Cross-cultural examination of the Big Five Personality Trait Short Questionnaire: Measurement invariance testing and associations with mental health

Associations between big five personality dimensions and lifetime use of cannabis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

With the rise in cannabis use over the last couple of decades and shifting social views around drug use, the characterization of potential predictors for the development of cannabis use disorder (CUD) may be of high relevance for the implementation of preventive measures toward this condition. We conducted a study with the aim of analyzing possible associations between personality traits and CUD.

METHODS

Our sample consisted of 1335 inpatients admitted to The Menninger Clinic between September 2016 and December 2021. All participants completed the Big Five Inventory for the characterization of their personalities. The presence of a diagnosis of CUD and other substance use disorders was established through the administration of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5). Patients with and without a lifetime diagnosis of CUD were compared with regard to their scores in the five personality dimensions. We utilized analysis of covariance for the statistical inference, with age, sex, and use of other substances as covariates.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed that low conscientiousness, low agreeableness, and high open-mindedness were associated with the presence of CUD. The relationships between CUD and the remaining personality dimensions explored (extraversion and neuroticism) were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

This study indicates that certain personality dimensions are potential predictors for the risk for developing CUD. An inpatient population was sampled for this study, allowing for the comparison with other community-based studies. These findings have important preventative and treatment implications from a clinical and research standpoint.

Personality and Sleep Psychopathology: Associations Between the DSM-5 Maladaptive Trait Domains and Multiple Sleep Problems in an Adult Population

Given the lack of sufficient studies exploring the nature of sleep problems from the perspective of the alternative model of personality disorders (AMPD) proposed by the DSM-5, the present study is aimed at determining the associations between five trait domains such as negative affectivity and sleep problems (insomnia, parasomnia, hypersomnia, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, restless legs syndrome, and sleep-disordered breathing) in an adult population. Adults aged 18-65 from western Iran were invited to the study via virtual platforms (N = 928; 62% female) and responded online to the Brief Form of Personality Inventory for DSM-5 and the Holland Sleep Disorder Questionnaire to assess sleep problems. The regression analyses indicated that the AMPD trait domains could significantly predict both specific sleep problems (R2 ranges from 0.13 to 0.17; all p ≤ 0.001) and total score of sleep problems (R2 = 0.23; p < 0.001). Psychoticism (β ranges from 0.26 to 0.39; all p < 0.001) and negative affectivity (β ranges from 0.14 to 0.29; all p ≤ 0.002) were the strongest specific domains associated with all sleep problems. The findings highlighted links between maladaptive domains of the AMPD and multiple sleep problems. The unique profiles of each sleep problem are useful in selecting treatments tailored to specific sleep problems in adults.

Reliability generalization meta-analysis of the internal consistency of the Big Five Inventory (BFI) by comparing BFI (44 items) and BFI-2 (60 items) versions controlling for age, sex, language factors

INTRODUCTION

The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is a popular measure that evaluates personality on the Big-Five model. Apart from its utilization across cultures, the literature did not reveal any meta-analysis for the reliability of the different versions of the BFI and its translations. The current study carried out a reliability generalization meta-analysis (REGEMA) to establish the reliability of the BFI across cultures and languages.

METHODS

We searched 30 databases for the relevant studies from 1991 to mid-November 2024. The studies that we intended to include in our meta-analysis required to have utilized the BFI (44 items) and the BFI-2 (60 items) and have reported Cronbach's alpha or McDonald's omega reliability estimates. Our coded variables included BFI version, sample size, population type, age, gender, clinical state, and reliability. A total of 57 studies (datapoints) published in 34 research articles (involving 43,715 participants; 60.24% women; Mean age = 30.08) from various cultures and languages were finally included. These studies used BFI and BFI-2 in Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swahili, and Turkish. Data analysis was conducted using the metafor and meta packages in R. The average correlation was computed using a random-effects model and reliability coefficients indicated effect size. I2 and Cochran's Q tests were used to examine heterogeneity, with prediction intervals suggesting genuine influences around the pooled estimate. Using funnel plots, regression-based tests (e.g., Egger's regression, rank correlation), and trim-and-fill imputation, publication bias was adjusted to estimate unbiased effects.

