Big five dimensions and ADHD symptoms: links between personality traits and clinical symptoms

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood is conceptualized as originating in childhood. Despite considerable theoretical interest, little is known about how ADHD symptoms relate to normal personality traits in adults. In 6 studies, the Big Five personality dimensions were related to ADHD symptoms that adults both recalled from childhood and reported concurrently (total N = 1,620). Substantial effects emerged that were replicated across samples. First, the ADHD symptom cluster of inattention-disorganization was substantially related to low Conscientiousness and, to a lesser extent, Neuroticism. Second, ADHD symptom clusters of hyperactivity-impulsivity and oppositional childhood and adult behaviors were associated with low Agreeableness. Results were replicated with self-reports and observer reports of personality in community and clinical samples. Findings support theoretical connections between personality traits and ADHD symptoms.     

Correlations for Adolescent Resilience Scale with big five personality traits

Currently, individuals tend to encounter many unavoidable, painful events and hardships in the process of growth and development. To lead one's life adapting to these social conditions, it is necessary to maintain one's mental health even while experiencing challenging events; in other words, resilience is required. This study of 130 undergraduates focused on the Adolescent Resilience Scale which assesses capacity for successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances and examined correlations with scores on the Big Five Personality Inventory. A significant negative correlation of -.59 (p<.001) was noted for scores on the Adolescent Resilience Scale and the Neuroticism dimension of the Big Five Personality Inventory, accounting for 35% of the variance, and positive values with the Extraversion, Openness, and Conscientiousness dimensions (rs= .37, .40, .48, accounting for 14, 16, and 18% of the variance, respectively. Personalities of adolescents who have psychological traits leading to resilience may be partially predicted using these results.     

The effect of age and role information on expectations for big five personality traits

In four studies, the authors investigated the extent to which expectations for personality traits in age-graded roles correspond to patterns of personality trait change across the life course. In Studies 1 (N = 43) and 2 (N = 126), the authors examined the age-graded roles of high school student, college student, parent, and grandparent and found that expectations for how people behave in these age-graded roles showed strong parallels to the documented pattern of personality trait development and that this pattern of expectations was largely shared by younger and older participants. In Studies 3 (N = 252) and 4 (N = 123), the authors separated age and role information (e.g., marital, parental, and employment status) and found that people use both sources of information independently in forming expectations of others. The implications for understanding the interplay of expectations and personality trait development are discussed.     

The relationship between big five personality traits, negative affectivity, type A behavior, and work-family conflict

The relationships between negative affectivity, Type A, and the Big Five personality variables with both the form and direction of work-family conflict (WFC) were examined. The results demonstrated that different aspects of WFC related to different personality indicators. Negative affectivity was the dispositional variable studied that was most consistently related to the various types of conflict. Additionally, agreeableness related to time-based conflict and conscientiousness related to family interfering with work conflict. The results provide further support for the contention that dispositions relate to interactions between work and family.     

Voice,creativity, and big five personality traits: A meta-analysis

Due to the benefits of voice and creativity on organizations’ effectiveness, scholars have tried to understand the reasons why employees engage in voice and creativity and determine the antecedents of these behaviors, including the role of personality. Previous literature, however, has shown inconsistent results about the effect of personality on voice and creativity. Addressing these inconsistencies, the authors use a meta-analytic approach to examine these relationships and to test potential boundary conditions that might exist in these relationships. This study also seeks to provide empirical support for the previous theoretical claims of similarity between voice and creativity. Clarifying these points, the results of this meta-analysis showed that Openness to Experience, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness are good predictors of creativity and voice. The findings also reveal similar directions and magnitudes of effects sizes in most of the relationships between the Big Five, voice, and creativity, which appears to support the similarities between voice and creativity. The moderation results provide further information about the role of gender differences, the sample type (student/employee sample), and the source of rating (self/other reporting) in these relationships.     

The mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between big five personality traits and depressive symptoms among Chinese undergraduate medical students

The objectives of this study were to examine the correlations between big five personality traits and depressive symptoms among Chinese undergraduate medical students, and to explore the mediating role of self-esteem on the correlations. Self-reported questionnaires, including Big Five Inventory, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem scale, and socio-demographic section were distributed to 2000 undergraduate medical students at four medical colleges and universities in Liaoning province, China, in June 2014. 1738 students became the final subjects. After adjustment for age and gender, agreeableness (β = −0.329) and openness (β = −0.096) were negatively related to depressive symptoms, while neuroticism (β = 0.245) was positively related to the symptoms. Self-esteem functioned as a mediator in the relationship between agreeableness (a * b = −0.154, 95% CI: −0.182, −0.127)/openness (a * b = −0.097, 95% CI: −0.124, −0.069)/neuroticism (a * b = 0.031, 95% CI: 0.007, 0.058) and depressive symptoms. Therefore, identifying at-risk students and undertaking appropriate intervention strategies that focus on both personality traits and self-esteem may be effective in preventing and reducing depressive symptoms among Chinese medical students.     

