Agreeableness modulates mental state decoding: Electrophysiological evidence.

Agreeableness is one of the five personality traits which is associated with theory of mind (ToM) abilities. One of the critical processes involved in ToM is the decoding of emotional cues. In the present study, we investigated whether this process is modulated by agreeableness using electroencephalography (EEG) while taking into account task complexity and sex differences that are expected to moderate the relationship between emotional decoding and agreeableness. This approach allowed us to identify at which stage of the neural processing agreeableness kicks in, in order to distinguish the impact on early, perceptual processes from slower, inferential processing. Two tasks were employed and submitted to 62 participants during EEG recording: the reading the mind in the eyes (RME) task, requiring the decoding of complex mental states from eye expressions, and the biological (e)motion task, involving the perception of basic emotional actions through point-light body stimuli. Event-related potential (ERP) results showed a significant correlation between agreeableness and the contrast for emotional and non-emotional trials in a late time window only during the RME task. Specifically, higher levels of agreeableness were associated with a deeper neural processing of emotional versus non-emotional trials within the whole and male samples. In contrast, the modulation in females was negligible. The source analysis highlighted that this ERP-agreeableness association engages the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Our findings expand previous research on personality and social processing and confirm that sex modulates this relationship.

Feelings as a currency of care: A role for agreeableness in emotional reactivity.

OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND: The personality trait of agreeableness is linked to a number of core tendencies (e.g., empathy, warmth) that operate in a feeling-based manner. Following considerations of this type, it is proposed that the motivations and characteristics of agreeable individuals, relative to disagreeable individuals, should render them more receptive to emotional events and more responsive to them for this reason. METHOD: Potential links between agreeableness and emotional reactivity were assessed in two studies involving four samples (total N = 517) in which participants continuously rated their feeling states in response to a variety of affective images. RESULTS: Agreeableness did not predict the speed with which emotional reactions began, but agreeable individuals exhibited higher-magnitude peak intensities, regardless of whether stimuli were appetitive (pleasant) or aversive (unpleasant) in nature. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide novel insights into the personality trait of agreeableness, emotional reactivity phenomena, and the dynamic processes that link agreeableness to emotion.

Testing the equivalence of the aversive core of personality and a blend of agreeableness(-related) items.

OBJECTIVE: There is an ongoing debate in personality research whether the common core of aversive ("dark") traits can be approximated by or even considered equivalent to one of the constructs that have been labeled "Agreeableness". In particular, it has been suggested that the low pole of (what we term) AG+, a broad blend of Big Five Agreeableness and the HEXACO factors Honesty-Humility, Agreeableness, and Altruism, is essentially equivalent to the Dark Factor of Personality (D). Based on theoretical differences, we herein test empirically whether D and AG+ are isomorphic. METHODS: Self-report data on D, AG+, and eight criterion measures reflecting justifying beliefs, inflicting disutility on others, and affiliative tendencies were collected in a pre-registered study (N = 1156) and analyzed via confirmatory factor modeling. RESULTS: Results speak against unity of D and AG+ (35% shared variance) and support the notion that D subsumes a broader range of aversive content (i.e., justifying beliefs and inflicting disutility on others) than AG+, which, in turn, subsumes a slightly broader range of non-aversive, affiliative tendencies. CONCLUSION: We conclude that AG+ is non-equivalent to the common core of aversive traits, D.

Open-hearted: Preferences for openness in the agreeableness domain.

OBJECTIVE: Open objects encourage interactivity and closed objects discourage it. Repeated experiences with open and closed objects are thought to give rise to spatial concepts that can be used to represent a variety of entities such as societies, others, and the self. The present investigation pursues the idea that preferring that which is open to that which is closed is more compatible with an agreeable mode of interacting with others. METHOD: Three studies (total N = 901) asked participants whether they preferred "open" or "closed" as spatial concepts. Such preferences were linked to variations in agreeableness, peer perceptions, and daily measures of pro-social functioning. RESULTS: Open-preferring, relative to closed-preferring, individuals scored higher in agreeableness (Study 1) and were rated by peers as interpersonally warmer (Study 2). Open preferences varied within and across persons in a daily diary protocol and, in both cases, higher levels of open preference were linked to higher levels of pro-social feeling (Study 3). CONCLUSION: The findings point to a fundamental component of spatial orientation that plays a significant role in encouraging (open) or discouraging (closed) warm, interactive relations with others.

