Personality

1. Personality

2. Personality & health: Methodology • “Nomological net” – based research • Antecedents • Origins • Context • Moderators(?) • Developmental trajectory • Neurological basis • Construct • Core assumptions • Stability • Generality • Validity • Discriminant • Convergent • Correspondence to known neuroψ process • Mediators • “Boundary conditions” • Assessment • Consequences • Direct v. indirect • “Main effects” • Stress – vulnerability • Biomedical v. behavioral • 2nd mediators • Social-cognitive processes • Ancillary behaviors • Support • conflict

3. Methods: outcomes & processes • de Wit (2009): Illustration of integrated processes, outcomes & operational definitions (By population: ADHD for “waiting turn”, alcoholics for “resisting drink”)

4. Methodology, 2 • Trait correlations v. mediating research: • “What” • Type A / hostility  CHD risk in non-ill samples • Optimism  speed of recovery from breast cancer • “How” • Type A  alcohol & drugs / smoking + cardio vascular reactivity / HPA activation  inflammation • Optimism  Instrumental coping, lower basal arousal • Contextual variables: moderating research • Gender effects (x cultural expectancies) • Race / ethnicity • Other minority status’: • Sexual orientation and personality development, stress responses • SES.

5. Methods, 3 • Core potential circularity in personality explanations: • Behavioral consistency is basis for trait ascription, and then serves as explanation of that same consistency: • how do you know someone is “warm”? • Core limitation in personality research: • Diverse measures of personality traits • Self-report measures of personaltiy • Self-report measures of health  bias in health reports may reflect of personality constructs! (stoicism, neuroticism…) • Lack of construct validity studies • Cross sectional research designs • “Shotgun” / non-hypothesis based approaches to personality prediction • E.g., Taylor paper & iteration through 5 factor model

6. Basic conceptual frameworks Behavioral Consistency Social / cognitive processes Outcomes • Biomedical processes • Health behaviors • Health status • Broad traits • “Type A” / “hardiness” • Big 5… • Attitudes & expectancies • Self-schema Social / cognitive processes Behavioral Consistency Outcomes • Outcome & efficacy expectancies • Self-schema, attitudes • Biomedical processes • Health behaviors • Health status • Reinforcement & increasing stability of social – cognitive processes • Choice of social environments • Structure of social interactions

7. Social-cognitive + personality famework: • “Personality”-based consistency in social – cognitive processes • Sarason: Within-Ss consistency in social support • Self-esteem  self-efficacy • BIS / BAS  approach v. avoidant coping (see Amodio paper)

8. Biologically based models • Approach v. avoidance • Behavioral inhibition system (BIS) v. Behavioral activation system (BAS) • Introversion v. extroversion (v. neuroticism) [Esynck] • Korte: “Hawks” v. “Doves” in coping with allostatic load (stress). • Controlled v. automatic processing • Impulsivity, sensation seeking, “thrill seeking” • Developmentally early • “Prepotent” response • PFC / “executive functioning”: self regulation • Developmentally (& temporally) late • Language dependent (?) • Disposition toward effortful cognitive control (?)

9. Personality  health approaches • General mediating / heuristic model of personality effects on health Health Behaviors “Appraisal”: Stress & coping Personality Biomedical processes  Outcomes Selective approach of social contexts Physiological reactivity

10. Potential mental health mediators Health Behaviors Negative affect “Appraisal”: Stress & coping Biomedical processes  Outcomes Personality Selective approach of social contexts Depression, “illness behavior” Physiological reactivity

11. Potential mental health mediators, 2 Health Behaviors Negative affect “Appraisal”: Stress & coping Biomedical processes  Outcomes Personality Selective approach of social contexts Depression, “illness behavior” Physiological reactivity

12. Personality  health approaches:Personality constructs Health Behaviors “Appraisal”: Stress & coping Personality Biomedical processes  Outcomes Selective approach of social contexts Physiological reactivity

13. Personality constructs • Type A Personality • Externalizing anger & hostility • Striving & dominance • Time urgency • Negative affectivity / Neuroticism • Watson & Clark, 1984: low construct validity of affect subscales • Anxiety, dysphoria / depression, alienation, loneliness, self-esteem… • Differentiation from clinical depression? • Threshold for Rx v. chronic state • Differentiation of NA from PA (?) 

