Social Contact and Cognitive Functioning: The Role of Personality

Dark triad personality traits are associated with decreased grey matter volumes in 'social brain' structures

Introduction

Personality traits and the degree of their prominence determine various aspects of social interactions. Some of the most socially relevant traits constitute the Dark Triad - narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism - associated with antisocial behaviour, disregard for moral norms, and a tendency to manipulation. Sufficient data point at the existence of Dark Triad 'profiles' distinguished by trait prominence. Currently, neuroimaging studies have mainly concentrated on the neuroanatomy of individual dark traits, while the Dark Triad profile structure has been mostly overlooked.

Methods

We performed a clustering analysis of the Dirty Dozen Dark Triad questionnaire scores of 129 healthy subjects using the k-means method. The variance ratio criterion (VRC) was used to determine the optimal number of clusters for the current data. The two-sample t-test within the framework of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was performed to test the hypothesised differences in grey matter volume (GMV) for the obtained groups.

Results

Clustering analysis revealed 2 groups of subjects, both with low-to-mid and mid-to-high levels of Dark Triad traits prominence. A further VBM analysis of these groups showed that a higher level of Dark Triad traits may manifest itself in decreased grey matter volumes in the areas related to emotional regulation (the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the cingulate cortex), as well as those included in the reward system (the ventral striatum, the orbitofrontal cortex).

Discussion

The obtained results shed light on the neurobiological basis underlying social interactions associated with the Dark Triad and its profiles.

Personality Change Profiles and Changes in Cognition Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Research on the relationship between personality traits and cognitive abilities has primarily used cross-sectional designs and considered personality traits individually in relation to cognitive dimensions. This study (N = 2,652) examined the relationship between Big Five personality change profiles and change in cognitive factors, episodic memory and executive functioning. Latent profile analysis was used to capture patterns of change across the Big Five traits. Three profiles of personality change were defined: Decreasers, Maintainers, and Increasers. The Decreasers declined more in episodic memory compared to the Increasers and Maintainers. Also, the Decreasers declined more in executive functioning compared to the Increasers, but not the Maintainers. The findings advance our understanding of the links between patterns of personality change and cognitive aging.

The extraversion-neuroticism and geriatric depression relations: do social engagements and social supports have roles to play?

Evidence on the social pathways by which personality traits associate with depressive feeling is lacking. This study assessed the mediating roles of social engagements and social supports on the associations of extraversion and neuroticism with depressive symptoms among 465 older adults (Meanage = 74.18 ± 9.42) recruited from the senatorial districts of Ekiti State, Nigeria. Major assumptions were tested in structural equation modelling frame-work. High extraversion influenced both high engagements in social activities and perceived social supports, and then low depressive symptoms. High neuroticism predicted both low social engagements and social supports, and then increased depressive symptoms. While a full mediation was established between extraversion and depression, a partial one was found between neuroticism and depression. The total effect of neuroticism on depression surpassed that of extraversion. Psychotherapeutic interventions targeting depression from high neuroticism may aim frequent social engagements and seeking family and non-family supports.

Personality Moderates Intervention Effects on Cognitive Function: A 6-Week Conversation-Based Intervention

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Social isolation is associated with a higher risk of dementia. We previously conducted and showed the efficacy of an intervention which uses conversation (the core component of social interactions) as a tool to enhance cognitive function. We now explore whether cognitive improvements through conversation-based intervention depend on an individual's personality.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We reexamined data from a 6-week randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Number: NCT01571427) to determine whether conversation-based intervention effects were moderated by personality traits in 83 older adults (mean age = 80.51 years, 49 cognitively intact, 34 individuals with mild cognitive impairment). The intervention group participated in daily 30-min face-to-face semi-structured conversations with trained interviewers through a web-enabled system for 6 weeks. At baseline, psychosocial questionnaires and a neuropsychological battery were completed.

RESULTS

Intervention group participants with high agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion exhibited significant improvements in language-based executive function tasks beyond changes in the control group (ps < .05). An opposite pattern for delayed recall memory and working memory tasks emerged among highly extraverted participants (ps < .05).

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Our exploratory findings suggest the adaptive role of personality traits in conversation-based cognitive interventions may be limited to tasks incorporating a language component, and offer initial evidence for personalized approaches to cognitive health in late life.

