Predicting adult occupational environments from gender and childhood personality traits.

To test aspects of a theory of the role of personality and gender on the development of vocational interests and their subsequent effects on adult occupational choices, the authors of this study examined associations among childhood personality traits, gender, and occupational environments more than 40 years later. Participants (N = 587) were assessed on the Big Five by their teachers when the participants were between 6 and 12 years old. In middle-age (late 40s), the participants reported their occupation. Holland's (1997) RIASEC vocational types (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional) were used to characterize the job environments of reported occupations. Childhood Openness/Intellect and Conscientiousness, but no other Big Five traits, were associated with occupational environments. For the most strongly sex-typed work environments, associations with Openness/Intellect were moderated by gender. These findings suggest that the roots of the strongest gender-stereotyping effects in occupations may be found not only in the social factors associated with gender but also in the individual differences of children related to Openness/Intellect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of adolescent sex differences in some ability and personality traits.

Administered a battery of ability and personality measures to 138 male and 142 female 11th and 12th graders. The ability factors comprised an extended list of the primary mental abilities; the personality factors were many of those comprising R. B. Cattell's trait organization of personality. Results are used to reexamine earlier-established sex differences on ability and personality factors, and to ascertain whether such differences exist on some more recently discovered primary ability traits. Results are presented in terms of the trait means, variances, and covariance structures. (French summary) (2 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implicit cognition in adolescent drug use.

Implicit cognitive responses to drug use cues and drug outcomes, assessed with measures of memory association, were studied in a sample of high-risk White and Latino adolescents. The utility of these responses as predictors of drug use was examined and compared with potentially confounding predictors, including gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and acculturation. The background variables also served as potential moderators of the effects of implicit cognition. The results revealed that measures of memory association were consistent, direct-effect predictors of marijuana and alcohol use. In addition, these implicit cognitive measures were stronger predictors than were the background variables, and their predictive effects were not moderated by other variables. The results provide further support for the implicit cognition perspective in drug use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Peer influence on adolescent drug use.

Empirical support for the assumption that peers are major determinants of adolescent drug use derives largely from the frequent finding that adolescents who said that their friends used drugs were at increased likelihood of using drugs themselves. It is suggested that the strong and consistent correlation in drug use by friends is at least partially due to factors other than peer influence. It is argued that social network analysis is an appropriate method for studying adolescent drug use in the context of peer groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mutual attachment, personality, and drug use: pathways from childhood to young adulthood

Young adult drug use stemming from childhood aggression, the parent-child mutual attachment relationship, and the effect of unconventionality were studied. Youngsters and their mothers were interviewed when the former were early adolescents, late adolescents, and young adults. Additional data were collected from the mothers when their youngsters were children. The analysis was conducted on youngsters who had complete data at all 4 points in time. The findings were in accord with the family interactional model; that is, the parent-child mutual attachment relationship affects unconventionality in the youngster, which, in turn, affects young adult drug use. The results indicate that the parent-child mutual attachment relationship does so through (a) the stability of the attachment relationship from childhood to young adulthood, (b) the stability of unconventional personality and behavioral attributes from early adolescence to young adulthood, and (c) the stability of drug use from early adolescence to young adulthood. The findings imply that (a) early intervention with respect to aggression, (b) interventions that focus on strengthening the parent-child bond and conventional behavior, and (c) interventions aimed at early drug use should be most effective in reducing young adult drug use.     

Classification of personality traits.

In this article, empirical and conceptual classifications of personality traits are reviewed and discussed. A new classification is proposed that uses three sets of crosscutting variables: instrumental, affective, and cognitive; social versus nonsocial; and self versus nonself. The resulting table reveals which traits are most frequently studied and which need more attention. The patterning of traits that show sex differences suggests their origin. Adult traits are classified as well as those occurring in childhood and infancy, and implications are drawn for personality development. In addition to content traits, stylistic traits are classified. Compared to extant organizations of traits, this one is more detailed and more closely linked to variables outside the classification. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality, motivation, and adolescent drug use patterns.

Examined interrelationships between patterns of drug abuse and personality and motivation for 285 college freshmen and 278 high school seniors. Ss completed the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire, the Motivation Analysis Test, and a questionnaire regarding drug use. Drug users were significantly different from controls on 17 scales of the inventories. Significant sex differences were found with respect to drug behavior. Females used amphetamines more frequently than males and also showed greater multiple drug use. Child-rearing practices involving the neglect of discipline and absence of training in societal or ethical standards are suggested as significant in adolescent drug abuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation of personality to alcohol and drug use in adolescence.

