Self-control mediates the relationship between personality trait and impulsivity

The Association Between Neuroticism and Problematic Social Networking Sites Use: The Role of Fear of Missing out and Self-Control

Problematic use of social networking sites (SNS) has a negative impact on mental health. It has been found that people who score high on neuroticism are especially vulnerable towards engaging with SNS in a problematic way but it is not clear which psychological mechanisms explain this relationship. We addressed this issue by examining the mediating role of fear of missing out and self-control in the relationship between neuroticism and problematic SNS use. For this purpose, we conducted a cross-sectional study (n = 151, 69.5% female, Mage = 26.23, SD = 7.52) and tested for parallel mediation using structural equation modelling. Neuroticism was found to be predictive of increased levels of problematic SNS use. Moreover, neuroticism was associated with both increased levels of fear of missing out and decreased levels of self-control. However, only fear of missing out was found to robustly mediate the relationship between neuroticism and problematic use of SNS. These findings suggest that fear of missing out could be an intervention target to prevent people scoring high on neuroticism from engaging in problematic SNS use.

Investigation of the role of personality traits and emotion regulation on personality functioning in patients with depression/anxiety disorder

The relationship between the dimensional assessment of personality and difficulties in emotion regulation has yet to be made clear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of personality traits and emotion regulation on personality functioning. Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and Level of Personality Functioning Scale (LPFS) were rated for 220 patients with depression and/or anxiety disorder diagnosis and 100 healthy controls. Stepwise regression analyses (SRA) were used to find potential predictors of personality functioning, and generalized linear analyses (GLA) were used to find mediators between the traits and personality functioning. SRA results in the clinical group showed that higher depression, antagonism, difficulties in impulse control and difficulties in awareness predicted higher levels of dysfunction in personality. According to GLA results in the clinical group, the impulse subscale of DERS partially mediated the relationship between antagonism and level of impairment in personality functioning. Our results indicate that certain emotion regulation styles and personality traits play an important role in predicting personality functioning in the clinical sample of depression and anxiety patients. Future studies should focus on specific emotion dysregulation strategies and broaden the dimensional personality literature in different samples.

Contribution of a Cluster Approach to Identify the Profiles of Men Sentenced for Sexual Violence According to Their Risk of Reoffending

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study is to propose a typology of recidivism risk profiles based on the criminogenic needs of a population of men sentenced for sexual violence. Their socio-demographic, criminological, psychological, and psychiatric factors and vulnerabilities are compared. This classification will respond to the need for a better identification of the factors involved in the risk of recidivism of men sentenced for sexual violence, in order to develop more effective management.

METHOD

Several psychological and psychiatric scales (personality traits, impulsivity, cognitive distortions, empathy, and psychiatric disorders) were completed by 86 men incarcerated for sexual violence. Their socio-demographic and criminological characteristics were also recorded, and the investigator rated three recidivism scales for all participants. Results: Cluster analysis led to identification of two significantly different needs groups. In contrast to the "Lower needs" profile (n = 54, 64%), the men with a "Higher needs" profile (n = 32, 36%) were significantly younger and less educated had more adult and extra-familial victims, scored higher on Neuroticism and lower on Conscientiousness and Empathy, and presented with more past and current psychiatric disorders.

DISCUSSION

The overall findings of this study are consistent with the literature on the characteristics of men sentenced for sexual violence with high needs. The assessment and management of men who have committed sexual violence must consider: criminogenic factors, which should be prioritized; past or present psychiatric disorders, which may act as acute risk factors; and non-criminogenic needs, which should not be prioritized, but which may (when linked to criminogenic needs) impact the effectiveness of management.

Short Version of V.A. Losenkov’s Impulsivity Questionnaire: Development and Validation