RESULTS

We calculated the individual and combined reliability of the BFI and BFI-2 across languages and cultures. The results revealed the reliability of all five factors used in the BFI/BFI-2. The BFI estimates provide the following results: openness is estimated at 0.77 (95% CI: 0.75; 0.80); conscientiousness is estimated at 0.80 (95% CI: 0.78; 0.82); extraversion is also estimated at 0.80 (95% CI: 0.79; 0.82); agreeableness is estimated at 0.73 (95% CI: 0.71; 0.76); and neuroticism is estimated at 0.80 (95% CI: 0.79; 0.82). The BFI-2 estimates are as follows: openness is estimated at 0.83 (95% CI: 0.82; 0.84); conscientiousness is estimated at 0.86 (95% CI: 0.85; 0.87); extraversion is estimated at 0.85 (95% CI: 0.84; 0.86); agreeableness is also estimated at 0.80 (95% CI: 0.79; 81); and neuroticism is estimated at 0.89 (95% CI: 0.88; 0.89).

CONCLUSION

The current meta-analysis represents the first reliability analysis of the BFI and the first comparison between its two different versions, the BFI (44 items) and the BFI-2 (60 items). The generalized reliability of both the BFI and BFI-2 were established. The findings confirm that the BFI and BFI-2 have good reliability across all five factors.

Revealing schoolchildren's key situations in the use of digital media inside and outside school: A media diary study

INTRODUCTION

Digital media have become integral to schoolchildren's lives, both within educational and non-educational settings. Educators emphasize the importance of bridging the gap between school learning and children's out-of-school activities. To identify potential variations and commonalities, we investigated key situations with digital media among lower secondary schoolchildren in Germany, aiming to determine which themes are especially relevant in different settings.

METHODS

We analyzed the media usage of German schoolchildren (ages 10 to 17) in class and outside of school using a mixed-method approach with a focus on the qualitative facets of key situations. For this purpose, 49 schoolchildren from seven schools were asked to complete media diaries. Over a six-week period, they documented key situations with details on setting, emotional experiences, post-communication, social support, and self-reflection. We analyzed the key situations using content and frequency analyses.

RESULTS

The schoolchildren reported 145 key situations, from which we developed a categorization system comprising 15 distinct categories. The most reported key situations involved "playing video games", "digital learning or homework", and "online communication or content sharing". Most key situations (115) took place outside of school, while 30 occurring in class. Schoolchildren mostly reported key situations that involved feelings of happiness and low levels of arousal. They discussed key situations more often and in greater depth with family members and school friends, and less often with school staff or non-school friends. Key situations were discussed more often face-to-face than online. Notably, schoolchildren engaged in self-reflection on their key situations, including concerns about excessive media use.

DISCUSSION

Overall, the study provides comprehensive insights into the digital media behaviors of schoolchildren, highlighting individual differences and preferences. The discussion offers valuable implications for both educational practice and future research, particularly regarding the integration of digital media into formal educational settings.

Positive and Negative Pathways Linking Depressive Symptoms to Problematic Alcohol Use Among Argentinian College Students: An Examination of Positive and Negative Urgency Traits and Internal Drinking Motives

Growing evidence suggests the tendency to act rashly under positive and negative emotions and affect-related drinking motives connect symptoms of mood disorders with alcohol-related problems. However, studies examining this sequence are scarce in Latin-American samples. The present study evaluated, in Argentinian college students (n = 403; 68.2% women; Mage = 21.03 ± 4.90), a sequential model of symptoms of depression, urgency traits, internal drinking motives, and problematic alcohol use. Path analysis was conducted to examine the direct and indirect associations between symptoms of depression and problematic alcohol use (heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences) via positive and negative urgency traits and internal drinking motives. Findings revealed indirect associations from depressive symptoms to problematic alcohol use via urgency traits and drinking motives (e.g. depression symptoms→positive [negative] urgency→enhancement [coping]→drinking problems). This suggests that students who experience more symptoms of depression may be more likely to react to these experiences of negative affect by engaging in heavy drinking episodes and encounter more alcohol-related problems. This seems to stem from a higher propensity to act rashly during intense emotional experiences and a greater motivation to drink as a means of regulating their mood. Future interventions aimed at preventing or reducing problematic alcohol use (especially among Argentinian young adults) might consider targeting these specific impulsivity traits as well as affect-related drinking motivations.

Big five personality traits, gaming motives, and regular and disordered gaming: A cross-national examination among college student gamers in seven countries

INTRODUCTION

Previous research has shown that personality traits and gaming motives are important predictors for explaining regular and disordered gaming. However, the mediating role of gaming motives in the relation between personality traits and video game outcomes (e.g., time spent gaming or disordered gaming) has been scarcely studied and limited cross-national studies have addressed this issue. The present study aimed to examine the direct and indirect effects of the Big Five personality traits on weekly gaming and disordered gaming via gaming motives across seven countries.

