Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Neuroticism Subscale of the NEO-PI

Mapping Chinese Personality: An Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the NEO-PI-3 in Monolingual and Bilingual Studies

The NEO-PI-3 is a fourth-generation instrument that has been shown to improve the psychometrics and readability of its immediate precedent, the NEO-PI-R. We examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese versions of the NEO-PI-R and NEO-PI-3 using three datasets (Ns = 913, 299, 403) collected using both monolingual and bilingual designs. The Chinese NEO-PI-3 scales displayed a five-factor structure in which the facets had the highest loadings on their intended factors. The structure demonstrated strong invariance across both languages (English vs. Chinese) and gender groups, maintained high test-retest reliability, and attained slightly better internal consistency than the NEO-PI-R. We also examined the affective underpinnings of personality factors and well-being measures using the Chinese Circumplex Model of Affect. Consistent with past findings, Neuroticism and Extraversion were most related to affect, while Satisfaction with Life and Subjective Happiness shared the affective core of pleasant feelings and medium arousal. Based on these results, the Chinese NEO-PI-3 appears to be a sound instrument to measure personality in Chinese communities and to compare personality across cultures.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the 10-Item Ruminative Response Scale Among Undergraduates and Depressive Patients

Objective: Rumination is considered as a key process in the mechanism of depression. Assessing rumination is important for both research and clinical practice. The Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) is a widely-used instrument to measure rumination. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese 10-item Ruminative Response Scale (RRS-10) in a large sample of Chinese undergraduates and depressive patients. Methods: A total of 1,773 university students and 286 clinical patients with major depressive disorder finished the Chinese version of the RRS10, State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to examine the two-factor structure (reflection and brooding) of the RRS-10. The correlations among RRS-10, STAI, and BDI were explored in two samples. In addition, the measurement invariance of the RRS-10 across gender, time, and groups with and without depressive symptoms were further investigated. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were also evaluated. Results: Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed that the two-factor structure of RRS-10 fitted reasonably both in undergraduates (CFI = 0.933, TLI = 0.905, RMSEA = 0.071, SRMR = 0.035) and depressive patients (CFI = 0.941, TLI = 0.910, RMSEA = 0.077, SRMR = 0.057). The results of the multi-group confirmatory factor analysis supported the full strict invariance across genders and across groups (undergraduates and depressive patients). The full strong invariance over time was also supported by MGCFA. Besides, the RRS-10 showed acceptable internal consistency and good stability. Conclusions: The RRS-10 has good reliability and validity in different samples and over time, which demonstrated that RRS-10 is a valid measurement instrument to assess rumination.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Neuroticism, and Ethnic Identity in Young Latina Adults

Rates of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are elevated among Latinas; however, few studies have examined patterns of NSSI and associated risk in this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between neuroticism and NSSI, along with the conditional effect of ethnic identity on such an association for first-, second-, and third-generation Latina young adults. Participants were 701 emerging adult Latinas who completed measures of self-harm, personality traits, and ethnic identity. Results showed ethnic identity as moderating the association between neuroticism and self-harm in second-generation Latinas. These findings provide some insight into the cultural impact of both ethnic identity and generational status on self-harm for Latinas with high levels of neuroticism.

Neuroticism modulates neural activities of posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus during psychosocial stress processing

OBJECTIVE

Individuals with higher neuroticism are vulnerable to stress and are prone to develop depression, however, the neural mechanisms underlying it have not been clarified clearly.

METHOD

The Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) was administered to 148 healthy adults during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Whole-brain voxel-wise regression analyses were used to detect associations of neuroticism with neural activity involved in perceiving and processing psychosocial stress. In addition, two-sample t-tests were conducted between the high-neurotic and low-neurotic group in order to supplement the results found in regression analyses.

RESULTS

Higher neuroticism scores were associated with higher activities in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus and thalamus (p < 0.05, false discovery rate correction). Moreover, two sample t-tests also revealed that the high-neurotic group had higher neural stress responses in precuneus and bilateral thalamus in comparison to the low-neurotic group (p < 0.05, false discovery rate correction).

LIMITATIONS

Our study mainly recruited young adults, which may limit the generalizability of our findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the crucial role of PCC/precuneus and thalamus in the association between neuroticism and stress and may provide insight into the cognitive model of depression.