Psychophysiological arousal related to Type A components in adolescent boys

The association between psychophysiological responses (heart rate, skin conductance and blood volume) and Type A behavior was studied in adolescent boys (n = 48) in computer-controlled experiments. Although psychophysiological arousal was related to the type of stress-evoking element, task-specificity did not result in significant psychophysiological differences between Type As and Nontype As. The indication is that physiological arousal may be a constitutional characteristic of Type A behavior. The multidimensionality of type A behavior must be considered in any investigation examining the psychophysiological Type A-Nontype A differences. Different Type A dimensions, together with previously found psychological differences, were related to specific psychophysiological reactions.     

Personality profiles and health: Longitudinal evidence among Finnish adults

Kinnunen, M.‐L., Metsäpelto, R. L., Feldt, T., Kokko, K., Tolvanen, A., Kinnunen, U., Leppänen, E. & Pulkkinen, L. (2012). Personality profiles and health: Longitudinal evidence among Finnish adults. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 512–522. This study investigates the associations of longitudinal Big Five personality profiles with long‐term health in 304 adults (53% males). Personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness) were assessed at ages 33, 42, and 50. Subjective (self‐rated health, symptoms, psychological distress) and objective (body mass index, waist‐to‐hip ratio, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides) indicators of health were measured at ages 42 and 50. Five longitudinally stable personality profiles were extracted over 17 years by latent profile analysis. The levels of traits were the same in each profile at each age. Resilient individuals (N = 65; Neuroticism low, other traits high) had the best subjective health and Overcontrolled individuals (N = 40; Neuroticism high, other traits low) the poorest health over eight years. Reserved individuals (N = 25; high Conscientiousness, other traits low), Undercontrolled (N = 41; high Openness and Extraversion, low Conscientiousness), and Ordinary (N = 133; all traits scored medium) individuals were in the middle of these extremes in subjective health. No differences between the profiles were found in the objective indicators of health. Thus, overcontrol and resilience were most discriminative in terms of good health. Moreover, personality profiles revealed associations with health to be more nuanced than simply being composed of single traits. High Extraversion needed to be combined with high Conscientiousness (Resilients) in order to be associated with the best health; high Extraversion with low Conscientiousness (Undercontrolled) was associated with average health; and low Extraversion with high Neuroticism (Overcontrolled) was associated with the poorest health.     

The Attention and Executive Function Rating Inventory (ATTEX): Psychometric properties and clinical utility in diagnosing ADHD subtypes

Klenberg, L., Jämsä, S., Häyrinen, T., Lahti‐Nuuttila, P. & Korkman, M. (2010). The Attention and Executive Function Rating Inventory (ATTEX): Psychometric properties and clinical utility in diagnosing ADHD subtypes. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 439–448. This study presents a new inventory, the Attention and Executive Function Rating Inventory (ATTEX), and examines the psychometric properties and the clinical utility of ATTEX in indentifying the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder combined type (ADHD‐C) and the ADHD predominantly inattentive type (ADHD‐I) in school environments. A normative sample of Finnish 7‐ to 15‐year‐old children and adolescents (N = 701) and a clinical sample consisting of children with ADHD‐C (N = 190) and ADHD‐I (N = 25) were examined with the ATTEX and the ADHD Rating Scale‐IV. The ATTEX and its scales had good internal consistency reliability (0.67–0.98) and criterion validity (0.68–0.95). Normative data was provided for the total normative sample and for boys and girls separately. Gender differences were noted in the ATTEX scores, boys having consistently higher scores on all ATTEX scales. The effect of age was significant only for one of the ten scales, the Motor hyperactivity scale, 7‐year‐olds having more problems of hyperactivity than 14‐year‐olds. Lower parent education level and the child’s learning difficulties were related to higher ratings of EF problems in ATTEX. When different cutoff scores for boys and girls were applied, ATTEX was sensitive in identifying children with attention deficit disorders. In addition, ATTEX was accurate in differentiating children with ADHD‐I from children with ADHD‐C. In this Finnish sample, ATTEX showed solid psychometric properties and could be used as a reliable tool in the diagnostic evaluation of ADHD‐C and ADHD‐I.     

Dopamine and serotonin systems modify environmental effects on human behavior: A review

The relative influences of genetic and environmental factors in the development of human behavior have been a long‐term topic for an intense debate. Recent behavioral genetic studies suggest focusing on the joint effect of genes and environment, and especially on the life‐course developmental interplay between nature and nurture. Vulnerability to environmental adversities and sensitivity to its benefits may be conditional on genetic background, and regarding psychological outcomes, these kinds of gene × environment interactions may be of higher importance than direct gene–trait associations. In our recent series of studies, we have shown that different variants of serotonergic and dopaminergic genes may moderate the influence of environmental conditions on a range of psychological outcomes, i.e. temperament, depression, hostility, and educational attainment. These studies suggest that depending on their genotype, people may be differentially sensitive to the environmental conditions they encounter. In the light of these results it seems highly plausible that the effects of genes may become evident only when studied in the context of environmental factors.     

Associations of self‐esteem and temperament traits to self‐ and teacher‐reported social status among classmates

Hintsanen, M., Alatupa, S., Pullmann, H., Hirstiö‐Snellman, P. & Keltikangas‐Järvinen, L. (2010). Associations of self‐esteem and temperament traits to self‐ and teacher‐reported social status among classmates. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 51, 488–494. The present study examined the validity of self‐ and teacher‐reported social status and its relations to self‐esteem and temperament in a geographically representative cohort of Finnish adolescents (N = 3941, mean age 15.1 years). High agreement was found between self‐ and teacher‐rated social status (r = 0.42). Different aspects of self‐esteem were differently related to social status. When other temperament and self‐esteem variables were included in the analyses, strongest predictor for self‐rated social status in both genders was social self‐esteem (p < 0.01) and for teacher‐rated social status general self‐esteem (p < 0.01). The strongest temperamental predictors of social status were lower inhibition in girls (p < 0.01, self‐ and teacher‐rated) and higher impulsivity (p < 0.01, self‐rated) and activity (p < 0.01, teacher‐rated) in boys. The present findings are consistent with the view that social functioning and peer relations are associated with individual differences in self‐concept and temperament dimensions.