at risk for complications of COVID‐19. For example, older adults high in conscientiousness prepared more. The present findings provide insights into how personality predicts concerns and behaviours related to the COVID‐19 pandemic. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology
The personality of individuals is clustered by geographic regions; a resident of a region is more similar to another resident than to a random non-resident. Research in geographical psychology often has focused on this clustering effect in broad regions, such as countries and states, using broad domains of personality, such as the Big Five. We examined the extent to which (a) a narrower geographic unit, the U.S. ZIP Code, accounted for more variance explained in aggregating personality than a broader region, the U.S. state; and (b) progressively narrower personality traits (domains, facets, and nuances, respectively) provided more specificity in describing personality-demographic relationships. Results from this study (n_participants = 39, 886, n_zipcodes = 2, 074) indicated that the variance explained by aggregating personality was multiple times as large for U.S. ZIP Codes than for states (median = 4.4). At the level of personality domains, ZIP Code population density and income disparity were positively correlated with Openness and negatively correlated with Conscientiousness and Agreeableness. Facets within each domain were differentially correlated with each demographic, which demonstrated that facets added specificity to the personality-demographic relationships beyond that of domains. Item-level analysis revealed the most specific finding: higher population density and income disparity were associated with politically liberal attitudes and beliefs of self-exceptionalism, while lower density and income disparity were associated with authoritarian attitudes and concern for abiding by rules and laws. Findings suggest that future studies in geographical and personality psychology could benefit from using the narrowest feasible unit of analysis.
Strong evidence suggests that sexual behavior and reproductive success can be predicted by personality traits. Here, I review new studies that have contributed to the understanding of these associations and outline potential avenues for further research. Findings show that extraversion is the most important personality trait in sexual behavior (number of lifetime sexual partners, involvement in casual sex, marital infidelity, condom use, male and female sexual dysfunction, sexual coercion, and sexual harassment) and that neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness are also associated with these outcomes. Extraversion has emerged as the most important personality trait for fertility in men but appears relatively unimportant for fertility in women. Findings for other personality traits are somewhat mixed, probably because of variations in research design, and further prospective studies are recommended to address potential bidirectional associations. Further research is also needed in adolescent samples, in understudied topic areas (e.g., sexually transmitted infections, biomarkers of fertility), and on personality similarity between sexual partners in samples from both poor and developed nations.
This meta-analytic review addresses whether the major dimensions of trait personality relate to components of human sexuality. A comprehensive literature search identified 137 studies that met inclusion criteria (761 effect sizes; total n = 420,595). Pooled mean effects were computed using inverse-variance weighted random effects meta-analysis. Mean effect sizes from 100 separate meta-analyses provided evidence that personality relates to theoretically predicted components of sexuality and sexual health. Neuroticism was positively related to sexual dissatisfaction (r+ = .18), negative emotions (r+ = .42), and symptoms of sexual dysfunction (r+ = .16). Extraversion was positively related to sexual activity (r+ = .17) and risky sexual behavior (r+ = .18), and negatively related to symptoms of sexual dysfunction (r+ = −.17). Openness was positively related to homosexual orientation (r+ = .16) and liberal attitudes toward sex (r+ = .19). Agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively related to sexually aggressive behavior (r+ = −.20; r+ = −.14) and sexual infidelity (r+ = −.18; r+ = −.17). Less robust evidence indicated that extraversion related negatively, and neuroticism positively, to child sexual abuse, and that openness related negatively to homophobic attitudes. Random effects metaregression identified age, gender, and study quality as important moderators of pooled mean effects. These findings might be of interest to health care professionals developing health care services that aim to promote sexually healthy societies.
Improving sexual and reproductive health remains a public health priority worldwide. This study explored the contribution of personality to adolescent sexual behaviour. In total, 3460 Australian adolescents (1748 boys, 1712 girls) were sampled at age 12 and age 14. Results showed that mean-level increases in neuroticism and extraversion, and mean-level decreases in conscientiousness, were associated with an increased likelihood of being sexually active at age 14. Mean-level increases in neuroticism (and for girls, lower levels of conscientiousness) were associated with an increased likelihood of same-sex sexual attraction at age 14. Intra-individual stability of extraversion was related to the number of adolescent relationships and same-sex sexual attraction. Sexual risk taking and pregnancy were too rare at age 14 to reliably explore correlates.
Personality measurement is based on the idea that values on an unobservable latent variable determine the distribution of answers on a manifest response scale. Typically, it is assumed in the Item Response Theory (IRT) that latent variables are related to the observed responses through continuous normal or logistic functions, determining the probability with which one of the ordered response alternatives on a Likert-scale item is chosen. Based on an analysis of 1731 self- and other-rated responses on the 240 NEO PI-3 questionnaire items, it was proposed that a viable alternative is a finite number of latent events which are related to manifest responses through a binomial function which has only one parameter—the probability with which a given statement is approved. For the majority of items, the best fit was obtained with a mixed-binomial distribution, which assumes two different subpopulations who endorse items with two different probabilities. It was shown that the fit of the binomial IRT model can be improved by assuming that about 10% of random noise is contained in the answers and by taking into account response biases toward one of the response categories. It was concluded that the binomial response model for the measurement of personality traits may be a workable alternative to the more habitual normal and logistic IRT models.