14. Personality constructs • Coping styles • Approach v. avoidant • “BIS” / “BAS” • “Self-monitorer” v. “Blunter” • Affective v. instrumental • Impulsivity • Effortful control / “Need for control” • Optimism • Carver & Schier, Seligman: LOT – R • Differentiation from: Neuroticism, NA / PA, pessimism 

15. LOT - R  Please be as honest and accurate as you can throughout. Try not to let your response to one statement influence your responses to other statements. There are no "correct" or "incorrect" answers. Answer according to your own feelings, rather than how you think "most people" would answer. 1. In uncertain times, I usually expect the best. [2. It's easy for me to relax.] 3. If something can go wrong for me, it will. 4. I'm always optimistic about my future. [5. I enjoy my friends a lot.] [6. It's important for me to keep busy.] 7. I hardly ever expect things to go my way. [8. I don't get upset too easily.] 9. I rarely count on good things happening to me. 10. Overall, I expect more good things to happen to me than bad. A = I agree a lot B = I agree a little C = I neither agree nor disagree D = I DISagree a little E = I DISagree a lot

16. Big 5 model • Openness to experience • Intelligence? • Tolerance for ambiguity? • Sensation seeking? • Conscientiousness • Impulse control • “Need for control” • “Perfectionism” • Perspective taking • Introversion  Extraversion • Sensation seeking • BIS / BAS disposition • Sociability • Optimism? • Agreeableness • Intelligence? • Tolerance for ambiguity? • Sensation seeking? • Effortful cognitive control • Neuroticism • Trait anxiety • “Threat sensitivity” • Avoidance

17. Big 5 model • Openness to experience • Intelligence? • Tolerance for ambiguity? • Sensation seeking? • Conscientiousness • Impulse control • “Need for control” • “Perfectionism” • Perspective taking • Introversion  Extraversion • Sensation seeking • BIS / BAS disposition • Sociability • Optimism? • Agreeableness • Intelligence? • Tolerance for ambiguity? • Sensation seeking? • Effortful cognitive control • Neuroticism • Trait anxiety • “Threat sensitivity” • Avoidance • Hans Eysenck’s model • Highly stable x time & context • Strong predictor of misc. social behaviors

18. Big 5 model • Openness to experience • Intelligence? • Tolerance for ambiguity? • Sensation seeking? • Conscientiousness • Impulse control • “Need for control” • “Perfectionism” • Perspective taking • Introversion  Extraversion • Sensation seeking • BIS / BAS disposition • Sociability • Optimism? • Agreeableness • Intelligence? • Tolerance for ambiguity? • Sensation seeking? • Effortful cognitive control • Neuroticism • Trait anxiety • “Threat sensitivity” • Avoidance Strong associations with health behaviors & outcomes

19. Grande 5 2009 2010

20. Personality  health approaches:Health behaviors Health Behaviors “Appraisal”: Stress & coping Personality Biomedical processes  Outcomes Selective approach of social contexts Physiological reactivity

21. Health behaviors • Alcohol or drug use • Smoking • Health precautionary behaviors • Exercise • Diet • Social support acquisition / social isolation 

22. Personality  health approaches:Appraisal & coping Health Behaviors “Appraisal”: Stress & coping Personality Biomedical processes  Outcomes Selective approach of social contexts Physiological reactivity

23. Appraisal & coping: Stress • Taylor: Allostatic load • (Perceived) Demands exceed (perceived) capacity • Limited coping resources • Key distinctions: • Acute v. chronic • Controllable v. non-controllable • Cohen: Threat & affect • Perceived threat • Personal susceptibility / vulnerability • Outcome expectancies • Efficacy expectancies • Perceived harm • Perceived loss Key assessment issue: “Objective” v. perceived stress 

24. Coping models, 1 • Affective (emotion-focused) v. instrumental (problem-focused) • Short-term, abstract / high-level v. concrete, longer-term • Strong effect of efficacy & outcome expectancies • Approach (engagement) v. avoidant (disengagement) • Overlaps with emotion  problem focused coping • Goal pursuit  goal abandonment • Governs effect of coping behaviors: 