Social Distancing and Lockdown - An Introvert's Paradise? An Empirical Investigation on the Association Between Introversion and the Psychological Impact of COVID19-Related Circumstantial Changes

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) pandemic has effected the implementation of social distancing and lockdown measures across the globe, and the psychological impact of associated life changes is experienced more severely by some individuals than others. Anecdotal evidence points to a common belief among the general public that introverts are faring better than their extraverted counterparts to this end. However, the claim lacks empirical research, and seems counterintuitive when the broader literature on the association between introversion and mental health is considered. The current study investigated whether the psychological impact of COVID19-related circumstantial changes was moderated by introversion, based on outcome measures across psychosocial, cognitive, and affective domains. The role of several demographic factors in determining COVID19-related mental health symptoms was also examined. One hundred and fourteen individuals (64 USA residents) completed measures of introversion, and reported on the extent to which they experienced loneliness, anxiety, depression and cognitive impairments as a function of COVID19-related circumstantial changes. Results showed that introversion predicted more severe loneliness, anxiety, and depression experienced as a function of COVID19-related circumstantial changes, but not cognitive impairments. Among the range of demographic factors examined (age, gender, living condition, recent unemployment), living with others (vs. living alone) predicted more severe COVID19-related mental health symptoms. However, these effects were only observed on outcome measures pertaining to anxiety and cognitive impairments, but not loneliness and depression. Current findings have implications for both consumers and disseminators of information on popular internet hubs. Current findings also highlight the possibility that living with others (close human affiliation) may have protective and detrimental effects on different domains of mental health during the COVID19 pandemic.

Personality-cognition associations across the adult life span and potential moderators: Results from two cohorts

OBJECTIVE

Personality and cognitive abilities have been previously linked. However, there are inconsistencies regarding whether this relationship varies as a function of age, and a lack of evidence on whether gender contributes to this relation, particularly across the adulthood. Therefore, this study investigated the association between personality and cognition across the adult life span, accounting for age and gender.

METHODS

We examined the association between personality and cognition in two large samples (Sample 1: N = 422; Sample 2: N = 549) including young, middle-aged and older adults. Participants completed personality scales and several cognitive measures related to reasoning, language, memory and speed of processing. Structural equation modeling was applied in order to investigate associations between personality and cognition, and moderation of age and gender within this relationship. We also conducted a mini-meta-analysis procedure in order to examine personality-cognition associations, combining results from the two samples.

RESULTS

Openness was the main trait associated with cognitive performance; however, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism were also independently associated with cognition. Age and gender did not consistently moderate personality-cognition in each sample, but the mini-metanalysis showed that gender moderated Conscientiousness-cognition associations.

CONCLUSIONS

We provided robust evidence of personality-cognition associations across the adult life span, which was not consistently moderated by age, but in part by gender.

Social integration, perceived discrimination, and self-esteem in mid- and later life: intersections with age and neuroticism

OBJECTIVES

Social relations can influence well-being throughout the life course. Integration in one's community may serve as a source of social support whereas negative interactions such as day-to-day discrimination can be psychosocial stressors, particularly for neurotic persons. Yet social connectedness may vary in importance across the age range. Individuals trim their social networks in later life to optimize emotional well-being, but older adults may also be at heightened risk of social isolation. This study examines the impacts of social integration and perceived discrimination on self-esteem, and whether such impacts differ according to individuals' age and/or neuroticism.

METHOD

Random effects models analyzed 2,982 observations from 1,882 individuals who participated in at least one of the two most recent waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (2004-2014).

RESULTS

Self-esteem displayed a minor cubic trajectory across the age range, including declines after age 70. Social integration, perceived discrimination, and neuroticism were all significantly associated with self-esteem, in the expected directions. Self-esteem trajectories varied according to the level of social integration, such that low social integration exacerbated later life declines in self-esteem. The influence of social integration on self-esteem was also stronger at higher levels of neuroticism. Perceived discrimination's influence on self-esteem did not vary by participants' age or neuroticism.

DISCUSSION

Social ties are influential for well-being across the life course, but may take on added importance in later life. Oldest-old and neurotic adults are at particular risk of experiencing low self-esteem if they lack integration with their community.

RASopathies are associated with a distinct personality profile

Personality is a complex, yet partially heritable, trait. Although some Mendelian diseases like Williams-Beuren syndrome are associated with a particular personality profile, studies have failed to assign the personality features to a single gene or pathway. As a family of monogenic disorders caused by mutations in the Ras/MAPK pathway known to influence social behavior, RASopathies are likely to provide insight into the genetic basis of personality. Eighty subjects diagnosed with cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome, Costello syndrome, neurofibromatosis type 1, and Noonan syndrome were assessed using a parent-report BFQ-C (Big Five Questionnaire for Children) evaluating agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, intellect/openness, and neuroticism, along with 55 unaffected sibling controls. A short questionnaire was added to assess sense of humor. RASopathy subjects and sibling controls were compared for individual components of personality, multidimensional personality profiles, and individual questions using Student tests, analysis of variance, and principal component analysis. RASopathy subjects were given lower scores on average compared to sibling controls in agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and sense of humor, and similar scores in neuroticism. When comparing the multidimensional personality profile between groups, RASopathies showed a distinct profile from unaffected siblings, but no difference in this global profile was found within RASopathies, revealing a common profile for the Ras/MAPK-related disorders. In addition, several syndrome-specific strengths or weaknesses were observed in individual domains. We describe for the first time an association between a single pathway and a specific personality profile, providing a better understanding of the genetics underlying personality, and new tools for tailoring educational and behavioral approaches for individuals with RASopathies.