Det finns individuella skillnader i hur vi påverkas av stress och ett sätt att identifiera skillnaderna är att undersöka hur personlighetsdrag predicerar upplevd stress. Detta kan tillämpas vid rekrytering till yrken med särskilda krav på stresstålighet. Lazarus transaktionsmodell är ledande inom stressforskning och inom personlighetsteorier representerar femfaktormodellens (FFM) neuroticism, extraversion, öppenhet, samstämmighet och samvetsgrannhet de grundläggande personlighetsdragen. Enligt tidigare forskning utgör neuroticism en särskild sårbarhet för stress. Tre hypoteser prövades och undersökningens syftet var att predicera hur personligheten påverkar benägenheten att uppleva stress utifrån FFM, på dimensions- och facettnivå, samt att undersöka skillnader i upplevd stress beroende på kön. Etthundratolv studenter svarade på en enkät innehållande NEO-PI-R som mäter personlighetsdimensionerna samt Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) som mäter upplevd stress. Korrelationsanalyser, t-test och hierarkiska multipla regressioner gjordes. Hypoteserna om neuroticism och stress får stöd i resultatet men inte hypotesen om kön och stress. Oväntade resultat beträffande andra personlighetsdimensioner framkommer och möjliga orsaker till detta diskuteras.

While research highlights a number of risk factors for suicide, not all individuals displaying these characteristics will go on to attempt suicide. Depressed mood is a proximal indicator of suicide, with deterioration in already depressed mood increasing the likelihood of a suicide attempt. The overall aim of this thesis was to empirically test the Cognitive Model of Suicide by Wenzel and Beck (2008). This model proposes that each of the three components, dispositional vulnerabilities, mood disturbance and suicide related cognitions, may influence each other to enhance the propensity for a suicidal crisis. The thesis starts by examining the relationship between two personality characteristics (neuroticism and trait aggression) and current depressed mood, and then focuses on the relationship between suicidality and current depressed mood. Although autobiographical memories have been implied as a possible risk factor for suicidality, meta-analytical studies have highlighted discrepancies between sampling techniques which may limit interpretablity. Therefore, the first series of studies aimed to establish a protocol for assessing autobiographical memories. The second and third series of studies aimed to investigate whether the relationships between current depressed mood and specific personality factors (neuroticism and trait aggression) were indirectly influenced by other known risk factors that may affect cognitive processing of information (rumination, overgenerality, impulsivity). Moreover, these studies aimed to determine whether the same cognitive processing factors effected current depressed mood in non-suicidal and suicide attempt groups. The final series of studies aimed to determine whether these risk factors (neuroticism, trait aggression, brooding, impulsivity, and overgenerality) mediated the relationship between suicidality and current depressed mood. Findings indicated that compared to the non-suicidal group, individuals in the suicide attempt group was more likely to be influenced by the effects of trait aggression and brooding, and that the combination of these factors were positively associated with current depressed mood. In contrast, neuroticism and impulsivity appeared to influence individuals who had experienced suicidal ideation more than individuals who report never having suicidal thoughts or attempting suicide. Compared to the non-suicidal group, however, neuroticism and impulsivity did not show a significant association for current depressed mood in the suicidal ideation group. Findings supported the Interacting Sub-Systems model and are discussed in relation to the Cognitive Model of Suicide model.

Att kunna tillämpa professionell skepticism i det dagliga arbetet är en viktig egenskap för dagens revisorer. Vad som påverkar den professionella skepticismen är emellertid inte utrett inom tidigare forskning. Frågan om personlighetsdrag har en påverkan på professionell skepticism med hänsyn till kön som en betingande faktor har vi inte funnit någon forskning om. För att uppfylla syftet har en kvantitativ ansats applicerats och data har samlats in genom en enkätundersökning som ekonomistudenter på Högskolan Kristianstad och Jönköping International Business School har deltagit i. Studien har tillämpat befintliga mätinstrument för att mäta de oberoende variablerna personlighetsdrag och den beroende variabeln professionell skepticism. Enkäten undersökte även ett antal kontrollvariabler hos respondenterna. Resultatet från studien indikerar att två av de i studien undersökta personlighetsdragen (samvetsgrannhet och öppenhet för erfarenhet) har ett positivt samband med professionell skepticism. Vidare konstaterades att en del av personlighetsdraget neuroticism, aspekten stress, har ett negativt samband med professionell skepticism. Studien kunde emellertid inte påvisa om kön har en modererande effekt på sambandet mellan personlighetsdrag och professionell skepticism. Kontrollvariabeln modersmål visade sig ha ett mycket signifikant samband med professionell skepticism. Detta är något som framtida forskning inom området bör undersöka ytterligare. / To be able to apply professional skepticism in day-to-day work is an important attribute for today’s auditors. However, factors that affect the professional skepticism is not investigated in previous research. The question if personality traits affect the professional skepticism in consideration of gender as a moderating factor is an area where we have not found any previous research. To be able to fulfil the purpose a quantitative approach has been applied and the data has been collected through a survey distributed to economy students attending Högskolan Kristianstad and Jönköping International Business School. The study has applied existing measuring instruments to measure the independent variable personality traits and the dependent variable professional skepticism. The survey also explored a few control variables among the respondents. The results from the study indicate that two of the personality traits in the study (conscientiousness and openness) have a positive correlation with professional skepticism. Furthermore, the study found that a part of the personality trait neuroticism, the stress aspect, has a negative correlation with professional skepticism. The study has found no proof that support the belief that gender has a moderating effect on the correlation between personality traits and professional skepticism. The study showed that the control variable mother tongue has a significant correlation with professional skepticism. This is something that future research in the field should examine further.