METHOD

3540 college student gamers (59.5% women) from the U.S., Canada, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa and England completed the online survey. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test models. Multigroup models were employed to test model invariance across countries.

RESULTS

Significant, albeit weak, relations were found between personality traits and gaming outcomes, and were mediated mostly by coping motives in predicting disordered gaming, and by social interaction and recreation (to a lesser extent) motives in predicting weekly gaming. Some minor, yet significant, differences across countries appeared and are discussed in detail.

DISCUSSION

The present findings indicate that the differential interrelations between personality traits, gaming motives, and video gaming outcomes may be generalized in college students across countries.

Personality Traits and Depression in Infertile Couples during the COVID-19

Background/Objectives: The study presented in this paper seeks to examine how personality traits and depressive symptoms, influenced by the fear of COVID-19, interact in infertile couples, who are on the verge of commencing treatments with assisted reproductive technology (ART). The purpose of this observational study was to explore the relationship between personality traits in infertile couples and the occurrence of depressive symptoms, taking into account the mediating effect of COVID-19 fear. Methods: The study sample consisted of 108 women and 71 men (N = 179), all of whom had received an infertility diagnosis and expressed a desire to begin ART treatment at a Sicilian ART center; they were subsequently recruited. The Personality Inventory (PI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Fear of COVID (FCV-19S) were used for data collection. Results: The FCV-19S demonstrates a significant positive correlation with both neuroticism (r = 0.25, p = 0.001) and agreeableness (r = 0.19, p = 0.012). In addition, there is a significant correlation between FCV-19S (r = 0.67, p < 0.001) and depression symptoms. The mediation analysis reveals that neuroticism is a predictor of fear of COVID-19 (β = 1.77, p = 0.001) and depression (β = 0.22, p = 0.002). Additionally, the fear of COVID-19 significantly influences (β = 0.12, p < 0.001) depression. Conclusions: This study found that neuroticism and agreeableness are positively linked to the fear of COVID-19, and women displayed notable mild mood disorders. Neuroticism predicted both depression and fear of COVID-19, while fear of COVID-19 predicted depressive symptoms. However, the total efficacy of the mediation model was not significant, thereby suggesting that the variables do not fully explain this model.

Association between personality traits and symptoms of depression and anxiety via emotional regulation and distress tolerance

The Big Five personality traits have shown associations with symptoms of depression and anxiety among college students, but it is unclear which factors mediate these relationships. Past research suggests that psychological distress is closely related to difficulties in affect regulation (e.g., low distress tolerance). Therefore, the present study examined the associations between personality traits and depression and anxiety via emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Participants were 694 (81.4% females; Mean age = 23.12 [SD 2.75]) Argentinian college students who completed an online survey examining mental health and personality variables. A sizeable percentage of students endorsed moderate to severe symptoms of depression (45.1%) or anxiety (25.9%). Utilizing path analyses, we found that appraisal, a dimension of distress tolerance, atemporally mediated the association between emotional stability and symptoms of depression/anxiety (i.e., higher levels of emotional stability → higher appraisal distress tolerance → fewer symptoms of depression/anxiety). Further, expressive suppression (a dimension of emotion regulation) significantly mediated the associations between personality traits (i.e., agreeableness and extraversion) and symptoms of depression (higher levels of agreeableness/extraversion → lower use of expressive suppression → fewer symptoms of depression). Taken together, the results suggest that higher levels of emotional stability, extraversion and agreeableness could protect students from the development of symptoms of depression/anxiety via lower maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and higher distress tolerance (particularly appraisal). These findings highlight the relevance of intervention strategies specifically tailored to improve distress tolerance and emotion regulation for those students undergoing mental health problems.

Towards a New Dynamic Interaction Model of Adolescent CUD Manifestation, Prevention, and Treatment: A Narrative Review

Background

Cannabis is one of the most popular drugs of the 21st century, especially among adolescents and young adults. Evidence of a variety of lasting neuropsychological deficits as a result of chronic cannabis use has increased. Furthermore, regular cannabis use is found to be a predictor of mental health problems, less motivation in school, and school dropout.