Personality measurement is based on the idea that values on an unobservable latent variable determine the distribution of answers on a manifest response scale. Typically, it is assumed in the Item Response Theory (IRT) that latent variables are related to the observed responses through continuous normal or logistic functions, determining the probability with which one of the ordered response alternatives on a Likert-scale item is chosen. Based on an analysis of 1731 self-and other-rated responses on the 240 NEO PI-3 questionnaire items, it was proposed that a viable alternative is a finite number of latent events which are related to manifest responses through a binomial function which has only one parameter—the probability with which a given statement is approved. For the majority of items, the best fit was obtained with a mixed-binomial distribution, which assumes two different subpopulations who endorse items with two different probabilities. It was shown that the fit of the binomial IRT model can be improved by assuming that about 10% of random noise is contained in the answers and by taking into account response biases toward one of the response categories. It was concluded that the binomial response model for the measurement of personality traits may be a workable alternative to the more habitual normal and logistic IRT models.
The structure and psychometric characteristics of the NEO-PI-3, a more readable version of the NEO-PI-R, are examined and compared with NEO-PI-R characteristics using data from college student observer ratings of 5,109 adolescents aged 12 to 17 from 24 cultures. Replacement items in the PI-3 showed on average stronger item/total correlations and slightly improved facet reliabilities compared with the NEO-PI-R in both English-and non-English-speaking samples. NEO-PI-3 replacement items did not substantially affect scale means compared with the original scales. Analyses across and within cultures confirmed the intended factor structure of both versions when used to describe young adolescents. We discuss implications of these cross-cultural findings for the advancement of studies in adolescence and personality development across the lifespan.
1 Abstract: As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 13,243 participants from 46 nations responded to self-report measures of personality and mating behavior. Several traits showed consistent links with short-term mating. Extraversion positively correlated with interest in short-term mating, unrestricted sociosexuality, having engaged in short-term mate poaching attempts, having succumbed to short-term poaching attempts of others, and lacking relationship exclusivity. Low levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness also related to short-term mating, especially with extra-pair mating. Neuroticism and openness were associated with short-term mating as well, but these links were less consistent across sex and nation. Nation-level links between personality and sexuality replicated within-region findings, such as the strong association between national extraversion and national sociosexuality. Discussion focuses on the origins of personality-sexuality links and their implications across nations.
We describe a behavioural genetic extension of the classic multitrait-multimethod study design that allows estimating genetic and environmental influences on method effects in twin studies (MTMM-T). Genetic effects and effects of the environment shared by siblings are interpreted as indicators of convergent validity. In an application of the MTMM study design, we used self- and peer report data to examine the higher-order structure of the NEO-PI-R. Structural equation modelling did not support a general factor of personality in
multimethod data. The higher-order factor Stability turns out to be, at most, a weak trait factor. Genetic effects on method factors indicate that especially self-reports but also peer reports show convergent validity between twins but not between methods.
Objectives:
Diet has health consequences, which makes knowing the psychological correlates of dietary habits important. Associations between dietary habits and personality traits were examined in a large sample of Estonians (N = 1,691) aged between 18 and 89 years.
Method:
Dietary habits were measured using 11 items, which grouped into two factors reflecting (a) health aware and (b) traditional dietary patterns. The health aware diet factor was defined by eating more cereal and dairy products, fish, vegetables and fruits. The traditional diet factor was defined by eating more potatoes, meat and meat products, and bread. Personality was assessed by participants themselves and by people who knew them well. The questionnaire used was the NEO Personality Inventory-3, which measures the Five-Factor Model personality broad traits of Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness, along with six facets for each trait. Gender, age and educational level were controlled for.
Results:
Higher scores on the health aware diet factor were associated with lower Neuroticism, and higher Extraversion, Openness and Conscientiousness (effect sizes were modest: r = .11 to 0.17 in self-ratings, and r = .08 to 0.11 in informant-ratings, ps < 0.01 or lower). Higher scores on the traditional diet factor were related to lower levels of Openness (r = -0.14 and -0.13, p < .001, self- and informant-ratings, respectively).
Conclusions:
Endorsement of healthy and avoidance of traditional dietary items are associated with people's personality trait levels, especially higher Openness. The results may inform dietary interventions with respect to possible barriers to diet change.
Previous research has established conscientiousness as a predictor of longevity (H. S. Friedman et al., 1993; L. R. Martin & H. S. Friedman, 2000). To better understand this relationship, the authors conducted a meta-analysis of conscientiousness-related traits and the leading behavioral contributors to mortality in the United States (tobacco use, diet and activity patterns, excessive alcohol use, violence, risky sexual behavior, risky driving, suicide, and drug use). Data sources were located by combining conscientiousness-related terms and relevant health-related behavior terms in database searches as well as by retrieving dissertations and requesting unpublished data from electronic mailing lists. The resulting database contained 194 studies that were quantitatively synthesized. Results showed that conscientiousness-related traits were negatively related to all risky health-related behaviors and positively related to all beneficial health-related behaviors. This study demonstrates the importance of conscientiousness' contribution to the health process through its relationship to health-related behaviors.