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We examined the effect of daily stress, age, and emotional stability/neuroticism on stress reactivity, using cortisol diurnal rhythms. We used data from the Normative Aging Study (Spiro & Bosse, 2001). The 72 men in this study ranged from 67-93 (M =79.29, SD =4.88). Multilevel modeling showed that higher daily stress predicted flatter cortisol diurnal rhythms, B = .09, p < .001, as did age, B = .01, p < .001, while those higher in neuroticism on the emotional stability/neuroticism measure showed steeper slopes for cortisol diurnal rhythms, B = -.04, p < .001. These results indicate that age and emotional stability/neuroticism levels explain some of the variance in individual differences in stress reactivity and provide a basis for future research focused on the effects of psychosocial variables on physiological outcomes. / Graduation date: 2013

Tjugo procent av alla människor är högkänsliga (HSP = Highly Sensitive Person), vilket innebär att de är födda med ett känsligt nervsystem. Många HSP upplever negativa konsekvenser i sin vardag som påverkar livskvaliteten. Eftersom gruppen HSP är så stor och kopplingen HSP, livskvalitet och självmedkänsla inte specifikt har undersökts, var det relevant att göra den här enkätundersökningen. De undersökta frågeställningar är: Finns det inom gruppen HSP angående variablerna: Livskvalitet, Självmedkänsla, Högkänslighet, BIS, BAS, Extraversion och Neuroticism (a) signifikanta samband mellan samtliga variablerna? (b) Till vilken grad förklarar variablerna Livskvalitet och Högkänslighet? (c) Finns det könsskillnader angående samtliga variablerna? (d) Finns det ett positivt samband mellan Högkänslighet och Ålder? De 111 deltagare var medlemmar i Sveriges Förening för Högkänsliga och samtliga var enligt självskattning HSP, som bekräftades av insamlade data. Deltagargruppen bestod av 93 kvinnor (84%) och 18 män (16%) och genomsnittsålder var 50 år, där lägsta åldern var 35 år och högsta 70. Samtliga frågeställningar har besvarats genom analysmetoderna: Pearsons korrelationsanalys, Standard Multipel Linjär Regression och T-test. Det viktigaste resultatet var att kopplingen mellan HSP och självmedkänsla bidrog med ny kunskap, där slutsatsen blev att utövandet av självmedkänsla kan bidra till att aktivt öka graden av livskvalitet för HSP. Det starkaste sambandet i studien förelåg mellan BIS och neuroticism, vilket betyder att vid en ökning av BIS, ökar graden av negativ affekt och vice versa; resultatet låg i linje med tidigare forskning. Två oväntade resultat var att (a) drivkraften (BASDrive) predicerade högkänslighet mest till skillnad från litteraturen som pekar åt BIS och neuroticism som skulle ha starkast koppling och (b) att graden av högkänslighet sjönk vid ökad ålder; vilket talar emot tidigare forskning. Uppsatsen är en relevant informationskälla för HSP och alla andra som interagerar med HSP. / Twenty percent of all people are highly sensitive (HSP = Highly Sensitive Person) which means that they are born with a sensitive nervous system. Many HSP's are experiencing negative consequences in their everyday lives that affect their quality of life. As the group HSP is large and the correlation between HSP, quality of life and self-compassion is not specifically is investigated, the present study was relevant. The examined questions are: Is there within the group of HSP regarding Quality of Life, Self-compassion, High sensitivity, BIS, BAS, Extraversion and Neuroticism (a) significant correlations between the variables? (b) To what extend do the variables explain Quality of Life and High Sensitivity? (c) Are there gender differences regarding the variables? (d) Is there a positive correlation between High Sensitivity and Age? The 111 participants were members of the Sveriges Förening för Högkänsliga and all were HSP according to self-assessment, which also was confirmed by the data collected. The group of participants consisted of 93 women (84%) and 18 men (16%) and the average age was 50, where the lowest age was 35 years and the highest 70. All questions were answered by these analytical methods: Pearson's correlation analysis, Standard Multiple Linear Regression and T-test. The main outcome was that the link between HSP and self-compassion contributed to new knowledge, which concluded that the practice of Self-compassion can help to actively increase the level of quality of life for HSP's. The strongest correlation in the study was between BIS and neuroticism, which means that at an increase of BIS, the degree of negative affect also increased and vice versa; the result was in line with previous research. Two unexpected results were that (a) the driving force (BASDrive) predicted high sensitivity most, unlike the literature suggesting that BIS and neuroticism would have the strongest connection and (b) the degree of high sensitivity decreased with increase in age; which contradicts earlier research. The essay is a relevant source of information for the HSP and all others who are interacting with HSP.