Personality predictors of dementia diagnosis and neuropathological burden: An individual participant data meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The extent to which the Big Five personality traits and subjective well-being (SWB) are discriminatory predictors of clinical manifestation of dementia versus dementia-related neuropathology is unclear. METHODS: Using data from eight independent studies (Ntotal = 44,531; Ndementia = 1703; baseline Mage = 49 to 81 years, 26 to 61% female; Mfollow-up range = 3.53 to 21.00 years), Bayesian multilevel models tested whether personality traits and SWB differentially predicted neuropsychological and neuropathological characteristics of dementia. RESULTS: Synthesized and individual study results indicate that high neuroticism and negative affect and low conscientiousness, extraversion, and positive affect were associated with increased risk of long-term dementia diagnosis. There were no consistent associations with neuropathology. DISCUSSION: This multistudy project provides robust, conceptually replicated and extended evidence that psychosocial factors are strong predictors of dementia diagnosis but not consistently associated with neuropathology at autopsy. HIGHLIGHTS: N(+), C(-), E(-), PA(-), and NA(+) were associated with incident diagnosis. Results were consistent despite self-report versus clinical diagnosis of dementia. Psychological factors were not associated with neuropathology at autopsy. Individuals with higher conscientiousness and no diagnosis had less neuropathology. High C individuals may withstand neuropathology for longer before death.

Neuropeptide Y gene variants and Agreeableness: interaction effect with the birth cohort and the serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism.

OBJECTIVE: Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a powerful regulator of anxious states, including social anxiety, but evidence from human genetic studies is limited. Associations of common gene variants with behaviour have been described as subject to birth cohort effects, especially if the behaviour is socially motivated. This study aimed to examine the association of NPY rs16147 and rs5574 with personality traits in highly representative samples of two birth cohorts of young adults, the samples having been formed during a period of rapid societal transition. METHODS: Both birth cohorts (original n = 1238) of the Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study (ECPBHS) self-reported personality traits of the five-factor model at 25 years of age. RESULTS: A significant interaction effect of the NPY rs16147 and rs5574 and birth cohort on Agreeableness was found. The T/T genotype of NPY rs16147 resulted in low Agreeableness in the older cohort (born 1983) and in high Agreeableness in the younger cohort (born 1989). The C/C genotype of NPY rs5574 was associated with higher Agreeableness in the younger but not in the older cohort. In the NPY rs16147 T/T homozygotes, the deviations from average in Agreeableness within the birth cohort were dependent on the serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism. CONCLUSIONS: The association between the NPY gene variants and a personality domain reflecting social desirability is subject to change qualitatively in times of rapid societal changes, serving as an example of the relationship between the plasticity genes and environment. The underlying mechanism may involve the development of the serotonergic system.

Seeking help for nightmares: Associated personality factors.

Research indicated that patients suffering from nightmares are often undertreated. One reason for this gap is that nightmare sufferers themselves often have not sought professional help for their nightmares, and-if they did-it was not very helpful. The current study aimed at studying trait factors (personality, harm avoidance) in relation to the persons considering seeking professional help. In a population-sample of 1108 persons (712 women, 396 men) with a mean age of 50.55 ± 14.22 years, it was also found that only some of the persons who have problems with nightmares even considered seeking professional help as an option. As expected and after controlling for effects of nightmare frequency, persons with high harm avoidance and high introversion were more likely not seeking help for their problems with nightmares. The associations with low education, low agreeableness and low conscientiousness with considering seeking professional help might point to the fear of stigmatisation in nightmare sufferers. Interestingly, the association between harm avoidance and "Considering seeking professional help" was even stronger in the subsample of frequent nightmare sufferers (once a week or more often). Future efforts should aim at findings new ways to offer adequate help for nightmares and increase the knowledge about nightmare treatment in healthcare professionals.

Agreeableness and adolescents' cyberbullying perpetration: A longitudinal moderated mediation model of moral disengagement and empathy.

OBJECTIVE: The current study explored whether agreeableness predicted cyberbullying perpetration across 3 years and extended previous studies by exploring the mediating effect of moral disengagement and the moderating effects of empathy and gender. METHOD: The participants included 2407 adolescents from 7 middle schools in China. They were recruited to complete the Big Five Personality Inventory, Bullying Scale and Empathy Scale at Time 1, Moral Disengagement Scale at Time 1 and Time 2, and Cyberbullying Perpetration Scale at Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3. RESULTS: Agreeableness at Time 1 predicted cyberbullying perpetration at Time 3 and moral disengagement at Time 2 mediated this relationship. The relationship between moral disengagement at Time 2 and cyberbullying perpetration at Time 3 was stronger for low cognitive empathy adolescents than high cognitive empathy adolescents at Time 1. The relationship between agreeableness at Time 1 and cyberbullying perpetration adolescents at Time 3 was stronger for low affective empathy than high affective empathy adolescents at Time 1. The link between moral disengagement at Time 2 and cyberbullying perpetration at Time 3 was weaker for females than males. CONCLUSIONS: Low agreeableness adolescents are more likely to use moral disengagement, which in turn leads to more cyberbullying perpetration.

