THE CUE-RESPONSIVITY PHENOMENON IN DEPENDENT DRINKERS - PERSONALITY VULNERABILITY AND ANXIETY AS INTERVENING VARIABLES

The cue-responsivity phenomenon to alcohol-associated stimuli in dependent drinkers was examined. In accordance with previous research, significant differences on both physiological and subjective cue-responsivity variables, between dependent and non-dependent drinkers were found. The unique contribution of this paper is two-fold. Firstly, evidence is presented which suggests that the Eysenckian personality traits of introversion and neuroticism are more predictive of cue-responsivity variance in the dependent drinkers than either severity of dependence or number of years' drinking. Secondly, within this dependent group, the relationship between cue-responsivity and 'craving' was seen to be less straightforward than traditionally thought. Specifically, it suggested that it was the extent to which autonomic cue-responsivity elicited increases in self-reported anxiety, which predicted most of the variance on the 'craving' variable. Taken together, these results raise the interesting possibility that a personality disposition akin to trait anxiety, and the degree to which cue exposure elicits state anxiety, mediated the relationship between cue-responsivity and 'craving' in dependent drinkers.

Does subjective rating reflect behavioural coding? Personality in 2 month-old dog puppies: An open-field test and adjective-based questionnaire

A number of studies have recently investigated personality traits in non-human species, with the dog gaining popularity as a subject species for research in this area. Recent research has shown the consistency of personality traits across both context and time for adult dogs, both when using questionnaire based methods of investigation and behavioural analyses of the dogs' behaviour. However, only a few studies have assessed the correspondence between these two methods, with results varying considerably across studies. Furthermore, most studies have focused on adult dogs, despite the fact that an understanding of personality traits in young puppies may be important for research focusing on the genetic basis of personality traits. In the current study, we sought to evaluate the correspondence between a questionnaire based method and the in depth analyses of the behaviour of 2-month old puppies in an open-field test in which a number of both social and non-social stimuli were presented to the subjects. We further evaluated consistency of traits over time by re-testing a subset of puppies. The correspondence between methods was high and test-retest consistency (for the main trait) was also good using both evaluation methods. Results showed clear factors referring to the two main personality traits 'extroversion,' (i.e. the enthusiastic, exuberant approach to the stimuli) and 'neuroticism,' (i.e. the more cautious and fearful approach to the stimuli), potentially similar to the shyness-boldness dimension found in previous studies. Furthermore, both methods identified an 'amicability' dimension, expressing the positive interactions the pups directed at the humans stranger, and a 'reservedness' dimension which identified pups who largely chose not to interact with the stimuli, and were defined as quiet and not nosey in the questionnaire.

Personality traits and individual differences predict changes in postural control under conditions of height-induced postural threat

This thesis explored whether individual characteristics could predict changes in postural control in young adults under conditions of height-induced postural threat. Eighty-two young adults completed questionnaires to assess trait anxiety, trait movement reinvestment, physical risk-taking, and previous experience with height-related activities. Tests of static (quiet standing) and anticipatory (rise to toes) postural control were completed under conditions of low and high postural threat manipulated through changes in surface height. Individual characteristics were able to significantly predict changes in static, but not anticipatory postural control. Trait movement reinvestment and physical risk-taking were the most influential predictors. Evidence was provided that changes in fear and physiological arousal mediated the relationship between physical risk-taking and changes in static postural control. These results suggest that individual characteristics shape the postural strategy employed under threatening conditions and may be important for clinicians to consider during balance assessment and treatment protocols.

Work, personality and psychological distress : direct and moderating effects of the Big Five personality traits

L’objectif de ce mémoire est d’examiner les nombreuses associations qui existent entre les conditions de l’organisation du travail, les traits de personnalité et la détresse psychologique au travail. La question de recherche principale était : est-ce que les cinq grands traits de personnalité (Big Five personality traits) ont un effet modérateur sur la relation entre les conditions de l’organisation du travail et la détresse psychologique. De nombreuses autres questions ont aussi été considérées. Pour répondre aux vingt-et-une hypothèses proposées dans cette recherche, nous avons utilisé des données secondaires d’une étude transversale de 395 employés d’un service de police municipal. À la suite d’analyses multivariées, nous avons pu observer quatre associations significatives. Concernant les conditions de l’organisation du travail, nous avons trouvé que les demandes psychologiques en milieu de travail augment la détresse psychologique, tandis que le support d’un superviseur la diminue. En ce qui concerne, les traits de personnalité, nous avons trouvé qu’être névrotique (neuroticism) augmente la détresse psychologique. Finalement, nous avons trouvé un effet modérateur du trait de personnalité, être consciencieux (conscientiousness), sur la relation entre les demandes psychologiques et la détresse psychologique. Bref, nos résultats nous indiquent que les cinq grands traits de personnalité (Big Five personality traits) ont une influence mitigée sur la santé mentale en milieu de travail.