Exploring the links between personality traits and motivations to play online games

The present study explores the links between personality traits and motivations to play online games. We identified the underlying dimensions of motivations to play online games, examined how personality traits predict motivation, and investigated how personality traits predict online gaming behavior (i.e., playing time and preference for game genres). Factor analyses identified five motivational factors: relationships, adventure, escapism, relaxation, and achievement. The regression analyses indicated that two personality traits, extraversion and agreeableness, predicted various motivations; however, personality traits did not affect the playing time and game genre preference.     

The cortisol awakening response and the big five personality dimensions

The present study investigated the association between the big five personality dimensions and the cortisol awakening response (CAR), a physiological parameter reflective of HPA axis activity. One hundred and seven participants completed the big five inventory (BFI; John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1991) and collected salivary cortisol samples at 0, 30, and 60 min after awakening on a weekday morning. The cortisol awakening response under the curve (CARauc) and the cortisol awakening response with respect to increase (CARi) were used as outcome variables in the statistical analyses. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted using the data of 92 participants. Gender and age were included as covariates in block one of the regressions, followed by the personality dimensions in block two. Extraversion emerged as a significant predictor of CARauc. No other personality dimensions were significantly predictive of CARauc or CARi. Interestingly, gender emerged as the strongest predictor in the CARauc, with females exhibiting greater cortisol release across the awakening period than males. Our results suggest that extraversion and gender may be particularly important variables to consider in the regulation of the HPA axis.     

The big five personality traits and individual job performance growth trajectories in maintenance and transitional job stages

This study extends the literature on personality and job performance through the use of random coefficient modeling to test the validity of the Big Five personality traits in predicting overall sales performance and sales performance trajectories--or systematic patterns of performance growth--in 2 samples of pharmaceutical sales representatives at maintenance and transitional job stages (K. R. Murphy, 1989). In the maintenance sample, conscientiousness and extraversion were positively associated with between-person differences in total sales, whereas only conscientiousness predicted performance growth. In the transitional sample, agreeableness and openness to experience predicted overall performance differences and performance trends. All effects remained significant with job tenure statistically controlled. Possible explanations for these findings are offered, and theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed.     

Different subgroups of high-scorers on the TAS-20 based on the big five personality traits

We investigated whether it was possible to obtain a consistent representation of the alexithymia trait by using the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). TAS-20 and the NEO-Five Factor Inventory were administered to nonclinical participants (N = 2188). The results of hierarchical cluster analysis and a two-way analysis of variance indicated two subgroups with high scores on the TAS-20. One group had difficulty identifying feelings and high neuroticism; the other had a high externally oriented cognitive style and low openness to experience. These results suggest that the total score on the TAS-20 should not be considered a uni-dimensional measure of alexithymia.     

Attachment dimensions and the big five personality traits: Associations and comparative ability to predict relationship quality

Several studies have explored associations between measures of adult attachment style and the Big Five personality traits or factors, but the studies have not included current dimensional measures of attachment style (Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998) or the most complete (NEO-PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992) and frequently used (BFI; John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1991) measures of the Big Five. Moreover, most studies after Shaver and Brennan’s (1992) have not compared attachment style and Big Five measures as predictors of relationship quality. Here, we summarize past research and report two studies comparing Brennan et al.’s two-dimensional measure of attachment style with the BFI and NEO-PI-R measures of the Big Five. There are consistent and theoretically meaningful associations between the attachment-style and personality trait measures, but attachment-style dimensions still predict relationship quality better than measures of the Big Five. Implications are discussed.     

The relationship between the entrepreneurial personality and the Big Five personality traits

Although meta-analyses show that the Big Five personality traits predict business intention, creation, and success (Brandstätter, 2011), they also indicate that narrow personality traits, such as innovativeness, predict these outcomes better than broad traits, such as Conscientiousness and Extraversion (Rauch & Frese, 2007). The current study extends previous research to examine the relationship between the Big Five and a wider range of entrepreneurial outcomes (e.g. founding charitable organisations, organising events, and changing organisational practices). Additionally, it establishes the incremental validity of a narrow measure of entrepreneurial personality over the Big Five (META, Ahmetoglu, Leutner, & Chamorro-Premuic, 2011). Both the Big Five and META significantly predict various forms of entrepreneurial success, though META does so more consistently. This suggests that narrow personality traits have incremental validity in predicting entrepreneurial success vis-à-vis the Big Five. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed.     

Maladaptive personality functioning within the big five and the five-factor model

The five-factor model (FFM) of general personality functioning was derived originally from lexical studies of trait terms within the English language. Many studies have been conducted on the relationship of the FFM to personality disorder symptomatology but, as yet, no lexical study of the representation of maladaptive personality functioning within a language has been conducted. The current study identified the distribution of socially undesirable trait terms within each of the poles of the Big Five and compared this distribution to findings obtained with FFM personality disorder measures. The implications of the results for a FFM of personality disorders and for the FFM assessment of maladaptive personality functioning are discussed.     

