The General Factor of Personality (GFP), trait emotional intelligence, and problem behaviors in Japanese teens

The General Factor of Environmental Sensitivity: Relationships with the General Factor of Personality

Environmental sensitivity is a meta-concept that describes individual differences in susceptibility to both positive and negative environmental influences and has been repeatedly reported to correlate with other established personality traits, including the Big Five. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the general factor of environmental sensitivity (GFS) and the general factor of personality (GFP). A total of 1,046 adult participants (52% female; Mage = 45.15, SDage = 12.70) completed a self-report psychological questionnaire on an online form. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that GFS had a strong negative correlation with GFP (r = -.41, 95% CI [-.52, -.30], p < .001). Focusing on the relationship with the Big Five, individuals with higher environmental sensitivity were emotionally unstable and introverted. The trait of environmental sensitivity may be described not only in relation to the Big Five but also in relation to GFP, which is assumed to be an indicator of social effectiveness.

Association between the Big Five personality traits and suicide-related behaviors in Japanese institutionalized youths

Aim

Inmates in correctional institutions experience higher rates of suicide attempt (SA), suicidal ideation (SI), and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) than the general population. This study aimed to examine the association between the Big Five personality traits and suicide-related behavior, and to estimate the prevalence rate of such behaviors among Japanese institutionalized youth.

Methods

The participants were 436 youths who had been admitted to four juvenile classification homes (JCHs) between September 2021 and March 2023; they were asked to respond to a self-report questionnaire after obtaining informed consent.

Results

A total of 8.1% and 19.3%, 29.4% and 44.7%, and 46.3% and 75.3% of males and females had experienced SA, SI, and NSSI in their lifetime, respectively. Females reported significantly higher instances of suicide-related behaviors than males considering all suicide-related behaviors. Logistic regression analyses revealed that neuroticism significantly increased the odds ratios for SA, SI, and NSSI on controlling for sex, age, and number of admissions to JCHs. For NSSI, the odds ratio for agreeableness was significantly lower than 1, indicating a lower probability of NSSI.

Conclusion

The findings of our study demonstrate that neuroticism, one of the Big Five traits, was consistently and significantly associated with all suicide-related behaviors, including SA, SI, and NSSI, among youth offenders, while agreeableness was found as a protective factor only against NSSI. The results of this study might help correctional officers identify justice-involved youth at higher risk for suicide and allow the development of early interventions to prevent suicide.

General Factor of Personality and Its Relationship with the Dark Triad and Social Intelligence in Slovenian Adolescents

The general factor of personality (GFP) represents the shared variance between personality traits that yield social adjustment and acts as a core personality disposition. In the present study, the existence of GFP in a sample of 249 Slovenian adolescents aged 15–19 years was investigated, and the relationship between GFP, the Dark Triad, and social intelligence was researched. The study used three self-report questionnaires to measure the Big Five, the Dark Triad, and three dimensions of social intelligence. It was found that, in adolescents, GFP exists (although in a somewhat different composition than in previous studies) and is negatively correlated with Machiavellianism and psychopathy and positively correlated with social skills and social awareness. GFP acts as a significant positive predictor of all social intelligence dimensions, and Machiavellianism acts as a significant positive predictor of social information processing and social skills. It can be concluded that GFP and, to a certain extent, perhaps some manipulative tendencies positively predict how an individual functions in society. With these findings, the study contributes to the understanding of the (hierarchical) structure of personality and its association with behavior in social interactions, which is one of the most important developmental tasks in adolescence.

The Relationship between Children’s Trait Emotional Intelligence and the Big Five, Big Two and Big One Personality Traits

The irrefutable repercussions of personality and socio-emotional development on children’s learning and psychological well-being justify the relevance for the educational context of delving into the relationship between those two constructs. Therefore, the research presented in this article investigates the link between trait EI and the B5, B2, and B1 (or GFP) personality traits in children between 9 and 13 years of age. We used the Spanish adaptation of the BFQ-NA (Big Five Personality Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents) and the CDE_9-13 (Emotional Development Questionnaire for primary education) with a sample of 259 primary school students. The results showed correlations between the two Big personality factors (B2) and the Big One personality factor (B1) with trait EI. However, the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and the Big Five personality model (B5) was not very high; only two of the five personality traits significantly predicted trait EI. Thus, our results differ from studies conducted with adults, but instead, it is similar to studies conducted with children. Finally, this study reinforces the thesis that trait EI can be considered a synonym of the GFP (General Factor Personality). Consequently, it implies designing and implementing learning and socioemotional development programs during the school years to promote adaptability and social efficacy.