Conscientious individuals experience better physical health, in part because of their greater propensity to behave in ways that maintain wellness. In the current study we examined whether and how adherence mediates the relation between conscientiousness and physical health. Moreover, we examined whether these effects differed for adhering to doctor's orders (doctor adherence) versus adhering to medication regimens (medication adherence), as the latter is likely more relevant for older adults' health.
A nationwide sample of adults (N = 2,136, Mage = 51 years) completed personality and adherence measures, in addition to a self-report measure of perceived general health, in an online survey. Correlational analyses were performed to examine the basic relations between the constructs of interest. A bootstrapping approach was employed for examining whether the indirect effect through adherence was conditional on age.
Doctor adherence partially mediated the relation between conscientiousness and perceived health across adulthood. However, the indirect effect of medication adherence was conditional on age, insofar that medication adherence mediated the link between conscientiousness and perceived health only for older adults in the sample (i.e., those around age 51 and over).
These results suggest that although conscientious individuals report higher levels of both doctor and medication adherence, the role of adherence in explaining the link between conscientiousness and health may differ across adulthood.
To examine the long-term effects of a personality-targeted intervention on drinking quantity and frequency (QF), problem drinking, and personality-specific motivations for alcohol use in early adolescence.
A randomized control trial was carried out with 364 adolescents (median age 14) recruited from 13 secondary schools with elevated scores in Hopelessness, Anxiety-Sensitivity (AS), Impulsivity, and Sensation-Seeking. Participants were randomly assigned to a control no-intervention condition or a 2-session group coping skills intervention targeting 1 of 4 personality risk factors. The effects of the intervention on quantity/frequency (QF) of alcohol use, frequency of binge drinking, problem drinking, and motives were examined at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postintervention.
Intent-to-treat repeated measures analyses revealed a significant overall intervention effect in reducing problem drinking symptoms, and a Time × Intervention effect on drinking QF and binge drinking frequency. Relative to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly reduced drinking and binge drinking levels at 6 months postintervention and reduced problem drinking symptoms for the full 24-month follow-up period (Cohen's d = 0.33). A significant Time × Intervention × Personality interaction was demonstrated for coping and enhancement drinking motives. In addition to an overall effect of intervention on coping motives, the AS group who received that intervention reported fewer coping motives compared with the AS control group at 12 and 24 months postintervention.
This study provides further evidence showing that personality-targeted interventions reduce drinking behavior in adolescents in the short term. Novel findings were that the interventions were shown to produced long-term effects on drinking problems and personality-specific effects on drinking motives.
This article describes the trends of HIV/AIDS and related conditions in Estonia during the past decade (2000-2009), with special focus on the potential for epidemic transition. Key transmission determinants and major risk groups are examined and problems and barriers to fighting HIV/AIDS with possible applications in prevention and control are described. Estonian routine data sources and published literature were reviewed, supplemented with information from personal communication with physicians and public health specialists. For comparative European data, international HIV/AIDS and drug addiction surveillance documents, administrative data, and published literature were reviewed. In Eastern Europe (including Estonia) the predominant HIV transmission mode is injection drug use (IDU), closely followed by heterosexual transmission, an increasing risk factor for new cases. Although the contribution of cases acquired by sexual contact with high-risk partners such as IDUs is not known, characteristics of the sexual networks of IDUs may be important in determining the evolution of the HIV/AIDS epidemics in the region. In Estonia, despite major gaps in available data, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is still presumably confined to IDUs (and probably, to their sexual partners). In Eastern Europe, young women in IDU-non-IDU partnerships engaging in unprotected sex potentially serve as a bridge to the general population, yet knowledge of and research into the population characteristics and potential magnitude of bridging are limited. In Estonia, as in other Eastern European countries, HIV prevention and harm reduction initiatives should be tailored not only to the predominantly male HIV-positive IDU population, but also to their noninfected non-IDU female sexual partners.
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome has paralleled the sharp increase in obesity. Given its tremendous physical, emotional, and financial burden, it is of critical importance to identify who is most at risk and the potential points of intervention. Psychological traits, in addition to physiological and social risk factors, may contribute to metabolic syndrome. The objective of the present research is to test whether personality traits are associated with metabolic syndrome in a large community sample. Participants (N = 5,662) from Sardinia, Italy, completed a comprehensive personality questionnaire, the NEO-PI-R, and were assessed on all components of metabolic syndrome (waist circumference, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting glucose). Logistic regressions were used to predict metabolic syndrome from personality traits, controlling for age, sex, education, and current smoking status. Among adults over age 45 (n = 2,419), Neuroticism and low Agreeableness were associated with metabolic syndrome, whereas high Conscientiousness was protective. Individuals who scored in the top 10% on Conscientiousness were approximately 40% less likely to have metabolic syndrome (OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.41-0.92), whereas those who scored in the lowest 10% on Agreeableness were 50% more likely to have it (OR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.09-2.16). At the facet level, traits related to impulsivity and hostility were the most strongly associated with metabolic syndrome. The present research indicates that those with fewer psychological resources are more vulnerable to metabolic syndrome and suggests a psychological component to other established risk factors.