25. Coping models, 2 • Accommodation v. Meaning • Changing / abandoning goals • Accommodating to.. • negative affect • diminished capacity • Searching for meaning • “Transforming” to new life approach • Finding controllable actions • Tailor: cancer survival • Rodin: geriatric morbidity “Negative” coping “Positive” coping 

26. Coping models, 3 • Cognitive escape v. self-awareness / self-monitoring • “Automatic”, affective v. controlled responding • “Problem” behaviors as escape strategies • Escape as context for risk / “problem” behaviors • Substance use • High sensation activities • Driven by, e.g., • Low self-efficacy / generalized self-esteem • High negative affectivity • High impulsivity (?) 

27. Coping models, 4 • Key potential interactions • “John Henryism” among African-Americans • Active coping style + limited resources • Age / gender differences: • Stressors • Socially “sanctioned” coping styles 

28. Personality  health approaches:Social behavior Health Behaviors “Appraisal”: Stress & coping Personality Biomedical processes  Outcomes Selective approach of social contexts Physiological reactivity

29. Approach of social contexts • Support garnering • Conflict engendering • E.g., “paranoid personality style” (Lemert) • Exposure to stressful environments • Exposure to risk environments • Peer selection • Neuroticism  approach of 

30. Personality  coping styles

31. Personality  coping styles:Type of stress as a moderator “Dispositional optimism” is associated with less avoidant coping • Effect is moderated by type of stress • Academic • Health • Optimism not associated with approach coping • Not trauma

32. Personality  health approaches:Reactivity Health Behaviors “Appraisal”: Stress & coping Personality Biomedical processes  Outcomes Selective approach of social contexts Physiological reactivity

33. Physiological reactivity • Hypothalamic / pituitary / adrenal [HPA] axis • Heart rate • Bp • Cortisol / catecholamines • Pro-inflammatory cytokines

34. Personality effects: moderating & mediating variables • Taylor: simultaneous mediating & moderating effects surrounding Big 5 factors  Mortality Figure 6. Structural equation model to show the relationships between NEO-FFI openness and other risk factors on all-cause mortality in men (N 652). All of the parameters were statistically significant. Coefficients placed beside arrows may be squared to give the percentage of variance shared by adjacent variables. Figure 5. Structural equation model to show the relationships between NEO-FFI conscientiousness and other risk factors on all-cause mortality in men (N 652). All of the parameters were statistically significant. Coefficients placed beside arrows may be squared to give the percentage of variance shared by adjacent variables.

35. Personality effects: moderating & mediating variables, 2 Crawford et al. (2003): • Consistent with a “cognitive escape” model, lessened concern over HIV mediates the effect of SS on risk. Lessened concern Sensation seeking Sexual risk • Relationship status moderates the effect of lessened concern  HIV risk.

36. Some general notes on personality approaches • Utility to translate into more practical applications. • Are core personality constructs changeable? • Is stability a defining characteristic? • If so, how is personality research applicable? • Does a general shift, e.g., in “well being” translate into actual health behavior later. • Intersection of (more transient) affect with stable personality variables: Melissa Cyder, U Kentucky • Tendency to act rashly (risky sexual behavior, alcohol abuse) exacerbated by intense negative and positive mood. • Positive urgency, liked with a specific genetic polymorphism, prospectively predicts increases in the quantity of alcohol consumed per occasion • Sensation seeking only predicts increases in drinking frequency - taking on a more global role.

37. Notes, 2 • Important aspect of addiction research in general is a lack of clearly defined terms. • de Wit: impulsivity not defined consistently across studies • Also true of the term "addiction“: • Translation of addiction -like constructs into, e.g., • Internet • Sex • Exercise … • BIS / BAS model is changing: • shifting from looking at behavioral outcomes • to broader cognitive and self-regulatory processes. •  What does BIS / BAS actually capture? Pinball?

38. Context of personality effects? • Context-dependency and its role in personality  behavior linkages • focusing on broad links between personality and health behavior is missing a fundamental, more exogenous, component: social context. • Yanovitzky (2005): “Deviant” peers Lessened concern Sensation seeking Sensation seeking Bad behavior Sexual risk ~ Crawford and my findings re: ψ context (mediator)…