Impulsivity is considered as a personality trait opposite to purposefulness and perseverance; accordingly, a high level of impulsivity is inherent in people with insufficient self-control in communication and activity. Impulsivity as a subject of research is of both theoretical and practical interest; however, methods for diagnosing it are poorly represented in the Russian-language psychological literature. The purpose of the research is to study the factor structure, reliability and validity of the short version of V.A. Losenkov’s impulsivity questionnaire developed by the authors. The first part of the study involved 967 subjects (M = 21.2, SD = 7.7), including 652 women (M = 21.6, SD = 7.8) and 315 men (M = 20.6, SD = 7.4); in the second part, 233 respondents participated, including 126 women (M = 21.4, SD = 7.7) and 107 men (M = 20.8, SD = 7.3). The study was conducted using: (1) the full version of V.A. Losenkov’ impulsivity questionnaire; (2) Barratt’s impulsiveness questionnaire (adapted in Russian by S.N. Enikolopov and T.I. Medvedeva); (3) A.V. Zverkov and E.V. Eidman’s volitional self-control questionnaire; (4) A. Assinger’s aggressiveness questionnaire; and (5) questionnaires on assertiveness, smartphone addiction and social media addiction developed by the authors. The abridged version of V.A. Losenkov’s impulsivity questionnaire (Imp-15) includes 15 tasks that make up a four-factor model of impulsivity obtained through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Compared with the original version of the questionnaire, the abridged version has better psychometric properties. The abridged Imp-15 version satisfies the standard requirements for questionnaires in terms of their reliability, namely: internal consistency, high task distinguishability and retest reliability. The questionnaire also meets key validity criteria in terms of its design, content, “obviousness,” actual and predictive credibility, constructability and convergence. Impulsivity diagnosed by the Imp-15 questionnaire positively correlates with the data of the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11), with aggressiveness, smartphone addiction and social media addiction; however, it is negatively associated with self-control and assertiveness. The resulting four-factor model of impulsivity has good reliability indicators and is in full agreement with the obtained data. The authors present the data of psychometric testing and standardization of the abridged Imp-15 questionnaire; the appendix provides the original and abridged versions of the impulsivity questionnaire and the keys to the Imp-15 questionnaire.

When the UPPS-P Model of Impulsivity Meets a Revised Approach: The Development and Validation of the TRUE Multidimensional Impulsivity Scale

There is inconsistency in the measurement of impulsivity resulting from the diversity in its conceptualization. We aimed to develop a revised measure based on the Urgency, Premeditation (lack of), Perseverance (lack of), Sensation Seeking - Positive Urgency (UPPS-P) model (i.e., TRUE Multidimensional Impulsivity Scale; TRUE-MIS) considering the limitations and strengths of the existing measures. We conceptualized impulsivity as a personality trait referring to the inability to restrain one's urges without thinking about the future consequences in various contexts. A total of 535 adults (262 females, M = 34.1, SD = 12.7) participated in Study 1. Principal component analyses indicated a four-factor structure (internal urgency, social urgency, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance) with satisfactory internal consistency and validity evidence by significant relations with self-control. Confirmatory factor analysis in Study 2 confirmed the factor structure obtained in Study 1. Hierarchical linear regression analyses provided further validity evidence through establishing differential links between the subscales and Big Five personality traits, emotion regulation, depression, anxiety, and smartphone addiction in a sample of 556 adults (368 females, M = 24.0, SD = 7.4). Overall, TRUE-MIS is a valid and reliable measure of impulsivity addressing the arguments regarding the conceptual structure of the construct.

Hedonic Consumption in Times of Stress: Reaping the Emotional Benefits Without the Self-Regulatory Cost

Hedonic consumption is pleasant but can interfere with the capacity to self-regulate. In stressful moments, when self-regulation is arguably still important, individuals often indulge in hedonic consumption. In two experiments, we investigate whether hedonic consumption negatively affects self-regulation under moderately stressful conditions and whether selecting hedonic consumption under moderately stressful conditions is driven by high or low self-control. In both studies, participants were randomly exposed to a mental arithmetic task that was either completed under time pressure with performance feedback (moderate stress) or without time pressure and without feedback (no stress). Experiment 1 assigned participants to a hedonic (vs. neutral) consumption task and then measured impulse control via a color-word Stroop task. Experiment 2 measured self-control as a second independent variable and recorded hedonic (vs. neutral) consumption. The results show that moderate stress buffered the negative effect that hedonic consumption has on self-regulation under no stress conditions and that high rather than low self-control predicts hedonic over neutral consumption under stress. These findings indicate that hedonic consumption in response to moderate stress may be a strategic choice to reap the pleasure benefit of hedonic consumption while the costs to self-regulation are low.