Recently, the nature of personality disorders and their relationship with normal personality traits has received extensive attention. The five-factor model (FFM) of personality, consisting of the personality traits neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, is one of the proposed models to conceptualize personality disorders as maladaptive variants of continuously distributed personality traits.
The present study examined the phenotypic and genetic association between borderline personality and FFM personality traits. Data were available for 4403 monozygotic twins, 4425 dizygotic twins, and 1661 siblings from 6140 Dutch, Belgian, and Australian families.
Broad-sense heritability estimates for neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, openness to experience, and borderline personality were 43%, 36%, 43%, 47%, 54%, and 45%, respectively. Phenotypic correlations between borderline personality and the FFM personality traits ranged from .06 for openness to experience to .68 for neuroticism. Multiple regression analyses showed that a combination of high neuroticism and low agreeableness best predicted borderline personality. Multivariate genetic analyses showed the genetic factors that influence individual differences in neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion account for all genetic liability to borderline personality. Unique environmental effects on borderline personality, however, were not completely shared with those for the FFM traits (33% is unique to borderline personality).
Borderline personality shares all genetic variation with neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion. The unique environmental influences specific to borderline personality may cause individuals with a specific pattern of personality traits to cross a threshold and develop borderline personality.
This study investigated the impact of conscientiousness and its facets on health behaviors and daily hassles (stressors) and the moderating effects of conscientiousness on the hassles-health behavior relationship
Four hundred and twenty-two employees completed daily diaries over 4 weeks. Day-to-day within-person effects of daily hassles on health behaviors were examined, together with the influence of conscientiousness.
Using hierarchical multivariate linear modeling, the results showed that conscientiousness was associated with lower consumption of high-fat snacks and more fruit and higher caffeine intake and smoking (in smokers) across the 28-day study period. Facets of conscientiousness were also found to moderate the effects of daily hassles on vegetable consumption, smoking, and likelihood of exercising each day. Participants with higher levels of order exercised more on days when they experienced daily hassles, whereas participants with lower levels of self-efficacy consumed less vegetables on stressful days. Among smokers, those with higher levels of self-discipline reported smoking more on days when they encountered hassles.
These findings indicate that conscientiousness and its facets may influence health status directly via changes in health behaviors and indirectly through influencing stress-health behavior relations.
MOST THEORIES IN THE AREAS OF PERSONALITY, CLINICAL, AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY PREDICT ONLY THE DIRECTION OF A CORRELATION, GROUP DIFFERENCE, OR TREATMENT EFFECT. SINCE THE NULL HYPOTHESIS IS NEVER STRICTLY TRUE, SUCH PREDICTIONS HAVE ABOUT A 50-50 CHANCE OF BEING CONFIRMED BY EXPERIMENT WHEN THE THEORY IN QUESTION IS FALSE, SINCE THE STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESULT IS A FUNCTION OF THE SAMPLE SIZE. CONFIRMATION OF 1 DIRECTIONAL PREDICTION GENERALLY BUILDS LITTLE CONFIDENCE IN THE THEORY BEING TESTED. MOST THEORIES SHOULD BE TESTED BY MULTIPLE CORROBORATION AND MOST EMPIRICAL GENERALIZATIONS BY CONSTRUCTIVE REPLICATION. STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE, PERHAPS THE LEAST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE OF A GOOD EXPERIMENT, IS NEVER A SUFFICIENT CONDITION FOR CLAIMING THAT (1) A THEORY HAS BEEN USEFULLY CORROBORATED, (2) A MEANINGFUL EMPIRICAL FACT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, OR (3) AN EXPERIMENTAL REPORT OUGHT TO BE PUBLISHED.
The present study used meta-analytic techniques to test whether trait consistency maximizes and stabilizes at a specific period in the life course. From 152 longitudinal studies, 3,217 test-retest correlation coefficients were compiled. Meta-analytic estimates of mean population test-retest correlation coefficients showed that trait consistency increased from .31 in childhood to .54 during the college years, to .64 at age 30, and then reached a plateau around .74 between ages 50 and 70 when time interval was held constant at 6.7 years. Analysis of moderators of consistency showed that the longitudinal time interval had a negative relation to trait consistency and that temperament dimensions were less consistent than adult personality traits.
Studies of personality and problem behaviors may begin with analyses of the problem and develop hypotheses about personality traits that might be relevant; or they may begin with models of personality and explore links to behavior. Because it is well validated and relatively comprehensive, the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality lends itself to systematic exploratory studies that may sometimes lead to unanticipated findings. In this article, we review a program of research in a high-risk, disadvantaged population that illustrates the utility of the FFM in understanding health risk behavior. Previous analyses showed that behavior associated with the risk of HIV infection can be predicted from the personality dispositions of Neuroticism and (low) Conscientiousness.
