Personality characteristics of drug addicts and alcoholics on the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory

The Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) was administered to 106 alcoholics and 100 addicts in separate VA inpatient rehabilitation treatment programs. The alcoholics scored higher on the personality style scales of Avoidant, Passive-Aggressive, Schizotypal, Borderline and Paranoid, while the opiate addicts scored higher on the Narcissistic personality disorder scale. Separate cluster analyses for both groups further revealed common personality styles among both groups. Several MCMI scales showed significant correlations with age, but in no case were the effects attributed to age larger than 5% of the total variance. The MCMI may alert clinicians to subtle similarities and differences between and among alcoholics and opiate addicts.     

Personality characteristics,parent behaviors,and sex of subject in relation to cheating

College students were given the opportunity to falsify self-reported scores on a task to gain course credit. Personality and perceived parent behavior data were obtained in a counterbalanced design. Male cheaters were significantly higher in Aggression, Exhibition, Social Recognition, and Harmavoidance but lower in Autonomy (PRF scales) and ACT scores. Female transgressors were reliably lower in harmavoidance and higher in Impulsivity than noncheaters. Among males, no parent scales differentiated transgressors and resisters. Among females, parent scales reflecting reports of lower father warmth and fewer maternal equalitarian interactions but higher Hostile Control significantly differentiated cheaters from noncheaters. These findings were discussed, particularly in terms of the sex differences which suggest that males and females may cheat for different reasons.     

Personality factors in relation to violent crimes

The personalities of a group of 54 persons (51 men and 3 women), imprisoned for the perpetration of violent crimes, were evaluated. The results were then compared to a normative group. This study considers personality factors and dimensions on three levels: (a) Basic factors: the "Big Five", (b) Personality disorders and clinical syndromes, (c) Personality dimensions related to personal wellbeing and social adaptation said to define a psychologically healthy individual. The results of the study show that it is not possible to define a basic personality profile for this group of violent delinquents based on the "Big Five" factors. It is, however, possible to find two habitual patterns of behaviour if the Millon Model (1990) is applied. These two behaviour patterns and attitudes towards life situations will be named "Dependent with compulsive traits" and "Psychopath tendencies". Both relate to indicators of mental health.     

Personality in relation to occupational outcomes among established teachers

Established teachers’ self-reports on Five-Factor Model (FFM) scales, interests, and attributions were studied in relation to two outcome criteria, choice of teaching specialty (niche selection) and quality of teaching. Choice of teaching specialty was most strongly associated with openness to experience, interest in the arts and/or sciences, and internal-locus attributions (ability and effort) in response to a positive classroom event. On the other hand, quality of teaching assessed by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards was positively associated with several facets of the FFM, and negatively associated with business interests and with a tendency to externalize blame. Unexpectedly, Conscientiousness was unrelated to teacher performance. Findings suggested that broadly defined personality characteristics impact more on niche selection than on performance within the chosen niche, whereas narrowly defined characteristics better predict performance, at least among established professionals.     

Inherited predisposition to alcoholism: characteristics of sons of male alcoholics

Sons of male alcoholics (SOMAs) are at markedly heightened genetic risk for the development of alcohol abuse. Study of SOMAs could therefore conceivably increase the efficiency of research aimed at uncovering those heritable factors that predispose to alcoholism. SOMAs manifest observable behavioral, cognitive, and psychophysiological abnormalities while sober and react idiosyncratically to alcohol intoxication. They are most commonly described as conduct disordered and hyperactive, appear heir to a variety of deficits in verbal and abstract cognition, and perform more poorly in the academic environment. SOMAs are characterized by abnormal patterns of cued psychophysiological response, and appear more sensitive to the putatively reinforcing aspects of alcohol intoxication. Various methodological weaknesses permeate the relevant literature. Some straightforward improvements are suggested.     

Personality plasticity after age 30

Rank-order consistency of personality traits increases from childhood to age 30. After that, different summaries of the literature predict a plateau at age 30, or at age 50, or a curvilinear peak in consistency at age 50. These predictions were evaluated at group and individual levels using longitudinal data from the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey and the Revised NEO Personality Inventory for periods of up to 42 years. Consistency declined toward a nonzero asymptote with increasing time interval. Although some scales showed increasing stability after age 30, the rank-order consistencies of the major dimensions and most facets of the Five-Factor Model were unrelated to age. Ipsative stability, assessed with the California Adult Q-Set, also was unrelated to age. These data strengthen claims of predominant personality stability after age 30.     

Personality characteristics of successful applicants to the priesthood

This study investigated personality characteristics of successful pastoral candidates to a major Catholic religious order. Personality measures (i.e., MMPI-2 and 16PF) were administered to 21 male applicants between 1990 and 1994 who subsequently entered into religious life. Results suggest that these clergy applicants were generally well-adjusted, socially responsible, and interpersonally sensitive. However, results also suggest a tendency for defensiveness. Coping with perceived negative impulses (i.e., anger and hostility) may also be an issue for many. Implications for future research are offered.     

Stressful situations and coping strategies in relation to age

Whether people cope differently with negative events at different ages was assessed by relation to age by type of situation perceived as potentially stressful and by type of coping strategy used, and also whether the kind of coping strategy used to reduce the potential stressor was related to type of stressor. To do this the factor structure of the Spanish version of the Ways of Coping Checklist of Lazarus and Folkman was examined in an Argentine sample of 153. The factor analysis of checklist scores identified five factors: Cognitive redefinition, Problem focus, Seeking social support, Wishful thinking, and Avoidance. For two groups, ages 20 to 24 and 40 to 45 years, analysis indicated a significant association of type of situation perceived as potentially stressful with age. The middle-age group (40-45 yr.) chose a way of coping in problem solution but the young adult group (20-24 yr.) seemed more often to elude problems. It appears that the type of stressor influences type of coping.     

Personality characteristics associated with susceptibility to false memories

This study examined whether certain personality characteristics are associated with susceptibility to false memories. Participants first answered questions from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in order to measure various personality characteristics. They then watched a video excerpt, the simulated eyewitness event. They were next encouraged to lie about the videotaped event during an interview. A week later, some participants recognized confabulated events as being from the video. Two personality characteristics in particular--the introversion-extroversion and thinking-feeling dimensions--were associated with susceptibility to false memories.