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Nature Human Behaviour Sep 2023Personality and cognitive function are heritable mental traits whose genetic foundations may be distributed across interconnected brain functions. Previous studies have...
Personality and cognitive function are heritable mental traits whose genetic foundations may be distributed across interconnected brain functions. Previous studies have typically treated these complex mental traits as distinct constructs. We applied the 'pleiotropy-informed' multivariate omnibus statistical test to genome-wide association studies of 35 measures of neuroticism and cognitive function from the UK Biobank (n = 336,993). We identified 431 significantly associated genetic loci with evidence of abundant shared genetic associations, across personality and cognitive function domains. Functional characterization implicated genes with significant tissue-specific expression in all tested brain tissues and brain-specific gene sets. We conditioned independent genome-wide association studies of the Big 5 personality traits and cognitive function on our multivariate findings, boosting genetic discovery in other personality traits and improving polygenic prediction. These findings advance our understanding of the polygenic architecture of these complex mental traits, indicating a prominence of pleiotropic genetic effects across higher order domains of mental function such as personality and cognitive function.
Topics: Humans; Genome-Wide Association Study; Personality; Phenotype; Multifactorial Inheritance; Cognition
PubMed: 37365406
DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01630-9 -
Acta Psychologica May 2024This study explored demographic, ideological, self-rating and personality traits correlates of the Dark Tetrad (DT4) which measures Narcissism (Special),...
This study explored demographic, ideological, self-rating and personality traits correlates of the Dark Tetrad (DT4) which measures Narcissism (Special), Machiavellianism (Crafty), Psychopathy (Wild), and Sadism (Mean) traits. In total, 447 adults completed three tests: a bright-side, work-related, personality test (HPTI: High Performance Type Indicator), a dark-side test (Short Dark Tetrad) and a number of self-ratings. Correlations and regressions showed that all four dark traits were associated with low Adjustment (Neuroticism), but also with high Risk-Taking and Competitiveness (low Agreeableness). The various measures accounted for a third of the variance in explaining the Mean (Sadistic) score, and 40 % for Special (Narcissism). Trait Competitiveness was most closely associated with all four dark traits.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Machiavellianism; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Sadism; Cognition; Neuroticism; Personality
PubMed: 38502994
DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104222 -
Acta Psychologica Sep 2023This study explores the relationship between bright- and dark-side personality traits and four major styles of defense mechanisms (DMs) as this relationship remains...
This study explores the relationship between bright- and dark-side personality traits and four major styles of defense mechanisms (DMs) as this relationship remains unexplored and important in understanding the DMs. In all, 435 adult working participants (241 men; 194 women; Mean age 46.06 yrs) mainly in middle management jobs, completed a 78-item, six-trait measure of bright-side personality (HPTI: High Potential Type Indicator), a 25-item five-trait measure of the dark-side personality (PID-5;BF: DSM-5-Brief Form) and 88-item, four-styles measure of defense mechanisms (Defense Style Questionnaire). The aim was to examine demographic (sex, age, education), ideological and personality trait correlates of the DMs. It was hypothesized that the dark-side traits, particularly Detachment would be most strongly related to the DMs. Thereafter, a hierarchical linear regression was performed with each DM factor as criterion and predictors being demography, ideology, self-esteem as well as bright- and dark-side personality traits. Detachment was associated with all DMs, particularly Maladaptive (r = 0.68) and Image Distorting Style (r = 0.38) while Conscientiousness was associated with none. One implication concerns the assessment of DMs by standard tests. Limitations are acknowledged and include method invariance and sample homogeneity.
Topics: Adult; Male; Humans; Female; Middle Aged; Personality Disorders; Personality; Surveys and Questionnaires; Self Concept; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Personality Inventory
PubMed: 37573741
DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.104002 -
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2023A paucity of cognitive and affective features of empathy can be correlated with violent behavior. We aimed to identify differences in empathy among four groups in a...
A paucity of cognitive and affective features of empathy can be correlated with violent behavior. We aimed to identify differences in empathy among four groups in a sample of 100 male participants: (1) 27 violent offenders with schizophrenia, (2) 23 nonviolent patients with schizophrenia, (3) 25 patients with antisocial personality disorder, and (4) 25 subjects from the general population, who formed the control group. Schizophrenia symptoms were quantified with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Empathy was measured with the empathy quotient. Theory of mind was evaluated using (a) the first-order false-belief task, (b) the hinting task, (c) the faux pas recognition test and (d) the "reading the mind in the eyes" test (revised). Differences noted among the groups were age (controls were younger) and educational status (antisocials were less educated). The empathy quotient scoring ( < 0.001) and theory-of-mind tests ( < 0.001) were distinct between the control group and the three other groups of participants, but not among the three patient groups. Patients with antisocial personality disorder, violent psychotic offenders and psychotic nonviolent patients show no remarkable differences in affective or cognitive empathy tests, but they all present deficits in empathy and theory of mind when compared to controls.
PubMed: 38200995
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12010089 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Jul 2023The aim of the current study is to investigate the associations between personality traits and mental health in people with asthma and compare it with people without...
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the current study is to investigate the associations between personality traits and mental health in people with asthma and compare it with people without asthma.
METHODS
Data came from UKHLS with 3929 patients with asthma with a mean age of 49.19 (S.D. = 15.23) years old (40.09 % males) and 22,889 healthy controls (42.90 % males) with a mean age of 45.60 (S.D. = 17.23) years old. First, the current study investigated the difference in Big Five personality traits and mental health between people with and without asthma using a predictive normative modeling approach with one-sample t-tests. Second, a hierarchical regression accompanied by two multiple regressions was used to determine how personality traits may relate to people with and without asthma differently.
RESULTS
The current study found asthma patients have significantly higher Neuroticism, higher Openness, lower Conscientiousness, higher Extraversion, and worse mental health. Asthma status significantly moderated the association between Neuroticism and mental health with this relationship being stronger in people with asthma. Moreover, Neuroticism was positively related to worse mental health and Conscientiousness and Extraversion were negatively associated with worse mental health in people with and without asthma. However, Openness was negatively associated with worse mental health in people without asthma but not in people with asthma.
LIMITATIONS
The limitations of the current study include cross-sectional designs, self-reported measured, and limited generalizability to other countries.
CONCLUSION
Clinicians and health professionals should use findings from the current study to come up with prevention and interaction programs that promote mental health based on personality traits in asthma patients.
Topics: Male; Humans; Middle Aged; Adolescent; Female; Personality; Mental Health; Cross-Sectional Studies; Neuroticism; Asthma; Personality Inventory
PubMed: 37075823
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.022 -
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin Jun 2023The idea that matching personality expression with situational demands is adaptive is implicit in many accounts of personality. Numerous constructs and measures have...
The idea that matching personality expression with situational demands is adaptive is implicit in many accounts of personality. Numerous constructs and measures have been posited to address this or similar phenomena. Few have proven adequate. In response, we proposed and tested a novel measurement approach (the APR index) assessing real-time behavior to rate participants' success in matching personality expression with situational demands, which we denote adaptive personality regulation. An experimental study ( = 88) and an observational study of comedians ( = 203) provided tests of whether the APR index constituted a useful metric of adaptive personality regulation. In both studies, the APR index showed robust psychometric properties; was statistically unique from mean-level personality, self-monitoring, and the general factor of personality expression; and provided incremental concurrent prediction of task/job performance. The results suggest that the APR index provides a useful metric for studying the phenomenon of successfully matching personality expression to situational demands.
PubMed: 37332204
DOI: 10.1177/01461672231177567