We examined attendance at sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics and the prevalence, distribution, and associated demographic and behavioral factors of self-reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a population survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles.
We analyzed data from stratified probability sample surveys obtained through the British National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), which was undertaken in 1990 (n=13,765) and 2000 (n=11,161) among men and women aged 16-44 years. National STD surveillance data for 1999 were used to determine disease- and risk factor-specific proportionate population burden (PPB).
Between 1990 and 2000, the number of subjects who reported having attended an STD clinic during the past 5 years increased from 4.3% to 7.6% among men and from 3.3% to 6.6% among women. In 2000, 3.0% of men and 4.0% of women reported having received a diagnosis of an STI during the past 5 years; 77.6% of men and 60.3% of women with an STI had attended an STD clinic. Reported STI acquisition was independently associated with age, increasing numbers of sex partners, male homosexual partners, and partners from abroad (for women only). Of all reported STIs during the past 5 years (PPB, 10.2%), 10.2% were reported by the 2.9% of men who reported having had homosexual partners during the past 5 years. Of all reported STIs in the past 5 years (PPB, 41.6%), 41.6% were reported by the 4.0% of women who reported having > or =10 sex partners during that time. Analysis of national STI surveillance data showed that the PPB for new episodes of Chlamydia trachomatis diagnosed among homosexual men was 2.8%, that for gonorrhea was 17.4%, and that for syphilis was 32.1%.
Numbers and types of sexual partnerships remain the dominant individual and population risk factors for STI acquisition. Combined population behavior and surveillance data demonstrate the high PPB for STIs attributable to key risk factors. PPB may be a useful indicator of epidemic "phase" and may help target resources and guide prevention strategies.
Use of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992) in adolescent samples has shown that a few respondents have difficulty with a subset of items. We identified 30 items that were not understood by at least 2% of adolescent respondents and 18 additional items with low item-total correlations, and we wrote 2 trial replacement items for each. We used self-report and observer rating data from 500 respondents aged 14 to 20 to select replacement items. The modified instrument retained the intended factor structure and showed slightly better internal consistency, cross-observer agreement, and readability (Flesch-Kincaid grade level = 5.3). The NEO-PI-3 appears to be useful in high school and college samples and may have wider applicability to adults as well.
The purpose of this meta-analysis was to quantify the relationship between the Five-Factor Model of personality and alcohol involvement and to identify moderators of the relationship. The meta-analysis included 20 studies, 119 effect sizes, and 7,886 participants. Possible moderators examined included: five-factor rating type (self vs. other); study time-frame (cross sectional vs. longitudinal); sample type (treatment vs. non-treatment); type of alcohol involvement measure used; gender of the participants; and age of the participants. The meta-analysis showed alcohol involvement was associated with low conscientiousness, low agreeableness, and high neuroticism, a personality profile that: a) fits on the low end of a superordinate personality dimension that has been called self-control; and b) makes treatment difficult. Several significant moderators of effect size were found, including the following: studies of individuals in treatment for alcohol problems showed a more negative pattern of personality traits than did other studies; cross-sectional studies, but not longitudinal studies, showed a significant effect for agreeableness, perhaps suggesting that low agreeableness may have a different causal link to alcohol involvement from the other factors; mixed-sex samples tended to have lower effect sizes than single-sex samples, suggesting that mixing sexes in data analysis may obscure effects.
Personality traits are considered risk factors for drug use, and, in turn, the psychoactive substances impact individuals' traits. Furthermore, there is increasing interest in developing treatment approaches that match an individual's personality profile. To advance our knowledge of the role of individual differences in drug use, the present study compares the personality profile of tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, and heroin users and non-users using the wide spectrum Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality in a diverse community sample.
Participants (N = 1,102; mean age = 57) were part of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) program in Baltimore, MD, USA. The sample was drawn from a community with a wide range of socio-economic conditions. Personality traits were assessed with the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R), and psychoactive substance use was assessed with systematic interview.
Compared to never smokers, current cigarette smokers score lower on Conscientiousness and higher on Neuroticism. Similar, but more extreme, is the profile of cocaine/heroin users, which score very high on Neuroticism, especially Vulnerability, and very low on Conscientiousness, particularly Competence, Achievement-Striving, and Deliberation. By contrast, marijuana users score high on Openness to Experience, average on Neuroticism, but low on Agreeableness and Conscientiousness.
In addition to confirming high levels of negative affect and impulsive traits, this study highlights the links between drug use and low Conscientiousness. These links provide insight into the etiology of drug use and have implications for public health interventions.
Men who have sex with men remain a high-risk group for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in the United Kingdom. Quantitative psychological approaches to modelling sexual risk-taking have originated from two theoretical traditions: social-cognitive (e.g. perceived behavioural control over HIV) and trait/dispositional (e.g. personality traits). Conscientiousness is a potentially important trait, but as a recent addition to the five-factor model of personality traits, it has been under-researched. A latent variable model of data collected from 378 Internet users suggested an indirect effect, via perceived control, of conscientiousness to unprotected anal intercourse. However, the association was specific to the casual partner context. Ever having undergone HIV testing was predicted by age, stronger gay identity, but not conscientiousness. The model illustrates that social cognitions are useful additions to personality-health models and that partner type is an important contextual factor to determine which models of sexual risk-taking should be considered. Future research should evaluate a wider range of predictor variables, longitudinal designs and the impact of different statistical modelling strategies on the size of the association between traits and risky sexual health behaviours.