Daily agreeableness and acculturation processes in ethnic/racial minority freshmen: The role of inter-ethnic contact and perceived discrimination.

OBJECTIVES: Having higher levels of mainstream cultural orientation (MCO), an important component of acculturation attitudes and behaviors, is beneficial for ethnic/racial minority students during the transitions into university. Scant research has investigated MCO at a micro daily timescale. This study examined how personality (agreeableness) functions in conjunction with interpersonal processes (inter-ethnic contact and perceived discrimination) to influence MCO as daily within-person processes. METHODS: Multi-level structural equation modeling were used to analyze month-long daily diary data from 209 ethnic/racial minority freshmen (69% female). RESULTS: There was a positive indirect association between agreeableness and MCO through inter-ethnic contact at both within- and between-person levels. At the within-person level, on days with lower (vs. higher) levels of ethnic/racial discrimination, higher levels of agreeableness were associated with higher levels of MCO. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the contributions of intensive longitudinal data in elucidating ethnic/racial minority students' personality and acculturation processes in daily life involving protective and risk factors on micro timescales.

Big Five Personality Traits, Social Networks, and Depression Among Older Adults in Japan: A Multiple Mediation Analysis.

This study examines the mediating effect of social network size on depression among older adults in Japan in association with the Big Five personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 739 older adults (Mean age = 75.13, SD = 6.86) residing in Tokyo. Multiple mediation analyses estimated total, indirect, and direct effects between personality and depression. Extraversion was associated with the number of kin and friend networks and agreeableness with the number of kin networks. Moreover, these social networks partially mediated the effects of extraversion and agreeableness on depression. The findings show that personality traits such as extraversion and agreeableness are associated with social network size, which contributes to better mental health in old age.

Agreeableness and Its Consequences: A Quantitative Review of Meta-Analytic Findings.

Agreeableness impacts people and real-world outcomes. In the most comprehensive quantitative review to date, we summarize results from 142 meta-analyses reporting effects for 275 variables, which represent N > 1.9 million participants from k > 3,900 studies. Arranging variables by their content and type, we use an organizational framework of 16 conceptual categories that presents a detailed account of Agreeableness' external relations. Overall, the trait has effects in a desirable direction for 93% of variables (grand mean ρ¯M=.16). We also review lower order trait evidence for 42 variables from 20 meta-analyses. Using these empirical findings, in tandem with existing theory, we synthesize eight general themes that describe Agreeableness' characteristic functioning across variables: self-transcendence, contentment, relational investment, teamworking, work investment, lower results emphasis, social norm orientation, and social integration. We conclude by discussing potential boundary conditions of findings, contributions and limitations of our review, and future research directions.

Beyond (low) Agreeableness: Toward a more comprehensive understanding of antagonistic psychopathology.

In clinical psychopathology research, up to seven traits have been suggested as instances of antagonistic psychopathology. Those antagonistic traits, in turn, are commonly viewed as reflections of low Agreeableness as per the Big Five (BF-AG). However, specific theoretical differences between antagonistic traits suggest that other broad, basic dimensions beyond BF-AG ought to provide further points of correspondence. Specifically, whereas primarily affective antagonistic traits are closely aligned with BF-AG, primarily behavioral antagonistic traits are better aligned with Honesty-Humility (HH) from the HEXACO model and primarily cognitive antagonistic traits are better aligned with the common core of aversive traits (the Dark Factor of Personality, D). Indeed, from a theoretical perspective, D seems to be the only candidate sufficiently covering all aspects of antagonistic traits (affect, behavior, and cognition) to a comparable extent and thus affording a balanced representation of antagonistic psychopathology. We critically test these conjectures in a large and heterogeneous online sample (N = 3,396), investigating the overlap between antagonistic traits and basic personality via structural equation modeling. Results show that BF-AG, HH, and D each yield particularly strong ties to one group of antagonistic traits (affective, behavioral, and cognitive, respectively), while D offers the most balanced representation of all (groups of) antagonistic traits.

Developmental trajectories of Big Five personality traits among adolescents and young adults: Differences by sex, alcohol use, and marijuana use.

