NEUROTICISM AND STRESS 1

 

 

NEUROTICISM AND STRESS 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neuroticism and Its Relation to Stress and Anxiety

Alyssa Salcido

Schreiner University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neuroticism and the Big Five Factor Model

Personality traits can be defined as the reliable examples of characteristics, actions, attitudes, and behaviors a person possesses that are relatively stable and enduring over time and are used to distinguish one person from another. Further, a person who scores high on a trait will display the psychological states identified with that trait more frequently and to a greater degree than people who score low on that trait.

Although the study of personality traits has a long history, many people fail to realize how some traits can have a significant impact on mental health and therefore are important to be able to identify. The purpose of this paper is to help people better understand the trait of neuroticism. Neuroticism is typically defined as the “individual differences in negative emotional response to threat, frustration, or loss.” (Costa & McCrae, 1992a; Goldberg, 1993).

The trait of neuroticism is “defined by items referring to irritability, anger, sadness, anxiety, worry, hostility, self-consciousness, and vulnerability that have been found to be substantially correlated with one another in factor analyses (Costa & McCrae, 1992a; Goldberg, 1993).” Further, individuals who score high on the trait of neuroticism usually have negative responses to their environment. Neuroticism is “operationally defined by items alluding to touchiness, outrage, trouble, nervousness, stress, threatening vibe, hesitance, and defenselessness that have been observed to be generously connected with each other in component examinations (Costa and McCrae, 1992a; Goldberg, 1993).”

“In addition, persons high in neuroticism are often self-critical, sensitive to the criticism of others, and feel personally inadequate (Watson, Clark, & Harkness, 1994). This dimension of neuroticism is alternatively called negative emotionality or negative affectivity, and is found in almost all major models of personality traits, the most notable factor model being the Big Five Factor Model.” (Costa & McCrae, 1992b; Goldberg, 1993; Zuckerman, Kuhlman, Teta, Joireman, & Kraft, 1993). Studies have found that scores of neuroticism “peak in late adolescence and decline moderately through adulthood.” (Costa et al., 1986; McCrae et al., 2002; Roberts & Mroczek, 2008) In addition, the average scores of neuroticism for females are “slightly but significantly higher for females than for males.”

Neuroticism scores are also typically higher for people who have a lower socioeconomic status. (Judge, Higgins, Thoresen, & Barrick, 1999). Studies have found that people who score high on the trait of neuroticism tend to also have symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Research also shows that people with mental health disorders typically display behaviors associated with the trait of neuroticism. A number of longitudinal studies have controlled for shared items and concurrent depressive states and still found significant associations between the construct of neuroticism and measures of depression (Fergusson, Horwood, & Lawton, 1989; Schmutte & Ryff, 1997; Spijker, de Graaf, Oldehinkel, Nolen, & Ormel, 2007). This is why researchers have been trying to help people understand the importance of the trait of neuroticism in identifying mental disorders and treating depression and anxiety. My hypothesis suggests that people who score high on the trait of narcissism on the Big Five Factor Model are also likely to exhibit the common behaviors of stress and anxiety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Method

Participants

The participants in this study consisted of 56 undergraduate students attending Schreiner University. There were 16 males and 40 females. The mean age of participants was 21.2 years. The median age 19 was years old. All students from the research methods class were asked to participate in this study by offering extra credit in exchange for participation.

Materials

The materials used in this study include: a computer and a self-generated electronic test Sensitivity Questionnaire designed to measure sensitivity, and a Big Five Factor Model test taken online, and which was used to record gender, age, and participant scores.

Procedure

On a volunteer-basis, participants were asked to complete an online survey that measures sensitivity using the Big Five Personality Test. In order to access the survey they had to access a computer where they would locate said article. They were also asked to record their age, gender, and scores for each of the five dimensions associated with the Big Five. After they were done, they were instructed to complete a sensitivity survey. All students from the research methods class were given extra credit for participating in the survey. Participants were then instructed to return the completed form to their instructor.

References

1. Lahey, B.B. (2009). Public Health Significance of Neuroticism. The American Psychologist, 64(4), 241-256. http://doi.org/10.1027/a0015309

2. Rietschel, L., Zhu, G., Kirschbaum, C., Strohmaier, J., Wüst, S., Rietschel, M., & Martin, N. (2014). Perceived Stress has Genetic Influences Distinct from Neuroticism and Depression. Behavior Genetics, 44(6), 639-645. doi:10.1007/s10519-013-9636-4

3. Aldinger, M., Stopsack, M., Ulrich, I., Appel, K., Reinelt, E., Wolff, S., & … Barnow, S. (2014). Neuroticism developmental courses – implications for depression, anxiety and everyday emotional experience; a prospective study from adolescence to young adulthood. BMC Psychiatry, 14(1), 210-222. doi:10.1186/s12888-014-0210-2

4. Vinkers, C. H., Joëls, M., Milaneschi, Y., Kahn, R. S., Penninx, B. W., & Boks, M. P. (2014). STRESS EXPOSURE ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN CUMULATIVELY INCREASES DEPRESSION RISK AND IS MODERATED BY NEUROTICISM. Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269), 31(9), 737-745. doi:10.1002/da.22262

5. Mohiyeddini, C., Bauer, S., & Semple, S. (2015). Neuroticism and stress: the role of displacement behavior. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 28(4), 391-407. doi:10.1080/10615806.2014.1000878