In this article, we examine universal and culture-specific aspects of the Five-Factor Model measured with the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. First, our purpose was to test the replicability of the original (North American) factor structure in the Estonian-speaking population. The translation was administered to 711 Estonian men and women aged 18 to 82. When the 30 facet scales were factored, parallel analysis suggested that five components should be retained. In the interpersonal plane defined by Extraversion and Agreeableness factors, Estonian facets formed a semicircular array that resembled the American pattern at a distance of about 21°. After these axes were aligned by Procrustes rotation, all five factor congruences exceeded 0.96, providing further evidence that the underlying five-factor structure of the personality instrument is replicable in languages and cultures which differ substantially from those in which it was originally identified. Second, we tested the hypothesis that the orientation of varimax axes in the interpersonal plane is associated with the culture's degree of individualismcollectivism. We calculated the angular degree of difference between E and A factors in the American sample and in 21 other available samples, correlated it with individualism ratings, and found mixed support for the hypothesis, suggesting that continued research on this issue is merited. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
When large numbers of statistical tests are computed, such as in broad investigations of personality and behavior, the number of significant findings required before the total can be confidently considered beyond chance is typically unknown. Employing modern software, specially written code, and new procedures, the present article uses three sets of personality data to demonstrate how approximate randomization tests can evaluate (a) the number of significant correlations between a single variable and a large number of other variables, (b) the number of significant correlations between two large sets of variables, and (c) the average size of a large number of effects. Randomization tests can free researchers to fully explore large data sets and potentially have even wider applicability.
Findings from a quantitative review of the empirical research literature on normal personality and sexual risk taking are reported. The review focuses on domains identified in major models of normal personality representing the psychobiological and taxonomic perspectives. Focal sexual risk-taking behaviors were number of partners, unprotected sex, and high-risk sexual encounters (e.g., sex with a stranger). A comprehensive search produced 53 studies relevant to the review. A striking feature of the results is the paucity of research on domains of normal personality and sexual risk taking for all domains other than sensation seeking, which accounted for 64% of the effect sizes. The preponderance of studies (81%) took the psychobiological perspective and were published since 1990 (75%). Among the substantive findings were effects for sensation seeking, impulsivity, and agreeableness on all sexual risk-taking behaviors considered. Additionally, there were effects on specific behaviors for neuroticism and conscientiousness. The implications of these findings for future research on normal personality and sexual risk taking are discussed.
The convergent validity between self and observer ratings of the Big Five dimensions of personality was examined by cumulating research findings across studies. The mean correlation corrected for coefficient α in self-ratings and inter-rater reliability in observer ratings was .46 for agreeableness (N=6359, k=53), .56 for conscientiousness (N=6754, k=58), .51 for emotional stability (N=8000, k=55), .62 for extraversion (N=7725, k=50), and .59 for openness to experience (N=5333, k=38). Results indicate that, although there is a high degree of construct overlap, both self and observer ratings have substantial unique variance. Moderator effects were analyzed. The duration of acquaintance (strangers vs close relatives) as well as observer type (peers at work vs relatives) were analyzed. Acquaintanceship had a large moderating effect whereas observer type did not moderate the level of convergence.
The role of conscientiousness in understanding the effects of stress on eating behavior remains unknown. In this study, the interactive effects of conscientiousness and established individual differences variables (e.g. restraint, perfectionism) on perceived changes in food intake during a 2-week stressful and non-stressful period were examined. One hundred and fifty-five female participants completed measures of conscientiousness, self-oriented perfectionism, socially prescribed perfectionism and eating style (i.e. external eating, emotional eating and dietary restraint) at the beginning of the study. Perceived changes in food intake (i.e. between-meal snacking), stress and emotional distress were also assessed. The results found that low conscientious individuals who were currently trying to lose weight or were high on self-oriented perfectionism reported eating more between-meal snacks than usual during the stressful period compared to the non-stressful period. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that conscientiousness in conjunction with established individual differences variables is associated with perceived increases in food intake. These results suggest that when faced with a stressful encounter, low conscientious individuals (who are dieters or self-oriented perfectionists) may be less well equipped to cope and as a result shift their preference to more palatable and high energy dense snacks foods. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 16 362 participants from 52 nations responded to measures of the Big Five and ‘risky’ sexuality. It was expected that low levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness would be universally associated with relationship infidelity. Sexual promiscuity, in contrast, was expected to positively relate to extraversion and neuroticism. Analyses across 10 world regions revealed relationship infidelity was universally associated with low agreeableness and low conscientiousness. Sexual promiscuity was somewhat related to these traits as well, but was more highly related to extraversion across many, but not all, world regions. Both forms of risky sexual behaviour were generally unrelated to neuroticism and openness across cultures. Discussion focuses on possible explanations of regional differences in personality–sexuality linkages. