Social media addiction and personality dimensions among Tunisian medical students.

Purpose: Social media (SM) has become a common activity for today's young people. It is sometimes overused and potentially results in SM addiction. This study aims to assess SM addiction and its associated factors in medical students and to examine its relationship with dimensions of personality global self-esteem, and social self-esteem. Materials and methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study among a sample of medical students in the region of Sfax in Tunisia. Social Media Addiction Scale-Student Form (SMAS-SF), Big Five Inventory, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Social Self-Esteem Inventory were used to collect data. Results: Overall, 116 medical students were included in the survey. The median age of the participants was 26 years, and 91 students (78.4%) were female. Almost half of them (55.20%) were enrolled in the third cycle. The most widely used SM was Facebook (98.3%). Students with the highest SMAS-SF scores had a significantly younger age of first use (p=0.011, r=-0.235), spent more time on their favorite SM (p=0.005, r=0.260), and performed more activities on SM, namely: making comments (p=0.005), browsing SM profiles (p=0.018), and posting videos (p=0.007) or pictures (p=0.002). The need to establish an identity was significantly associated with higher SMAS-SF scores (p=0.011). We also found that neuroticism and a low level of conscientiousness were linked to high SMAS-SF scores (p=0.006, r=0.252 and p=0.050, r=-0.183, respectively). Moreover, high SMAS-SF scores were significantly related to lower global and social self-esteem scores (p=0.015, r=-0.226 and p=0.032, r=-0.199, respectively). Conclusion: Our results highlight the critical need to take into consideration the evaluation and intervention of self-esteem and personality dimensional issues to target interventions for SM addiction among medical students.

Navigating pathways to automated personality prediction: a comparative study of small and medium language models.

Introduction: Recent advancements in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and widely available social media data have made it possible to predict human personalities in various computational applications. In this context, pre-trained Large Language Models (LLMs) have gained recognition for their exceptional performance in NLP benchmarks. However, these models require substantial computational resources, escalating their carbon and water footprint. Consequently, a shift toward more computationally efficient smaller models is observed. Methods: This study compares a small model ALBERT (11.8M parameters) with a larger model, RoBERTa (125M parameters) in predicting big five personality traits. It utilizes the PANDORA dataset comprising Reddit comments, processing them on a Tesla P100-PCIE-16GB GPU. The study customized both models to support multi-output regression and added two linear layers for fine-grained regression analysis. Results: Results are evaluated on Mean Squared Error (MSE) and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), considering the computational resources consumed during training. While ALBERT consumed lower levels of system memory with lower heat emission, it took higher computation time compared to RoBERTa. The study produced comparable levels of MSE, RMSE, and training loss reduction. Discussion: This highlights the influence of training data quality on the model's performance, outweighing the significance of model size. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

A serial mediation model of Big 5 personality traits, emotional intelligence, and psychological capital as predictors of teachers' professional well-being.

This study aimed to explore the relationship among the Big Five personality traits, emotional intelligence (EIQ), psychological capital (PsyCap), and teacher well-being (TPWB) within the context of higher education. The objective was to predict TPWB in university teachers by utilizing the Big Five personality traits and PsyCap while considering EI as a mediator. Data were collected from 708 teachers in Ethiopian higher education institutions. Participants completed the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS-16), Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI-10), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-12), and Teacher Professional Well-Being Scale (TPWBS). The analysis included reliability tests, correlation analysis, validity assessment, measurement invariance, and serial mediation testing. The findings unveil a significant direct positive effect of Big Five personality traits on EIQ, PsyCap, and TPWB. Furthermore, PsyCap demonstrates a direct positive effect on TPWB. PsyCap fully mediates the relationship between the Big Five personality traits, EIQ, and TPWB, while EIQ partially mediates the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and PsyCap/TPWB, accentuating a serial mediation effect. Moreover, the personality trait of openness to experience positively predicts EIQ, PsyCap, and TPWB. Conscientiousness and agreeableness also positively predict EIQ, while extraversion directly influences PsyCap in a positive manner. However, neuroticism exerts a negative direct impact on EIQ, PsyCap, and TPWB. Additionally, emotional intelligence partially mediates the relationship between the five dimensions of the Big Five personality (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) and TPWB. In conclusion, PsyCap fully mediates the relationship between the Big Five personality traits, EIQ, and TPWB, while EIQ partially mediates the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and PsyCap/TPWB. These findings hold significant implications for enhancing well-being among teachers.

Personality interferences in the pathology of breast cancer: a cross-sectional single-center study.

Individual personality refers to the Ego and the interpersonal sector. The Ego corresponds to consciousness and self-esteem, including the capacities for emotional self-regulation, self-control, self-evaluation, and self-direction in relation to personal goals. When neoplastic and psychiatric diseases coexist, a patient's quality of life is significantly impacted. While there are somatic differences in disease progression, how the illness is perceived and mainly experienced depends on personality traits. In this study, we administered the DECAS Personality Inventory (a Romanian-validated instrument based on the Five-Factor model of personality) to a group of 121 patients diagnosed with breast cancer to explore the relationships among their personality traits. Descriptive statistics revealed that the mean T scores for openness, extroversion, and emotional stability were low, while the scores for conscientiousness and agreeableness were at an average level. Our findings suggest that, in the studied group, low levels of emotional stability, extroversion, and openness were unfavorable personality dimensions that should be a primary focus of therapeutic strategies, as they significantly affect the quality of life in patients with breast cancer.