Work design and conflict in the workplace : the moderating effect of personality

La présente recherche a pour objectif d’étudier les effets que peuvent exercer la conception du travail sur le type de conflit qui émerge en milieu de travail. La notion de conception du travail se divise en trois dimensions, soit les caractéristiques reliées à la tâche, les caractéristiques reliées aux connaissances et les caractéristiques sociales. Ces dimensions sont mises en relation avec les deux types de conflit en milieu de travail, soit le conflit relié à la tâche et le conflit relié à la relation. Cette recherche vise également à vérifier l’effet modérateur des traits de personnalités sur les relations entre les dimensions de la conception du travail et celles du conflit en milieu de travail. Cette recherche est basée sur 473 participants qui occupent un emploi rémunéré et qui ont vécu une situation de conflit en milieu de travail allant jusqu’à 6 mois avant la période de sondage, allant du 14 au 18 janvier 2012. Les résultats indiquent qu’il n’y a pas de relations particulières entre la conception du travail et le type de conflit en milieu de travail. En ce qui a trait aux effets des traits de personnalité, les résultats indiquent que ces variables n’ont aucuns effets modérateurs sur la relation entre la conception du travail et le type de conflit en milieu de travail. Globalement, les résultats ne démontrent aucune relation entre la conception du travail et les types de conflit en milieu de travail, ou les effets modérateurs que les traits de personnalités peuvent avoir sur ces relations.

Trait emotional intelligence: Evidence from italian adolescents and adults

Emotional intelligence (EI) represents an attribute of contemporary attractiveness for the scientific psychology community. Of particular interest for the present thesis are the conundrum related to the representation of this construct conceptualized as a trait (i.e., trait EI), which are in turn reflected in the current lack of agreement upon its constituent elements, posing significant challenges to research and clinical progress. Trait EI is defined as an umbrella personality-alike construct reflecting emotion-related dispositions and self-perceptions. The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue) was chosen as main measure, given its strong theoretical and psychometrical basis, including superior predictive validity when compared to other trait EI measures. Studies 1 and 2 aimed at validating the Italian 153-items forms of the TEIQue devoted to adolescents and adults. Analyses were done to investigate the structure of the questionnaire, its internal consistencies and gender differences at the facets, factor, and global level of both versions. Despite some low reliabilities, results from Studies 1 and 2 confirm the four-factor structure of the TEIQue. Study 3 investigated the utility of trait EI in a sample of adolescents over internalizing conditions (i.e., symptoms of anxiety and depression) and academic performance (grades at math and Italian language/literacy). Beyond trait EI, concurrent effects of demographic variables, higher order personality dimensions and non-verbal cognitive ability were controlled for. Study 4a and Study 4b addressed analogue research questions, through a meta-analysis and new data in on adults. In the latter case, effects of demographics, emotion regulation strategies, and the Big Five were controlled. Overall, these studies showed the incremental utility of the TEIQue in different domains beyond relevant predictors. Analyses performed at the level of the four-TEIQue factors consistently indicated that its predictive effects were mainly due to the factor Well-Being. Findings are discussed with reference to potential implication for theory and practice.

The impact of social roles on trait judgments: a critical reexamination

Consistent with social role theory's assumption that the role behavior of men and women shapes gender stereotypes, earlier experiments have found that men's and women's occupancy of the same role eliminated gender-stereotypical judgments of greater agency and lower communion in men than women. The shifting standards model raises the question of whether a shift to within-sex standards in judgments of men and women in roles could have masked underlying gender stereotypes. To examine this possibility, two experiments obtained judgments of men and women using measures that do or do not restrain shifts to within-sex standards. This measure variation did not affect the social role pattern of smaller perceived sex differences in the presence of role information. These findings thus support the social role theory claim that designations of identical roles for subgroups of men and women eliminate or reduce perceived sex differences.

Self-control strength in the relation between trait test anxiety and state anxiety

The present research examined whether in a test situation, the relation between trait test anxiety and state anxiety depends on the momentary availability of self-control strength. Since self-control strength is crucial for emotion regulation, we assume that trait test anxiety is more closely related to state anxiety if self-control strength is depleted than if it is not depleted. We conducted an experiment with 119 undergraduates in which we measured trait test anxiety, manipulated availability of self-control strength, and assessed state anxiety after a test announcement. Consistent with the assumption, multiple regression analyses revealed that trait test anxiety and state anxiety were positively related if self-control strength was depleted, but were not related if self-control strength was intact.

The Structure and Correlates of Self-Reported DSM-5 Maladaptive Personality Traits: Findings From Two German-Speaking Samples

The authors investigated the structure and correlates of DSM-5 maladaptive personality traits in two samples of 577 students and 212 inpatients using the German self-report form of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5. They found that (a) the factor structure of DSM-5 trait facets is largely in line with the proposed trait domains of Negative Affectivity, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism; (b) all DSM-5 trait domains except Psychoticism are highly related to the respective domains of the Five-Factor Model of personality; (c) the trait facets are positively associated with a self-report measure of general personality dysfunction; and (d) the DSM-5 trait facets show differential associations with a range of self-reported DSM-IV Axis I disorders. These findings give further support to the new DSM-5 trait model and suggest that it may generalize to other languages and cul

Behavior trait ratings by peers and references,

Mode of access: Internet.