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Data were collected by the members of the Russian character and personality survey from 39 samples in 33 administrative areas of the Russian Federation. Respondents (N = 7065) identified an ethnically Russian adult or college-aged man or woman whom they knew well and rated the target using the Russian observer rating version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, which measures neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Factor analyses within samples showed that the factor structure of an international sample combining data from 50 different cultures was well replicated in all 39 Russian samples. Sex differences replicated the known pattern in all samples, demonstrating that women scored higher than men on most of the neuroticism, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness facet scales. Cross-sectional analyses demonstrated consistent age differences for four factors: Older individuals compared to younger ones were less extraverted and open but more agreeable and conscientious. The mean levels of traits were similar in all 39 samples. Although in general personality traits in Russians closely followed the universal pattern, some reliable culture-specific effects were also found that future studies can help interpret. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Treatment Guidelines were last updated in 2006. To update the "Clinical Guide to Prevention Services" section of the 2010 CDC STD Treatment Guidelines, we reviewed the recent science with reference to interventions designed to prevent acquisition of STDs, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Major interval developments include (1) licensure and uptake of immunization against genital human papillomavirus, (2) validation of male circumcision as a potent prevention tool against acquisition of HIV and some other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), (3) failure of a promising HIV vaccine candidate to afford protection against HIV acquisition, (4) encouragement about the use of antiretroviral agents as preexposure prophylaxis to reduce risk of HIV and herpes simplex virus acquisition, (5) enhanced emphasis on expedited partner management and rescreening for persons infected with Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, (6) recognition that behavioral interventions will be needed to address a new trend of sexually transmitted hepatitis C among men who have sex with men, and (7) the availability of a modified female condom. A range of preventive interventions is needed to reduce the risks of acquiring STI, including HIV infection, among sexually active people, and a flexible approach targeted to specific populations should integrate combinations of biomedical, behavioral, and structural interventions. These would ideally involve an array of prevention contexts, including (1) communications and practices among sexual partners, (2) transactions between individual clients and their healthcare providers, and (3) comprehensive population-level strategies for prioritizing prevention research, ensuring accurate outcome assessment, and formulating health policy.
Despite the profusion of social cognitive models for the prediction of sexual behaviour, we have only limited knowledge as to the role of individual values in predicting risky sexual activity. This study assessed the relationship between a recently developed value structure and sexual behaviour in the context of rising HIV infection in central and eastern Europe. Five hundred and three respondents (business people, doctors and nurses) from Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Poland and Russia completed Schwartz's Portrait Values Questionnaire and reported their condom use, partnership history and record of sexual disease. Results indicated that values had a moderate but consistent relationship with sexual behaviour, with riskier sexual activity reported by those high on Openness to Change, Hedonism and Self-Enhancement. These findings are discussed in the context of the need for culturally sensitive interventions in order to tackle the growing HIV epidemic in this region.
This study examined the prevalence and correlates of sexual risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in two samples of outpatients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), including suicidal BPD women (n = 99) and opiate-dependent BPD men and women (n = 125). High rates of sexual risk behaviors and STIs were found, particularly in the opiate-dependent BPD sample. Compared with suicidal BPD outpatients, opiate-dependent BPD outpatients reported higher rates of past-year sexual activity, commercial sex work, and lifetime hepatitis, as well as a greater number of lifetime sex partners. Substance use and demographic characteristics (age, sex, and marital status) were associated with higher rates of sexual risk behaviors and/or STIs, whereas cognitive-behavioral factors and indicators of psychiatric impairment were not. These findings point to a clear need for interventions aimed at decreasing sexual risk behaviors among individuals with BPD.
Alcohol impairs judgement and could be causally implicated in sexual risk taking. However, meta-analytic studies do not find an association between alcohol use and unprotected sexual intercourse at the event level, where both behaviours refer to the same point in time. Associations between personality traits and sexual risk taking have been replicated across several studies. Traits may be better conceptualized as independent risk factors, where alcohol use mediates the association between personality and condom use. The objective of our study was to determine the direct and indirect effects connecting big five personality traits with condom use, potentially mediated through alcohol use during the most recent sexual encounter.
A sample of community-dwelling adults (N= 190) completed measures of big five personality traits and a detailed assessment of event-level sexual behaviour and alcohol use.
In regression model adjusting for known confounding factors, including oral contraceptive use, partner type, and hazardous drinking patterns, one standard deviation increase in conscientiousness was associated with a 1.14-fold increase in the odds of using a condom with most recent sexual partner (p= .04). Repeating the analysis using zero-inflated regression for estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) values revealed an association between conscientiousness and eBAC (p= .002). There was no association between alcohol and condom use in either analysis.
The results illustrate that personality traits are strong independent risk factors for sexual risk taking and eBAC values during sexual events, and both should be incorporated into research designs. Future research should evaluate specific facets of conscientiousness, and whether eBAC mediates the association between personality and condom use in other samples. The possibility of tailoring interventions to personality traits is discussed.