OBJECTIVE: Individual differences in adolescent personality are related to a variety of long-term health outcomes. While previous studies have demonstrated sex differences and non-linear changes in personality development, these results remain equivocal. The current study utilized longitudinal data (n = 831) from the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence to examine sex differences in the development of personality and the association between substance use and personality. METHOD: Participants (ages 12-21 at baseline) completed the Ten-Item Personality Inventory and self-reported past year alcohol and marijuana use at up to 7 yearly visits. Data were analyzed using generalized additive mixed-effects models and linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS: Findings support linear increases in agreeableness and conscientious and decreases in openness with age and inform on timing of sex-specific non-linear development of extraversion and emotional stability. Further, results provide novel information regarding the timing of the association between substance use and personality, and replicate past reporting of differential associations between alcohol and marijuana use and extraversion, and sex-dependent effects of marijuana use on emotional stability. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of modeling sex differences in personality development using flexible non-linear modeling strategies, and accounting for sex- and age-specific effects of alcohol and marijuana use.

The Big Five personality traits and regularity of lifetime dental visit attendance: evidence of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).

BACKGROUND: Regular dental visits are essential for the prevention, early detection and treatment of worldwide highly prevalent oral diseases. Personality traits were previously associated with treatment compliance, medication adherence and regular doctor visits, however, the link between personality traits and regular dental visit attendance remains largely unexplored. Thus, the objective of this study is to clarify this link. METHODS: Data (wave 7) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were used, focusing on Germany (n = 2822). Personality was assessed using the 10-item Big Five Inventory (BFI-10). Regular dental visits were assessed. Multiple logistic regressions were used, adjusting for various covariates. RESULTS: Majority of the participants (84%) reported to attend regular dental visits during lifetime. Regularity of lifetime dental visit attendance was positively and significantly associated with increased extraversion [OR 1.13, 95% CI (1.01-1.26)], increased conscientiousness [OR 1.26, 95% CI (1.10-1.44)], and increased openness to experience [OR 1.12, 95% CI (1.01-1.26)]. However, there was a lack of association with agreeableness and neuroticism. Moreover, the outcome measure was positively associated with younger age, being female, born in Germany, being married, higher education, being retired (compared to being homemaker), whereas it was not associated with obesity or chronic diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of personality traits that are associated with regular dental visits can support prevention, screening and clinical management of oral diseases. Further research in this field may facilitate the development and increase the incorporation of individualized concepts to enhance patient compliance and attendance, and thus the provision of oral and dental care services.

Perceptions of Positive Parenting Predict Increases in Resilience for Low Neurotic and High Agreeable Adolescents.

This study examines whether adolescent personality moderates longitudinal associations between perceived parenting practices and changes in adolescent resilience. A community sample of 442 (224 boys, 218 girls) Lithuanian adolescents completed surveys twice, one year apart, beginning in Grade 11 (M=17.1 years old). Adolescent self-reports described resilience, personality (neuroticism and agreeableness), and perceptions of positive parenting (support and monitoring). Adolescent personality moderated associations between initial perceptions of parenting and changes in resilience. Monitoring and support anticipated greater resilience for adolescents low but not high on neuroticism. Monitoring also anticipated greater resilience for adolescents high but not low on agreeableness. Consistent with the vantage-resistance hypothesis, the results suggest that neuroticism and disagreeableness interfere with the child's ability to profit from positive environmental experiences.

Exploring the Links between Personality and Immune Function.

Decades of research finds associations between personality traits and health. In recent years, it has become clear that the activities of the immune system play a key role in linking these variables. In the current work, we add to this research by exploring the relationship between Big Five personality traits and (Study 1) polymorphisms known to impact cytokine release and (Study 2) immunological parameters measured in vivo (differential white blood cell counts, plasma proinflammatory cytokine levels) and in vitro (proinflammatory cytokine release by peripheral blood mononuclear cells, Staphylococcus aureus growth in plasma). Results provide insights into potential mechanistic drivers of the link between personality and immune function and the possibility that, in some cases, relationships between personality and immune function may be sex differentiated.

The role of social context in risky decision-making: Presence of friend and low resistance to peer influence increase risky decision-making.