The Short-EMBU in Australia, Spain, and Venezuela - Factorial invariance, and associations with sex roles, self-esteem, and Eysenckian personality dimensions

The short(s)-EMBU (Swedish acronym for Egna Minnen Betraffande Uppfostran [My memories of upbringing]) consists of 23 items, is based on the early 81-item EMBU, and was developed out of the necessity of having a brief measure of perceived parental rearing practices when the clinical and/or research context does not adequately permit application of time-consuming test batteries. The s-EMBU comprises three subscales: Rejection., Emotional Warmth, and (Over)Protection. The factorial and/or construct validity and reliability of the s-EMBU were examined in samples comprising a total of 1950 students from Australia, Spain, and Venezuela. The data were presented for the three national groups separately. Findings confirmed the cross-national validity of the factorial structure underlying the s-EMBU. Rejection by fathers and mothers was consistently associated with high trait-neuroticism and low self-esteem in recipients of both sexes in each nation, as was high parental emotional warmth with high femininity (humility). The findings on factorial validity are in keeping with previous ones obtained in East Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy, and Sweden. The s-EMBU is again recommended for use in several different countries as. a reliable, functional equivalent to the original 81-item EMBU.

Genetic and environmental influences on extreme personality dispositions in adolescent female twins

Background: The objective was to determine whether the pattern of environmental and genetic influences on deviant personality scores differs from that observed for the normative range of personality, comparing results in adolescent and adult female twins. Methods: A sample of 2,796 female adolescent twins ascertained from birth records provided Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire data. The average age of the sample was 17.0 years ( S. D. 2.3). Genetic analyses of continuous and extreme personality scores were conducted. Results were compared for 3,178 adult female twins. Results: Genetic analysis of continuous traits in adolescent female twins were similar to findings in adult female twins, with genetic influences accounting for between 37% and 44% of the variance in Extraversion (Ex), Neuroticism (N), and Social Non-Conformity (SNC), with significant evidence of shared environmental influences (19%) found only for SNC in the adult female twins. Analyses of extreme personality characteristics, defined categorically, in the adolescent data and replicated in the adult female data, yielded estimates for high N and high SNC that deviated substantially (p < .05) from those obtained in the continuous trait analyses, and provided suggestive evidence that shared family environment may play a more important role in determining personality deviance than has been previously found when personality is viewed continuously. However, multiple-threshold models that assumed the same genetic and environmental determinants of both normative range variation and extreme scores gave acceptable fits for each personality dimension. Conclusions: The hypothesis of differences in genetic or environmental factors responsible for N and SNC among female twins with scores in the extreme versus normative ranges was partially supported, but not for Ex.

Conceptual distinctions among Carver and White's (1994) BAS scales: A reward-reactivity versus trait impulsivity perspective

The 'BIS/BAS scales' (Carver & White, 1994) is the most widely cited inventory for assessing Gray's (1982,1991) Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) of personality. A peculiarity of this instrument is its three-factor representation of Gray's Behavioural Activation System (BAS), which mediates reactions to reward. While the BAS was initially proposed as the causal basis of Impulsivity, recent arguments suggest that Impulsivity is related to but distinct from reward-reactivity. In this paper, two studies examined Carver and White's BAS scales in terms of factor structure, and convergent/divergent validity when predicting proxies of Impulsivity and reward-reactivity. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed structural distinctions between the three BAS scales, and multivariate regression suggested that two of the scales (Drive and Reward-Responsiveness) reflect key concepts of the BAS, while the third (Fun-Seeking) has a broader focus, being equally related to reward-reactivity and Impulsivity. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The new reinforcement sensitivity theory: Implications for personality measurement

In this article, we review recent modifications to Jeffrey Gray's (1973, 1991) reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST), and attempt to draw implications for psychometric measurement of personality traits. First, we consider Gray and McNaughton's (2000) functional revisions to the biobehavioral systems of RST Second, we evaluate recent clarifications relating to interdependent effects that these systems may have on behavior, in addition to or in place of separable effects (e.g., Corr 2001; Pickering, 1997). Finally, we consider ambiguities regarding the exact trait dimension to which Gray's It reward system corresponds. From this review, we suggest that future work is needed to distinguish psychometric measures of (a) fear from anxiety and (b) reward-reactivity-from trait impulsivity. We also suggest, on the basis of interdependent system views of RST and associated exploration using formal models, that traits that are based upon RST are likely to have substantial intercorrelations. Finally, we advise that more substantive work is required to define relevant constructs and behaviors in RST before we can be confident in our psychometric measures of them.

Trait emotional intelligence facilitates responses to a social gambling task

The present study examines facilitative effects of trait emotional intelligence on decision making in a socially moderated, financial context. One hundred participants completed the trait emotional intelligence questionnaire and a computerised gambling card game, designed to simulate financial decision making. The results show that participants scoring high on the sociability factors made significantly better decisions in certain card game conditions compared to lower scoring counterparts. Results are discussed in light of dual-process theories.