The purpose of this study was to examine the history of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among women with borderline personality disorder (BPD) with and without a lifetime substance use disorder (SUD) and to compare their histories to those of a group of women with a current nonpsychotic axis I disorder.
Two-hundred fifteen women completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I diagnoses (SCID-I), Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality for Axis II diagnoses (SIDP-IV), and a sexual health interview. African American women were oversampled because little is known about BPD in African American women and because they are at greater risk for STDs than non-African American women.
Women with a lifetime SUD (especially cannabis use disorder) reported more STD risk factors and STDs than women without a lifetime SUD. BPD dimensional scores and African American race were predictors of STD, even after controlling for age, socioeconomic status (SES), SUDs, and participation in the sex trade.
Determining predictors of STDs within at-risk subpopulations may help reduce the spread of STDs and prevent HIV infection within these groups by helping providers identify women at the highest risk of infection.
To describe the structure of genetic and environmental risk factors for four dimensions of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and to understand the source of resemblance of these dimensions and normal personality.
A web-based sample (n = 44,112 including 542 twin pairs) completed items from 4 scales of the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology Basic Questionnaire and the Big Five Inventory.
A one-factor common pathway model best fits the 4 BPD scales producing a highly heritable latent liability (heritability = 60%) and strong loadings on all 4 dimensions. Affective instability had the lowest trait-specific genetic loading, suggesting that it was a core feature of BPD. A complex pattern of genetic and environmental associations was found between the big five personality traits and BPD dimensions. The strongest genetic correlations with the BPD traits were generally seen for neuroticism (positive), followed by conscientiousness and agreeableness, both negative.
In the general population, these four BPD dimensions reflect one underlying highly heritable factor. The association between normative personality and dimensions of BPD is complex with high degrees of genetic correlation.
The analysis of a representative survey of households (n = 968) in a San Francisco Bay Area county provides strong evidence for the role of problem drinking as a risk factor for sexually transmitted diseases independent of drinking patterns and drug use. Among women, age, race, early age at first intercourse, history of multiple partners, drinking patterns, as well as current symptoms of problem drinking were all associated with reported STD rates. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed, however, that female problem drinkers are nearly four and a half times more likely (adjusted O.R. = 4.65, 95% C.I. = 1.30, 16.70) than other women to have had STDs independent of all these potential risk factors. Problem drinking puts women at a greater risk for STDs than a history of multiple sex partners (adjusted O.R. = 2.75, 95% C.I. = 0.98, 7.75). This finding is also observed among men, among whom STDs were associated with a history of multiple sex partners (adjusted O.R. = 4.12, 95% C.I. = 1.90, 8.94) and the lifetime prevalence of drinking problems (adjusted O.R. = 4.95, 95% C.I. = 2.13, 11.50). Frequent bar-going, drunkenness episodes, high volume drinking, feeling disinhibited while drinking and drug use increase the risk for STDs via their effects on the rate of sex partner change. Problem drinking determines STD rates independent of these factors. The implications of these findings for future research and health policy are discussed.
The five-factor model of personality is a hierarchical organization of personality traits in terms of five basic dimensions: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience. Research using both natural language adjectives and theoretically based personality questionnaires supports the comprehensiveness of the model and its applicability across observers and cultures. This article summarizes the history of the model and its supporting evidence; discusses conceptions of the nature of the factors; and outlines an agenda for theorizing about the origins and operation of the factors. We argue that the model should prove useful both for individual assessment and for the elucidation of a number of topics of interest to personality psychologists.
To assess the personality characteristics of patients with repeated sexually transmitted diseases (STD).
A case-control study comparing 101 STD repeaters (subjects with a lifetime history of three or more STDs) with 182 controls who had no history of STD. All subjects attended the City Department for Skin and Venereal Diseases in Belgrade (Yugoslavia) from June 1997 to April 1998. Personality characteristics was assessed by the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI).
The analysis of MCMI test showed that STD repeaters had higher scores on narcissistic, antisocial and paranoid scales. The difference between STD repeaters and the controls was significant on antisocial, psychotic thinking and psychotic delusion scales, although scores on clinical syndromes were low for both cases and controls. Discriminant analysis showed that antisocial personality was predictive for STD repeaters.
This study support the hypothesis that STD repeaters are different from controls in terms of their psychological characteristics. The behaviour of STD repeaters is ego-syntonic, which makes the treatment of their personality difficult and emphasizes the importance of work on primary and secondary prevention of STD.
Personality traits and eating habits in a large sample of Esto-niansEpub ahead of print] doi: 10.1037/a0027041. 19 Lykken DT. Statistical significance of psychological research
- Realo A J Allik
- Deary Ij
- T Esko
- Metspalu
18 Mõttus R, Realo A, Allik J, Deary IJ, Esko T, Metspalu A. Personality traits and eating habits in a large sample of Esto-nians. Health Psychol 2012 Jan 23 [Epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1037/a0027041. 19 Lykken DT. Statistical significance of psychological research. Psychol Bull 1968;70:151–9.
The convergent validity between self and observer ratings of personality: A meta-analytic review
- Jj Connolly
- Ej Kavanagh
- C Viswesvaran
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