Aim

Our goal is to propose a theoretical model of adolescent cannabis use disorder (CUD) based on Zinberg's drug, set, and setting model and explicated by a review of the literature on adolescent cannabis use to improve the prevention and treatment of CUD for adolescents.

Methods

PubMed and Web of Science were searched for relevant publications as part of a hypothesis-based and model-generating review.

Results

Individual (set) and environmental (setting) risk factors play important roles in the development of CUD in adolescents. School performance, motivation, and attendance can be negatively influenced by persistent cannabis use patterns and adolescent brain development can consequently be impaired. Thus, cannabis use can be understood as both being the cause of poor school performance but also the consequence of poor school performance. To prevent and reduce adolescent CUD the drug, set, and setting must all be considered. It is important to notice that the multiple feedback loops (indicated in our dynamic interaction model) are not mutually exclusive, but offer important intervention focus points for social workers, addiction professionals, parents, and other care takers.

Conclusion

We argue that the three dimensions of drug, set, and setting contribute significantly to the eventual manifestation of CUD. Based on our dynamic interaction model, recommendations are made for possible preventive and therapeutic interventions for the treatment of adolescents and young adults with CUD.

Personality Traits and Physical Activity: Insights from German University Students

This study explores the intriguing relationship between personality traits, self-rated fitness (SRF), and physical activity (PA) variables among German university students (N = 4244) and sheds light on the impact of personality on adherence to PA guidelines. Employing an online cross-sectional study, the short-form of the Big Five Inventory-2 assessed five domains of personality traits (Extraversion, Negative Emotionality, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Open-Mindedness). PA, including sitting time, was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short-form). SRF and muscle-strengthening activities (MSA) were assessed with one item each. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses examined associations of individual personality trait domains and all domains combined with SFR, PA variables, and adherence to PA guidelines, controlling for sociodemographic, behavioral, and (mental) health covariates. Most reliably, Extraversion and Conscientiousness revealed positive associations with PA variables, while Negative Emotionality yielded inverse relationships with PA variables. For instance, each unit increase in Extraversion corresponded to an additional 17 min of weekly MSA. On the contrary, daily sitting time was unrelated to personality. Of note, high Open-Mindedness was associated with lower odds for adhering to current PA guidelines. The findings have implications for developing targeted interventions that promote a physically active lifestyle and support students' well-being and academic success.

The Big Five personality traits and the fear of COVID-19 in predicting depression and anxiety among Japanese nurses caring for COVID-19 patients: A cross-sectional study in Wakayama prefecture

Recent studies have found a relationship between fear of COVID-19 and mental health problems. Medical workers caring for COVID-19 patients tend to suffer from mental health problems; however, the impact of their personality traits, in the form of mental problems like depression and anxiety in Japan is unclear. In this study, we investigated the risk of nurses' depression and anxiety, predicted by the fear of COVID-19 and the Big Five personality traits. A total of 417 nurses working in hospitals providing care to COVID-19 patients in Wakayama prefecture of the Kansai region participated in this study. The questionnaires comprised items on nurses' basic characteristics and three scales: the Fear of COVID-19 Scale 2020, the Big-Five Scale, and the Japanese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Depression and anxiety in the HADS were set as dependent variables, and basic attributes, fear, and personality traits as independent variables; multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. The questionnaire, with no missing items was distributed from February to March 2021. Neuroticism (OR = 1.06, 95%CI = 1.03-1.09) was the only significant factor associated with the depression symptom, and both FCV-19S scores (OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.09-1.23) and neuroticism (OR = 1.09, 95%CI = 1.06-1.13) were the significant factors associated with anxiety. The Nagelkerke's R squared was 0.171 in the depression model and 0.366 in the anxiety model. Thus, it was found that it is necessary to support nurses' mental health by developing methods suitable to their personalities.

Neuroticism, rumination, depression and suicidal ideation: A moderated serial mediation model across four countries

Background/objective

Research has highlighted the role of neuroticism, rumination, and depression in predicting suicidal thoughts, but studies on how these variables interplay are scarce. The aims of the present study were to test a model in which emotional stability (i.e., low neuroticism) would act as an antecedent and moderator of rumination and depressed mood in the prediction of suicidal ideation (i.e., moderated serial-mediation), and to explore their replicability across four countries and sex, among college students as an at-risk-group for suicide.

Method

Participants were 3482 undergraduates from U.S, Spain, Argentina, and the Netherlands. Path analysis and multi-group analysis were conducted.