Emotional Competence Development in Graduate Education: The Differentiated Impact of a Self-Leadership Program Depending on Personality Traits

There is little research on the effectiveness of self-leadership programs (SLPs) in graduate education based on the progress in emotional competences development (ECD), and only a few of the studies incorporate its relationship with personality traits (PTs). This article studies the differentiated impact of an optional SLP, which has eight workshops with a learner-centered and experiential approach, depending on PTs. With a quasi-experimental ex post facto design, students' scores in EDC were analyzed according to their PT extremes: introversion, antagonism, lack of direction, neuroticism, and closed to experience. ANCOVA tests, with ECD pretest as a co-variable, were applied for each PT. The results indicated that the SLP presented a differentiated impact in ECD in four of the five PTs: neuroticism, introversion, antagonism, and lack of direction. These findings can be a key element for the participating students in SLPs because self-leadership requires self-knowledge. ECD can contribute to more integral learning in the graduate education experience, enhancing the preparation for the world of work.

The modulation of attentional deployment on regret: an event-related potential study

Adopting a sequential risk-taking task, this study explored the modulation of attentional deployment on regret. Attentional deployment was manipulated during outcome feedback of the task by highlighting different parts to induce participants to focus on collected gains (GF context) or missed chances (MF context). The control context without attentional deployment manipulation was also set. Behaviorally, compared to the control context, participants felt less regret in the GF context but more regret in the MF context. Event-related potential results showed that the GF context elicited stronger reward positivity and late positive potential (LPP) than the control context. Furthermore, openness (NEO Five-Factor Inventory) negatively predicted the amplitude of LPP in the GF context. Source localization indicated that the superior frontal gyrus showed stronger activation in the GF context than in the control context during the time window of LPP. These results suggested that focusing on collected gains was an effective way to repress regret and that the LPP component played a key role in this process.

Online betting intensity is linked with Extraversion and Conscientiousness

INTRODUCTION

Extraversion and Conscientiousness are well-studied personality traits associated with reward processing and goal prioritization, respectively, and bear on individual differences in financial risk-taking. Using unique large datasets, we investigated the link between these traits and male online gamblers' actual betting participation and intensity.

METHOD

We combined datasets containing online horse betting data (during 2015-2016) from the Finnish monopoly betting company, administrative registry data from Statistics Finland, and personality trait measures from the Finnish Defence Forces corresponding to Extraversion and Conscientiousness as defined in the five-factor model. We modelled associations between these traits and betting participation (n = 471,968) and intensity (n = 11,217) among male horse bettors (age = 36-53).

RESULTS

Controlling for demographics and IQ, individuals scoring high on Conscientiousness (or Extraversion) were less (or more) likely to bet and less (or more) intensive bettors-even when personality was measured 16-34 years before betting occurred. One SD personality score increase represented an annual decrease (Conscientiousness) or increase (Extraversion) of €570-754 in spending.

CONCLUSIONS

Extraversion and Conscientiousness are implicated in real-life financial behavior with tangible consequences for individuals. These effects are stronger than for many known demographic variables used in gambling studies and persist up to 34 years after personality has been measured.

Predictors of Initial Status and Change in Self-Control During the College Transition

Although self-control tends to increase through late adolescence, there are individual differences in patterns of growth. Latent growth modeling was used to investigate change in self-control across students' first year of college (N = 569, M _age = 18.03; 70.3% female; 89.6% White), and whether attachment to parents predicted this change when controlling for personality and demographic variables. Self-control decreased linearly across five assessments, with significant heterogeneity in intercepts and slopes. Personality was associated with initial self-control, and greater avoidant attachment to mothers and openness to experience predicted greater declines. Overall, self-control changes across late adolescence, and attachment and personality explain individual differences in that change, indicating potential intervention targets during emerging adulthood.

The Effects of Forgiveness, Gratitude, and Self-Control on Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Bullying

The social cognitive approach to moral development posits that moral self-schemas encourage character strengths and reduce adolescents’ aggression. However, limited research has examined the influence of positive personal characteristics on proactive behaviors and reactive aggression in bullying. This study examined direct and mediational relationships between forgiveness, gratitude, self-control, and both proactive and reactive aggression in bullying. The extent to which the structural relations of this model were invariant by gender and stage of adolescence were also evaluated. Participants in this study were 1000 Mexican students, 500 early adolescents (M age = 12.36, SD = 0.77 years) and 500 middle adolescents (M age = 16.64, SD = 0.89 years), between 12 and 17 years old. Structural equation and multi-group invariance analysis were performed. Results indicate that gratitude and forgiveness are positively related to self-control. Gratitude, forgiveness, and self-control are also negatively related to reactive and proactive aggression. Forgiveness and gratitude had an indirect relationship by decreasing both proactive and reactive aggression through their positive effects on self-control. Additionally, gender moderated the relationships between variables proposed in the model, whereas stage of adolescence did not. Overall findings suggest that moral self-schemas and strengths explained both types of aggression in bullying.