Longitudinal data from a randomly selected sample of 882 adolescents observed at the ages of 12 and 15, 15 and 18, or 18 and 21 yrs were aggregated to investigate the relation of personality to use of alcohol, cigarettes, marihuana, and cocaine. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to compare light, moderate, and heavy users and to identify both safe and risky personality characteristics, as assessed on an abbreviated Personality Research Form. Factors associated with greater drug use included lower scores on Achievement and Cognitive Structure and higher scores on Affiliation, Autonomy, Exhibition, and Impulsivity. Differences among the 3 user groups were relatively small. The proposed interpretation of the findings suggests that a net surplus of 2 or more safe attributes was as effective in preventing heavy use as was a surplus of 2 or more risky attributes in promoting heavy use. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beginning adolescent drug use and peer and adult interaction patterns.

Interaction patterns among drug users, their peers, and significant adults have been implicated as causal factors of later drug abuse. Data were collected from 1,634 adolescents about their current use of 13 substances and about their interactions with peers and significant adults. Five canonical dimensions were necessary to explain the significant covariation in each of 2 comparable samples. The replicated pattern of rotated canonical loadings indicated that users of various classes of substances associated with other individuals who used the same substances. Other indicators of interaction patterns did not suggest that the drug users had friends who were particularly deviant. Adolescent drug users do not appear to form subcultures delineated from nonuser subcultures along interaction dimensions other than that of drug use. The results are consistent with an interactionist-socialization viewpoint of the development of drug use. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychopathology as a predictor of adolescent drug use trajectories.

The authors examined early psychopathology as a predictor of trajectories of drug use from ages 13-18 years. Six years of annual data were analyzed for 506 boys using a mixed effects polynomial growth curve model. They tested whether distinct measures of psychopathology and behavioral problems (i.e., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, depression, and violence) assessed in early adolescence could prospectively predict level and change in alcohol and marijuana use. Higher levels of all of the types of psychopathology predicted higher levels of alcohol use, and higher levels of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, and violence predicted higher levels of marijuana use. Only conduct disorder predicted linear growth in alcohol use, and none of the measures predicted growth in marijuana use. The results suggest that drug use prevention programs should target youths with early symptoms of psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in adolescent alcohol and drug use. A disappearing phenomenon

In a study of junior and senior high-school students in two Massachusetts communities, few consistent sex differences were found in patterns of alcohol and drug use.     

Reliability of personality disorder symptoms and personality traits in substance-dependent inpatients.

The authors compared the internal consistency, 1-year temporal stability and self-informant agreement of ratings of personality trait (NEO Five-Factor Inventory; NEO-FFI; P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992) and personality disorder symptom severity (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R personality Disorders Questionnaire; SCID-II-Q ; R. L. Spitzer, J. B. W. Williams, M. Gibbon, & M. First, 1990) in 131 substance-dependent inpatients. Internal consistency coefficients were acceptable to very good for most NEO-FFI and SCID-II-Q scales, and temporal stability correlations were significant for all measures. Agreement between patient and informant ratings was more modest. Substance abuse and depression symptom severity moderated the temporal stability and self-informant agreement of several personality trait and disorder ratings. The authors did not find that the five factors were more reliable than the Axis II symptoms. Issues related to the reliability of personality assessment in multiply diagnosed patients are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic influences in antisocial personality and drug use disorders

Small stress proteins protect against the cytotoxicity mediated by oxidative stress. The relationship between Hsp25 expression and the integrity of the actin network was studied in H2O2-treated murine L929 fibrosarcoma cells overexpressing endogenous wild-type (wt-) or non-phosphorylatable mutant (mt-) Hsp25. We show here that both proteins prevented actin network disruption induced by a 1 h treatment with 400 microM H2O2. In contrast, SB203580, a p38 MAPkinase inhibitor which suppresses Hsp25 phosphorylation, abolished the protective activity conferred by both wt- and mt-Hsp25. Hence, phosphorylation does not appear essential for Hsp25 protective activity against H2O2-induced actin disruption, and SB203580-sensitive events other than Hsp25 phosphorylation may be important for actin network regulation. Since, in L929 cells, wt- or mt-Hsp25 expression modulates intracellular glutathione levels, analyses were performed which revealed a direct correlation between glutathione and the integrity of the actin network. Moreover, laser scanning confocal immunofluorescences revealed that only a small fraction of wt- or mt-Hsp25 colocalized with actin microfilaments. Taken together, our results suggest that, in L929 cells, the protection against actin network disruption is probably a consequence of the redox change mediated by Hsp25 rather than a direct effect of this stress protein towards actin.     