Darbo tikslas - nustatyti ar nuteistųjų asmenybės bruožų, agresyvumo ir priklausomybę sukeliančių medžiagų vartojimas siejasi su agresijos apraiškomis nusikaltimo metu. Tyrime dalyvavo 197 vyrai (nuteistieji), kurių vidutinis amžius 26,87 metų. Tiriamuosius sudarė 108 Pravieniškių 1-ųjų pataisos namų nuteistieji, kurių vidutinis amžius 25,04 metai ir 89 Pravieniškių 3-ųjų pataisos namų nuteistieji, kurių amžiaus vidurkis – 29,09 metai. Jauniausias tiriamasis 18 metų, o vyriausias 60. Asmenybės bruožų įvertinimui buvo naudojamas H. ir S. Eysenck klausimyno lietuviškas variantas, kurį sudaro 101 teiginys, agresyvumui įvertinti - A.Bass – Darki klausimynas, alkoholio vartojimui – CAGE skalė, o rūkymo ir narkotinių medžiagų vartojimo įvertinimui buvo įtraukti atskiri klausimai. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, jog vyrų grupės psichotiškumo, ekstraversijos ir neurotiškumo skalių vidurkiai yra aukštesni už normas lietuviškoje populiacijoje, tuo tarpu melo skalės vidurkis yra mažesnis už normos. Taip pat pastebėta, jog nuteistieji su labiau išreikštu agresyvumu pasižymi aukštesniais psichotiškumo ir ekstraversijos rodikliai, o aukštesni neurotiškumo rodikliai siejasi su aukštu agresyvumu ir priešiškumu. Nuteistieji intensyviau vartojantys opiodus, haliucinogenus, stimuliantus, slopinančias medžiagas ir alkoholį ir narkotines medžiagas (polinarkomanija) kartu yra aukštesnio psichotiškumo. Tuo tarpu aukštesnio neurotiškumo nuteistieji intensyviau rūko ir vartoja alkoholį. Intensyviau... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the study is to determine whether the convicts of personality traits, of aggression and use of addictive substances related to criminal aggression. The subjects of the study were 197 men (convicts), with a mean age of 26.87 years. The research included 105 convicts in Pravieniskes penitentiary No. 1 and 89 convicts in Pravieniskes penitentiary No.3. Age of participants was from 18 to 60 years old. Lithuanian version of H. and S. Eysenck personality (EPQ) was used. Respondents were asked to fill in the form of 101 questions. Assess the aggression was used A. Bass - Dark questionnaire and assess the alcohol consumption - CAGE scale. Smoking and drug use were included in the assessment of individual issues. The results of the study showed that men's group of psychoticism, extraversion and neuroticism scales are higher than average rates of the Lithuanian population, while the scale lies below the average rate. It was also noted that inmates with more aggressiveness expressed have higher rates of psychoticism and extraversion, and higher neuroticism indicators associated with high aggressiveness and hostility. Convicts step using opiates, hallucinogens, stimulant, suppress substances and alcohol and drugs with a higher psychoticism. Meanwhile, higher neuroticism convicts intensify smoking and use alcohol. The more intensive use alcohol is more pronounced condemnation of extraversion. The inmates who more intensive use alcohol, kanabinoid, hallucinogens, stimulant and... [to full text]