The 21-item Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Revised (BIS-R-21): An alternative three-factor model

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Due to its important role in both healthy groups and those with physical, mental and behavioral disorders, impulsivity is a widely researched construct. Among various self-report questionnaires of impulsivity, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale is arguably the most frequently used measure. Despite its international use, inconsistencies in the suggested factor structure of its latest version, the BIS-11, have been observed repeatedly in different samples. The goal of the present study was therefore to test the factor structure of the BIS-11 in several samples.

METHODS

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on two representative samples of Hungarian adults (N = 2,457; N = 2,040) and a college sample (N = 765).

RESULTS

Analyses did not confirm the original model of the measure in any of the samples. Based on explorative factor analyses, an alternative three-factor model (cognitive impulsivity; behavioral impulsivity; and impatience/restlessness) of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale is suggested. The pattern of the associations between the three factors and aggression, exercise, smoking, alcohol use, and psychological distress supports the construct validity of this new model.

DISCUSSION

The new measurement model of impulsivity was confirmed in two independent samples. However, it requires further cross-cultural validation to clarify the content of self-reported impulsivity in both clinical and nonclinical samples.

Direct and Indirect Effects of Neuroticism on Internet Addiction in College Students: A Structure Equation Modeling Analysis

In the recent decade, increased severity of Internet addiction has been the focus of considerable attention. This research aimed to explore the relationships between neuroticism and Internet addiction. A total of 459 undergraduate students in China participating in this study completed self-report measures of neuroticism, impulsivity, and Internet addiction. The results showed that neuroticism, impulsivity, and Internet addiction were significantly and positively correlated with one other. The structural equation modeling approach indicated that impulsivity, in part, mediated the effect of neuroticism on Internet addiction. An important indirect path from neuroticism to Internet addiction through impulsivity was exposed using the bootstrap method. The outcomes of previous studies were expounded on to define how neuroticism affects Internet addiction.

The development and psychometric evaluation of the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory-15

The Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory (CBF-PI), a 134-item self-report scale, and its 40-item brief version (CBF-PI-B) are sound psychometric instruments used to measure the Big Five personality domains in the Chinese population. However, their applicability is limited by their length, as well as restricted by assessment conditions. In this study, we developed and validated a new shortened version with 15 items (CBF-PI-15) through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis in a large sample (Sample 1) of 10,738 Chinese adults (mean = 33.90 years, SD = 9.39 years, range 17–57 years). Measurement invariance results suggested the CBF-PI-15 were invariant across gender and age groups. Convergent, discriminant and criterion validities were tested in Sample 2 (N = 256, mean = 21.62 years, SD = 3.06 years, range 18–35 years) and findings showed an expected correlational pattern with external variables. Results revealed positive correlations of Neuroticism with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Brief Version (BIS-Brief), the Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener, as well as a strongly negative correlation between Conscientiousness and BIS-Brief. Additionally, Conscientiousness positively correlated with academic performance as expected. In conclusion, the CBF-PI-15 holds promise as an informative alternative for the original CBF-PI-B when administration time or conditions are limited, and our findings provide preliminary support for the utility of the CBF-PI-15.

The Relationship Between Big Five and Self-Control in Boxers: A Mediating Model

Self-control seems to be the core element for achieving optimal competitive performance, and be of great importance to well-being and healthy development of humans. According to the literature, there exist some correlations between personality traits and self-control. The aim of this study was to shed some additional light on the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and self-control in boxers and investigate self-efficacy as a mediator between the two variables. Two hundred and ten boxers (age: M = 18.89, SD = 3.83; amount of boxing practice: M = 4.93 years, SD = 3.22; 76 males) of Chinese national athletes participated the study. Results showed a pronounced level of self-control. The higher the competitive level, the higher the level of self-control. There were significant correlations among the Big Five, self-control, and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy mediated the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and self-control.