Results

Emotional stability was indirectly linked to suicidal ideation via rumination and depressed mood. Moreover, emotional stability moderated the associations between rumination and depressed mood, and between depressed mood and suicidal ideation. Findings were consistent in males and females, and across countries studied.

Discussion

Regardless of sex and country, people with low emotional stability reported higher levels of rumination, which in turn was associated with more depressed mood, and these were associated with higher reports of suicidal thoughts. This cascade of psychological risk factors for suicidal ideation seems to be more harmful in people who endorse low levels of emotional stability.

Examination of the latent structure of the Ruminative Thoughts Style Questionnaire across countries, gender, and over time

The present work aimed to extend the evidence of the structure validity of the Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire (RTSQ) 15-item version testing: (1) the structure of two competing models (i.e., four-factor correlated model vs a second-order factor model); (2) the measurement invariance of the final model across four countries (U.S., Spain, Argentina, and the Netherlands) and gender groups (male and female); and (3) the invariance across three assessment waves in a subsample of Spanish youths. Participants were college students (mean age = 20.87, SD = 4.47) from the U.S. (n = 1875; 67.1% of females), Spain (T1, n = 732, 63.9% females; T2, n = 370, 71.6% females: T3, n = 307, 60.6% females), Argentina (n = 368, 65.6% females) and the Netherlands (n = 295, 74.8% females). Confirmatory Factor Analyses supported both correlated factors and second-order factor structure in the whole sample. Due to similar fit indices being observed for both models, and considering the theoretical and practical advantages, we kept the second-order model to examine its invariance across groups and time. Measurement invariance analyses showed that the second-order model was invariant across countries, gender, and over time. Comparisons of the total mean score and the subfacet mean scores (i.e., Repetitive Thoughts, Counterfactual Thoughts, Problem-focused Thoughts, and Anticipatory Thoughts) reveled only small differences across country and gender groups. The present work extends the structural validity evidence of the RTSQ, and provides the first evidence concerning its longitudinal stability across time.

A cross-national examination of cannabis protective behavioral strategies' role in the relationship between Big Five personality traits and cannabis outcomes

Background: Problematic cannabis use is common among young adults across the world. However, limited research has examined whether etiological models predicting negative consequences are universal.Objective: The present study examined whether the Five-Factor Model of personality (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) relates to cannabis outcomes via use of cannabis protective behavioral strategies (PBS) in a cross-national sample of college student cannabis users (i.e., used cannabis in the last 30 days).Method: Participants were 1175 university students (63.27% female) across five countries (United States, Argentina, Spain, Uruguay, and the Netherlands) recruited to complete an online survey.Results: PBS use mediated the associations between personality traits and cannabis consequences, such that higher conscientiousness (β = .20), agreeableness (β = .11), and lower emotional stability [i.e., higher neuroticism] (β = -.14) were associated with more PBS use. Higher PBS use was, in turn, associated with lower frequency of cannabis use (β = -.32); lower frequency of use was then associated with fewer cannabis consequences (β = .34). This sequential pathway was invariant across sex, but not countries. Notably, there were a number of differences in links between PBS and cannabis outcomes when comparing countries (e.g., negative associations in the US sample, but positive associations in the Argentina sample).Conclusions: Cannabis PBS mediates the relationship between personality traits and cannabis outcomes, but there are nuanced differences across countries (i.e., relationship between PBS and cannabis outcomes). Overall, students that are low in conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism and/or report low rates of PBS use may benefit from cannabis PBS-focused interventions that promote utilization of PBS.

Preliminary validity and reliability evidence of the Brief Antisocial Behavior Scale (B-ABS) in young adults from four countries

The present research built on the Self-Reported Delinquency interview and the Antisocial Behavior Scale to develop an updated brief instrument to measure antisocial behavior. College students (n = 3188, 67.75% women) from the USA, Argentina, the Netherlands and Spain completed an online survey. Analyses that combined approaches from the Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory were conducted to select the items for the brief version. Findings suggested that a 13-item Brief Antisocial Behavior Scale (B-ABS) fulfilled the high-quality criteria: salient factor loadings, adequate discrimination, variability in response endorsement, adequate fit based on infit/outfit values, nondifferent item functioning across the four participating countries, and Cronbach's alpha and ordinal omega coefficients higher than .70. The B-ABS scores generally significantly correlated with personality scores, mental health and marijuana outcomes, showing criterion-related validity evidence. Our overall findings suggest that B-ABS adequately assesses antisocial behavior in young adults from different countries/cultures.