Mechanisms by which childhood personality traits influence adult health status: Educational attainment and healthy behaviors.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test a life span health behavior model in which educational attainment and health behaviors (eating habits, smoking, and physical activity) were hypothesized as mechanisms to account for relations between teacher ratings of childhood personality traits and self-reported health status at midlife. Design: The model was tested on 1,054 members of the Hawaii Personality and Health cohort, which is a population-based cohort participating in a longitudinal study of personality and health spanning 40 years from childhood to midlife. Outcome: Childhood Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Intellect-Imagination influenced adult health status indirectly through educational attainment, healthy eating habits, and smoking. Several direct effects of childhood traits on health behaviors and health status were also observed. Conclusion: The model extends past associations found between personality traits and health behaviors or health status by identifying a life-course pathway based on the health behavior model through which early childhood traits influence adult health status. The additional direct effects of personality traits indicate that health behavior mechanisms may not provide a complete account of relations between personality and health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The structure of phenotypic personality traits.

Traces the development of the Big-Five factor structure, whose growing acceptance by personality researchers has profoundly influenced the scientific study of individual differences. The roots of this taxonomy lie in the lexical hypothesis and the insights of Sir Francis Galton, the prescience of L. L. Thurstone, the legacy of Raymond B. Cattell, and the seminal analyses of E. C. Tupes and R. E. Christal. Paradoxically, the present popularity of this model owes much to its many critics, each of whom tried to replace it but failed. In reaction, there have been a number of attempts to assimilate other models into the 5-factor structure. Lately, some practical implications of the emerging consensus can be seen in such contexts as personnel selection and classification. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In defense of narcissistic personality traits.

Comments on the article by Miller and Campbell (see record 2010-17135-004), in which they provide an informative discussion of the importance of considering narcissistic personality trait research when attempting to understand narcissistic personality disorder. Their arguments might seem so straightforward and compelling that they are hardly worth presenting. However, it does seem that this considerable body of literature is at times neglected, if not ignored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prevalence and a drug use development model for the study of adolescent drug use in Japan

The purposes of this study were to estimate the prevalence of drug use, to examine the correlation between drug use and drinking/smoking in Japan, and to test a developmental model of adolescents' drug use based on three basic theories of deviance: Strain, Social control, and Differential association. The survey was conducted from April to May, 1996, in 14 public high schools in Tokyo, using anonymous self-reporting. A total of 4,171 (99.45%) students responded to our questionnaire. It included central concept items in the three deviant theories, beliefs about the ill effects of drugs, sex, grades, etc. The following findings were obtained: 1) Among the subjects, 255 students (6.1%) reported drug use within the past year. Of these drug users, 73.3% used drugs soon after being "tempted" by friends. Responding to "When was it.", as a first year junior high school was the most common first experience, and the next most common was during the sixth year of elementary school. 2) Drinking and smoking appeared to be gateway drugs for adolescents in Japan as has been shown in the United States. 3) Multiple regression and logistic multiple regression analyses suggested that differential association variables were far more powerful predictors of adolescent drinking, smoking and drug use than either the control or strain variables. Results provided modest support for the Differential Association Theory as an explanation of drug use. 4) LISREL's goodness-of-fit statistic indicated a much better fit between the model and the data. (CN: 282, GFI: 0.967, AGFI: 0.941). These findings show two processes by which adolescents become involved in drug use. Strain and Social Control do not directly affect drug use. However, Social Control is important because it works indirectly, through Differential Association resulting in drug use. Second, though weaker, Differential Association appears to lead to dangerous beliefs in drug use followed by actual drug use.     

Father–daughter identification and its impact on her personality and drug use.

403 White, middle-class college females (mean age 21 yrs) and their fathers were given separate self-administered questionnaires assessing their own personality and drug use. An identification index was generated by comparing the independent responses of the father–daughter dyads on 13 personality scales. Results indicate that, overall, identification by itself was not related to the daughters' characteristics. However, identification as a moderator variable was important in that daughters who were highly identified with their fathers had characteristics similar to the father, whereas daughters who did not identify with their fathers tended not to resemble them. It is concluded that these results support and extend findings from a previous study by the present authors (1984) of fathers and sons, suggesting that paternal identificatory processes are as important for daughters as for sons. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relation of childhood personality types to adolescent behavior and development: A longitudinal study of Icelandic children.

The relation of childhood personality types, or configurations of personality traits, to adolescent development was examined. Three personality types were identified in an inverse factor analysis of California Child Q-Sort data on 128 Icelandic 7-year-olds: resilient, overcontrolled, and undercontrolled. Growth curve analyses demonstrated that in comparison to children of the other 2 types, children of the resilient personality type had higher levels of academic achievement and lower levels of concentration problems throughout adolescence; resilient children also developed sophisticated friendship reasoning and an internal locus of control more quickly. Children of the overcontrolled type were found to be more prone to social withdrawal and low levels of self-esteem during adolescence than children of the other 2 types. In contrast to the other 2 types, children classified as undercontrolled showed an increase in aggressive behavior in adolescence. Implications of the findings for research on personality development are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)