Following sociocultural and personality theory, the current study addresses the need to investigate the influence of the social context and related personality variables on risky decision-making. Risky decision-making was assessed in six daily-life scenarios in a sample of 357 adult participants, ages 18-75. Scenarios differed regarding competition (competitive vs. non-competitive) and presence of others (alone, with friends, or with acquaintances). Additionally, the personality variables ego-strength, agreeableness, and resistance-to-peer influence as well as demographic variables were assessed. Results showed that participants made more risky decisions in the non-competitive scenarios and in the scenarios when they were accompanied by a friend compared to when they were alone. Regression analyses revealed that men made more risky decisions than women. High resistance-to-peer influence and agreeableness whereas related to fewer risky decisions. Overall, results showed the strong influence of social and personality factors on risky decision-making which could have implications for prevention programmes. Further, these results show that a pure cognitive approach to the study of risky decision-making is too narrow. Considering cognition, social context, and personality traits together seems to be a promising approach for the study of risky daily-life decisions.

Personality traits, alcohol use and problem drinking among undergraduates in southwest Nigeria.

Problem drinking, which may be more prominent among young adults, is associated with mental and physical complications. The onset, use, and abuse of alcohol may be related to personality traits such as agreeableness, neuroticism and extraversion. This study aimed to examine the relationship between personality traits and alcohol use among undergraduates in southwest Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study carried out among undergraduates in southwestern Nigeria. Four hundred and twelve (412) students were recruited using multi-stage random sampling from the total full-time student population. Each participant completed Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10). The result showed that the lifetime prevalence of alcohol use was 31.8% while 10.8% were involved in problem drinking. Also, there was an association between alcohol use, male gender and parental history of psychoactive substance use. Out of the 5 personality traits, the extraversion trait was higher among drinkers (P = 0.001) while agreeableness was significantly lower among drinkers (P = 0.033). Extraversion trait was significantly higher in respondents involved in problem drinking (P < 0.001). The predictors of problem drinking in this study were extraversion trait and male gender. The study suggests there are intervening factors mediating personality traits and problem drinking among undergraduates.

Relationship between preoperative anxiety and onset of delirium after cardiovascular surgery in elderly patients: focus on personality and coping process.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative delirium is associated with increased mortality. Therefore, it is important to manage delirium during the entire perioperative period. Preoperative anxiety is associated with poor prognosis in postoperative patients who have undergone cardiovascular surgery. This study aims to investigate the relationship between preoperative anxiety and onset of delirium after cardiovascular surgery in elderly patients (aged 65 years or older), considering the individual psychological characteristics, such as personality and stress coping skills in response to anxiety, as confounding factors. METHODS: This prospective study included patients aged >65 years in a preoperative state before undergoing cardiovascular surgery. Subjects were divided into two groups based on whether they experienced postoperative delirium, or not. We compared clinical and demographic factors, preoperative psychiatric and psychological factors, and intraoperative and perioperative physical factors between the control and delirium groups. Multiple imputations were used to account for missing data. RESULTS: Out of 168 subjects enrolled in this study, 26 (15.5%) developed postoperative delirium. Univariate analysis showed significant differences in age (P = 0.027), cognitive function (P = 0.007), agreeableness (P = 0.029), and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-II (APACHE-II) score (P = 0.023) between the delirium and control groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis did not identify a significant association between preoperative anxiety and the onset of postoperative delirium. However, age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.114, P = 0.018), agreeableness (OR = 0.555, P = 0.008), and the APACHE-II score (OR = 1.227, P = 0.008) were identified as risk factors for postoperative delirium. CONCLUSION: Agreeableness, one of the personality traits associated with preoperative anxiety, appears to be involved in the development of postoperative delirium as an independent psychological factor, regardless of age or physical factors.

Representation of social content in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex underlies individual differences in agreeableness trait.

Personality traits reflect key aspects of individual variability in different psychological domains. Understanding the mechanisms that give rise to these differences requires an exhaustive investigation of the behaviors associated with such traits, and their underlying neural sources. Here we investigated the mechanisms underlying agreeableness, one of the five major dimensions of personality, which has been linked mainly to socio-cognitive functions. In particular, we examined whether individual differences in the neural representations of social information are related to differences in agreeableness of individuals. To this end, we adopted a multivariate representational similarity approach that captured within single individuals the activation pattern similarity of social and non-social content, and tested its relation to the agreeableness trait in a hypothesis-driven manner. The main result confirmed our prediction: processing social and non-social content led to similar patterns of activation in individuals with low agreeableness, while in more agreeable individuals these patterns were more dissimilar. Critically, this association between agreeableness and encoding similarity of social and random content was significant only in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, a brain region consistently involved during attributions of mental states. The present finding reveals the link between neural mechanisms underlying social information processing and agreeableness, a personality trait highly related to socio-cognitive abilities, thereby providing a step forward in characterizing its neural determinants. Furthermore, it emphasizes the advantage of multivariate pattern analysis approaches in capturing and understanding the neural sources of individual variations.