The increase in globalisation has led many organisations world-wide and in South African to send more employees on international assignments than ever before, with every indication that the use of expatriates will continue to expand into the 21st century. Expatriate assignments are important to the success of multinational companies because they can help build the level of global competence within the organisation, and expatriates often fill critical positions in host countries (e.g. new market development, technology transfer, joint venture negotiations and subsidiary management). Given the strategic importance multinational companies attach to global assignments, the harm an unsuccessful expatriate may cause in the host country can be detrimental to the multinational company's future global business. Implications of poor expatriate cross-cultural adjustment include inadequate performance, psychological stress, premature termination of the assignment, negative effects on the expatriates' families and the long-term career repercussions upon repatriation after failed expatriate assignments. Thus, in order to remain competitive in today's global marketplace, multinational companies have recognised that the attraction, selection, development and retention of employees who can live and work effectively outside their own national borders are crucial to their success. This study proposed that personality dispositions, coping, stress and expatriates' motivation for accepting the assignment can predict three criteria of expatriate success, namely (a) the desire to terminate the assignment, (b) performance, and (c) the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates. The study population consisted of 95 expatriates from eight multi-national organisations. The research method for each of the three articles consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used to achieve the research objectives. Descriptive statistics ( e g means, standard deviations, skewness and kurtosis) were used to vii analyse the data. Cronbach alpha coefficients and exploratory factor analysis were used to assess the reliability and validity of the measuring instruments, and multiple regression analyses was conducted to determine the percentage of the variance in the dependent variables that is predicted by the independent variables. The Neo-Personality Inventory Revised, Work Locus of Control Scale, Expatriate Stress Inventory, a biographical questionnaire, which included expatriates' motivation for accepting the assignment (independent variables) and expatriates' cross-cultural adjustment. their desire to terminate the assignment and their performance (dependent variables) were administered. The results showed that external locus of control is related to avoidance. Avoidance coping of expatriates' was best predicted by an external locus of control and approach coping of expatriates' was best predicted by an internal locus of control. The results showed that expatriates' desire to terminate the assignment is related to their cross-cultural adjustment and that personality dimensions are related to their cross-cultural adjustment and their desire to terminate the assignment. Personality dimensions explained 12% of the variance in expatriates' cross-cultural adjustment. Assertiveness and cross-cultural adjustment explained 17% of expatriates' desire to terminate the assignment. The results showed that cultural stress explained 17% of the variance in expatriates' cross-cultural adjustment. Assertiveness and cross-cultural adjustment explained 28% of expatriates' desire to terminate the assignment and extrinsic motivation explained 20% of expatriates' performance. Recommendations are made regarding future research and practical implications for expatriate management. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Major Depression (MD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are psychiatric disorders that arise from dysfunction of the core human capacities for emotion. Sapience is inextricably bound up with the potential for feelings of regret, worry and concern. When these emotions lead to clinically significant impairment or distress, they may result in one or both of the disorders of MD and GAD. The occurrence of MD and GAD in the same person, known as comorbidity, is remarkably high; substantially higher than would be expected by chance. MD and GAD have been studied since the mid-20th century, resulting in a substantial body of literature. The personality trait of neuroticism is also known to correlate highly with these disorders. This project was designed to compare the etiological structure of MD and GAD using a range of psychosocial and genetic methods in three datasets, while also assessing the correlated trait of neuroticism. Results are used to inform theoretical formulation of an approximate model of comorbidity for the two disorders. Psychosocial findings suggest that MD and GAD have similar relationships with most risk factors, and that neuroticism displays results consistent with it composing a portion of the liability to MD and GAD. Efforts to detect specific genetic loci involved in the etiology of MD and GAD are modestly successful. Two genome-wide significant variants were found for MD (one already identified in the literature); two for GAD, and one for neuroticism. There were also a number of significant genomic regions for each outcome. The use of aggregate genetic methods to estimate heritability based on genotypes was less successful. Estimation was only successful in one sample of the three, and produced modest estimates of heritability (0.2-0.25) for MD and comorbid MD+GAD. Genetic correlation was estimated to be very high between neuroticism and MD. Models of comorbidity are evaluated in light of these results, and a model comprising multiple liability distributions, one shared entirely by MD and GAD, and two additional correlated ones for the two disorders, with reciprocal phenotypic causation, is deemed most consistent with observed evidence.

Risk factors for depression have long been identified. However, it remains unclear what are the mechanisms whereby these risk factors lead to depression. Therefore the current research examined cognitive and neurophysiological functioning in a sample of high risk vs. low risk never-depressed young adults. Risk for depression was defined by high neuroticism (N) scores on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). Results indicated that, compared to low N volunteers, high N volunteers show widespread negative biases across emotional processing tasks, including self-referent words categorization and memory, facial expression recognition, and emotion potentiated startle. The neural substrates of these negative biases were further illustrated by our brain-imaging experiments using fMRI. In these studies, high N is associated with increased neural signals for negative self-referent personality attributes and fearful facial expressions in a distributed network known to be involved in emotional processing, including the fusiform-amygdala circuitry, anterior cingulate, and the superior parietal cortex. By contrast, these neurocognitive biases did not seem to be accompanied by impairments in more global executive function or disturbances in biological response to stress measured by awakening salivary cortisol. Consistent with the idea that emotional processing biases represent key mechanisms underlying vulnerability to depression, our final longitudinal study showed that depression symptoms in high N volunteers were well predicted (up to 91%) at an 18 month follow up by a combination of these negative biases and stressful life events. Taken together, the current investigations therefore suggest that neurocognitive biases in emotional processing are trait vulnerability markers for depression prior to illness onset.