La incidencia de rasgos de personalidad en estudiantes avanzados de psicología hacia la elección de una línea teórica / The impact of personality traits of advanced psychology students in the choice of a theoretical framework

El propósito de este artículo de investigación es analizar la influencia de la personalidad y las motivaciones para optar por una especialización clínica, en estudiantes de Psicología. Método: 155 estudiantes avanzados de la carrera Lic. en Psicología fueron evaluados con el test Big Five de Personalidad (Castro Solano, 2005) y con una encuesta Ad Hoc. Resultados: Se encontraron diferencias significativas en dos dimensiones de personalidad: Agradabilidad (p= ,034) y Responsabilidad (p= ,053) entre estudiantes de diferentes corrientes teóricas. Además se observaron diferencias en las motivaciones elegidas para optar por determinada orientación clínica. Se puede concluir que existe una relación significativa entre los rasgos de personalidad y los enfoques teóricos de la Psicología como ciencia en estudiantes de Psicología. Se discuten estos resultados en función de estudios previos.

Abstract The aim of this research paper is to analyze the influence of personality and motivations in the choice of a clinical specialization in psychology students. Method: 155 psychology advanced were assessed with the Big Five Personality test (Castro Solano, 2005) and an Ad Hoc survey. Results: Significant differences in two dimensions of personality were found: Agreeableness (p = .034) and Accountability (p = .053) among students of different clinical specialization. Besides, differences in motivations chosen were found in the choice of a specific clinical orientation. We conclude that a significant relationship exists between personality traits and the theoretical Psychology approaches as a science in Psychology students.

Role of personality traits in cocaine craving throughout an outpatient psychosocial treatment program

Objective: Cocaine dependence is a major international public health concern. Its chronically relapsing nature is possibly related to craving intensity, which can be influenced by diverse biological and psychological aspects. This study aimed to evaluate the role of different personality traits in craving measured throughout a psychosocial treatment program. Method: The sample comprised 66 cocaine-dependent outpatients who were enrolled in an individual and manualized cognitive-behavioral therapy program. The influence of personality traits on craving intensity, frequency, and duration was analyzed using a generalized estimating equations model with an autoregressive correlation structure. Results: Craving varied during treatment. The personality traits of novelty seeking, reward dependence, and harm avoidance interacted with craving intensity, and the personality trait of persistence interacted with craving duration throughout the treatment period. Furthermore, there were significant interactions between drug use and craving intensity, and between different routes of administration and craving intensity. Participants who used cocaine/crack while in treatment and concurrent users of crack (i.e., freebase) cocaine and powder cocaine also had a higher craving intensity. Conclusion: The extent of craving variation can depend on certain personality styles. This study shows that craving is influenced by personality traits, and this may presumably change clinical expression involved in disease. .

Lateralidad y variables de personalidad / Laterality and personality´s variables

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue realizar una medición de lateralidad en una muestra de individuos de la región de Cuyo, Argentina, analizando las asociaciones entre lateralidad (diestros-zurdos) y variables de personalidad (control-neuroticismo; introversión-extroversión). Se conformó una muestra no aleatoria de 197 individuos (100 sujetos de sexo femenino y 97 de sexo masculino), con un rango de edad entre 18 y 55 años (M= 28,14; DE= 9,77). Se aplicaron los siguientes instrumentos: 1. Cuestionario de Lateralidad (Portellano-Pérez, 2003); 2. Prueba de tachado de cuadros (Portellano-Pérez, inédito); 3. Cuestionario de Personalidad (Eysenck ,1975), estandarizado en población argentina por Omar (1988). En las mujeres, mayores niveles de ansiedad (neuroticismo) no estuvieron asociados a predominio de lateralidad zurda. Tampoco se observó en éstas que mayores valores en introversión estuvieran correlacionados positivamente con lateralidad zurda. Los individuos de ambos sexos con puntajes extremos en lateralidad diestra o zurda no presentaron mayores puntajes en la variable neuroticismo. No se encontró relación significativa alguna entre lateralidad y rasgos de personalidad. Los trabajos existentes hasta el momento presentan resultados divergentes y difícilmente equiparables. Esta discrepancia radica tal vez en el hecho de que la lateralidad —en la mayoría de los estudios— ha recibido un abordaje unidimensional y las dimensiones de la personalidad han sido exploradas sólo con el análisis de respuestas verbales basadas en autoinformes.

The aim of this study was to perform a measurement of handedness in a sample of individual in Cuyo Region – Argentine – analyzing the associations between laterality (rights and lefts) and personality´s variables (control-neuroticism; introversion-extroversion). A sample no aleatory of 197 subjects (woman 100 and man 97) with a age ranged between 18 and 55 (M=28,14; DS= 9,77). The following instruments were applied: Laterality Scale (Portellano-Pérez, 2003); Cross Out of Squares Test (Portellano-Pérez, ined-ited); Personality Scale (Eysenck, 1975; standarized for Omar in Argentine population, 1988). A greater anxiety level (neuroticism) was not associated to left laterality predominance. Neither was observed in these that greater scores introversion were positively associated with left laterality. Individuals of both sexes with high values in right or left laterality were not presented greater scores in the neuroticism variable. No one significant relation was found between handedness and personality traits. Studies on this thematic have divergent results and are difficult to compare. This discrepancy perhaps lies in the fact that the handedness - in most studies - received a one-dimensional approach and dimensions of personality have been explored only with the analysis of verbal responses based on self-reports.

Personality Dimensions of Eysenck and Their Relations with Sleep Characteristics / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: In order to evaluate the possible relationship between sleep and personality characteristics, it is desirable to adopt the personality theory with biological basis because sleep is a physiological phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to investigate their possible relationship using the personality dimensions of Eysenck, which is well known as a biological personality theory. METHODS: Sleep Questionnaires regarding the weekday sleep habits and the sleep disorders and Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire were administered to 532 university students. Data analysis was based on 509 students who gave reliable information. Firstly, the descriptive statistics of the scores on four personality dimensions(psychoticism, neuroticism, extraversion, lie)and sleep characteristics were obtained. Secondly, the possible relationships between each personality dimension and sleep characteristics (the weekday sleep habits and sleep disorders)were tested by calculating Pearson's product moment correlations. RESULTS: The four personality dimensions' scores and weekday sleep habits of subjects were within a normal range. The highest frequency of sleep disorder was induction difficulty of sleep and the lowest was sleep walking. Psychoticism was positively correlated with bedtime, rise time, sleep latency, number of awakening, regularity of sleep, frequency and duration of nap and doze, frequency of sleep disorders, while negatively correlated with the quality of sleep, and the score of circadian rhythm. The correlations between neuroticism and sleep characteristics were similar to those of psychoticism. Extraversion was positively correlated with the quality of sleep and the score of circadian rhythm, while not correlated with sleep disorders. Lie was positively correlated with the score of circadian rhythm, but negatively correlated with sleep latency, regularity of sleep, frequency and duration of nap and doze, and sleep disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The higher psychoticism and neuroticism, the poorer sleep habits and the higher frequency of sleep disorders. The higher extraversion, the better quality of sleep and the closer morningness. The higher lie, the closer morningness, the more regularity of sleep, the less sleepiness of daytime, and the less frequency of sleep disorders. These findings suggest that there exist the close relationships between Eysenck's personality dimensions and sleep characteristics.