Applying the big five personality factors to the impostor phenomenon

The purpose of this study was to relate the impostor phenomenon (IP) to the Five-factor model of personality. A sample of 190 college students (79 men, 111 women) completed the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (Clance, 1985), the Perceived Fradulence Scale (Kolligian & Sternberg, 1991), and the NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Results of correlational and regression analyses support the predicted relations of imposter measures with high Neuroticism and low Conscientiousness. Facet-level correlations showed that depression and anxiety were particularly important characteristics of those with imposter feelings as well as low self-discipline and perceived competence. Implications for treatment and future research on the IP are discussed.     

The big five personality dimensions and entrepreneurial status: a meta-analytical review

In this study, the authors used meta-analytical techniques to examine the relationship between personality and entrepreneurial status. Personality variables used in previous studies were categorized according to the five-factor model of personality. Results indicate significant differences between entrepreneurs and managers on 4 personality dimensions such that entrepreneurs scored higher on Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience and lower on Neuroticism and Agreeableness. No difference was found for Extraversion. Effect sizes for each personality dimension were small, although the multivariate relationship for the full set of personality variables was moderate (R = .37). Considerable heterogeneity existed for all of the personality variables except Agreeableness, suggesting that future research should explore possible moderators of the personality-entrepreneurial status relationship.     

Preliminary investigation of computer stress and the big five personality factors

This study investigated correlates of personality factors, measured with the Big Five Inventory, with computer users' stress, measured with the Computer Hassles Scale. Based on an analysis of the responses of 95 college students using computers, there was a significant correlation between the computer users' stress and Openness, one of the Big Five personality factors. There was a significant correlation between the Computer Hassles Scale and the somatic complaints and anxiety reactions, typical responses to stress. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that Neuroticism and Extraversion had a "buffering effect" between computer stressors and typical stress responses. The significant correlation between scores on the Computer Hassles Scale and on Openness was a surprising finding and suggested that additional research was needed to clarify the nature of this relationship.     

The relationship between bright- and dark-side personality traits

This study examines how the “dark side” factors of the Hogan Dark Side Model, which measures subclinical personality pathology, can be expressed by different constellations of facet-scores on the Hogan Seven Factor Model of “bright side” personality. Most “dark-side” measures are associated with high Neuroticism/low Adjustment and low Agreeableness/Interpersonal Sensitivity. Results support previous meta-analytical findings using facet-level traits. Limitations and implications are noted.     

Investigating associations between empathy, morality and psychopathic personality traits in the general population

Although atypical moral and empathy processing are considered core features of psychopathic personality, little is known about how these constructs are associated with psychopathic traits in the general population. One-hundred and twenty-four adult males from the community were administered the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale 4 Short Form, as well as a wide battery of affect, empathy and morality tasks and questionnaires. Our findings indicate that both core affective-interpersonal, as well as lifestyle-antisocial features of psychopathy are associated with weaker empathic responses to fearful faces. However, only the unique variance of the affective-interpersonal features is associated with weaker empathic response to happy stories, lower propensity to feel empathic concern and less difficulty in making decisions on moral dilemmas. In contrast, the unique variance of the lifestyle-antisocial features is associated with greater propensity to feel empathic concern. These preliminary findings extend previous research and suggest that, while the joint variance between affective-interpersonal and lifestyle-antisocial features might drive some ‘deficits’ associated with psychopathy, there also appears also to be unique ‘deficits’ associated with the core affective-interpersonal features, particularly in relation to affective aspects of moral processing.     

Age differences in five personality domains across the life span

The present study addresses the issue of age differences in 5 personality domains across the life span in a cross-sectional study. In contrast to most previous studies, the present study follows a methodologically more rigorous approach to warrant that age-related differences in personality structure and mean level can be meaningfully compared. It uses data on 50 items of the Five-Factor Personality Inventory (FFPI) available from a study in a large and representative Dutch sample (N = 2,494; age range: 16 to 91 years) conducted in 1996 for the purpose of establishing norms for the FFPI. After having established strict measurement invariance, tests were made for factor covariances to be equal across age groups, revealing structural continuity of personality. Additionally, factor variances were shown to be equal across age groups. A number of age differences in the mean level of the five personality domains emerged. Specifically, older adults were, on average, more agreeable and, especially, more conscientious than middle-aged and younger adults. Findings from our study suggest that both continuity and change may mark personality over the course of life.     

Velocity explains the links between personality states and affect

The present research examined whether perceived rate of progress toward a goal (velocity) mediated the relationships between personality states and affective states. Drawing from control theories of self-regulation, we hypothesized (i) that increased velocity would mediate the association between state extraversion and state positive affect, and (ii) that decreased velocity would mediate the association between state neuroticism and state negative affect. We tested these hypotheses in 2 experience sampling methodology studies that each spanned 2 weeks. Multilevel modeling analyses showed support for each of the bivariate links in our model, and multilevel path analyses supported our mediation hypotheses. We discuss implications for understanding the relations between personality states and affective states, control theories of self-regulation, and goal striving.