A Cross-Sectional Study Investigating Associations between Personality Traits, Glycemic Control, and BMI in Persons with Diabetes: Lolland-Falster Health Study, Denmark.

There is a growing focus on person-centered care, emphasizing the importance of respecting inter-individual differences and implementing individualized treatment initiatives. Prior research has established an association between personality traits, body mass index, and health-related behaviors. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of personality trait assessments in identifying individuals at risk of glycemic dysregulation and increasing BMI. This cross-sectional study used a dataset comprising 140 participants with diabetes who completed the Big Five personality trait questionnaire from the Lolland-Falster Health Study. Logistic regression was used to investigate associations between personality traits, glycemic control, and BMI ≥ 25. No significant associations between personality traits and glycemic control were found. There was a significant association between agreeableness and lower odds of BMI ≥ 25 in the unadjusted analysis (OR 0.54 (0.34-0.86)), which persisted after adjusting for sex, age, and education (OR 0.54 (0.33-0.89)). No significant association between glycemic control and personality traits was observed in this small sample study. However, higher levels of agreeableness were associated with a lower likelihood of having a BMI of ≥25. This preliminary study suggests that integrating personality assessments could help identify individuals at risk of increasing BMI. These findings highlight the potential of using personality traits to guide targeted interventions, offering a direction for future research.

Does personality affect the cognitive decline in aging? A systematic review.

Cognitive decline is a natural consequence of aging, but several genetic, environmental, and psychological factors can influence its trajectories. Among the most enduring factors, the Big Five personality traits - defined as relatively stable tendencies to think, behave, and react to the environment - can influence both directly (e.g., by physiological correlates) and indirectly (e.g., healthy or risky behaviors) the risk of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) - a preclinical form of cognitive decline. Despite the great amount of studies focusing on the relationship between personality and cognitive decline, an updated systematic synthesis of the results including a broader range of study designs is still lacking. This systematic review aims to summarize the findings of studies investigating: (i) differences in personality traits between groups of healthy individuals and those with MCI, (ii) the impact of personality traits on the risk for both MCI and dementia, and (iii) changes in personality traits among individuals progressing from normal cognition to MCI. Neuroticism emerged as a significant risk factor for MCI and dementia; Conscientiousness and Openness appear to offer protection against dementia and moderate cognitive decline. Overall, these findings suggest a pivotal role of personality structure in shaping cognitive outcomes on the long run.

The Relationship between Big Five Personality Traits and Depression in the German-Speaking D-A-CH Region Including an Investigation of Potential Moderators and Mediators.

Considerable evidence links the "Big Five" personality traits (neuroticism, extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness) with depression. However, potential mediating and moderating factors are less well understood. We utilized data from a cross-sectional survey of 3065 German-speaking adults from the D-A-CH region to estimate multivariable-adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervalsbetween personality traits and lifetime prevalence of depression (overall and stratified by sex and age). We further explored proportions mediated by psychosocial factors optimism, empathy, perspective-taking, work-life balance, and interpersonal trust. High levels of neuroticism were associated with more than two-fold higher odds of depression, whereas higher levels of conscientiousness were associated with approximately 30% lower odds of depression. The association with neuroticism persisted in all investigated subgroups; apparently, stronger associations for females and participants aged ≥60 years did not correspond to statistically significant interactions. Overall and across all strata, the association of neuroticism with depression appeared to be mediated in part by the considered psychosocial factors; optimism explained the largest proportion of the association. Our results provide empirical evidence for the dynamic predisposition model. Further investigations of these relationships are warranted in longitudinal data with more precise outcome assessments.

Problematic Internet Use and Personality Traits: Results in Working Age Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Problematic Internet use has become a growing problem worldwide; several factors, including personality, play an essential role in understanding this disorder. The Big Five personality traits and their association with problematic Internet use were examined in a large and diverse population. METHODS: A survey was applied to a total of 1,109 adults of working age. Each answered the Big Five Inventory and the Internet Addiction Test. RESULTS: Problematic Internet use was found in 10.6% of them (n=112). The personality traits extraversion and openness to experience were significantly associated with those with the disorder. With adjustment models, a positive association was found between these traits and being single and higher education. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the largest of its kind in the Spanish-speaking population, highlighting the importance of recognising the factors involved in problematic Internet use.

Influence of personality traits on generation Z consumers' click-through intentions towards personalized advertisements: A mixed-methods study.

Personalized social media advertisements (PSMAs) are developed by using consumers' personal information like names, demographic details, location, past buying history, and lifestyle interests to quickly grab consumers' attention within the cluttered space of digital advertisements. Generation Z consumers are highly connected to social media. Hence, this study attempts to understand how Generation Z consumers with different personality traits perceive personalized advertisements (PAs) on Facebook, and subsequently, how their perceived personalization influences their intention to click on PAs based on perceived usefulness and privacy concerns associated with those advertisements. The theoretical underpinning of this research is based on the self-congruency theory and privacy-calculus theory. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design has been adopted, where a quantitative analysis (Study 1) is followed by a qualitative approach (Study 2). For Study 1, responses were collected from 324 Generation Z consumers through a structured questionnaire and the data was analyzed using the structural equation modeling technique to measure relationships among the constructs. Further, in Study 2, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 Generation Z consumers, a purposively selected subset of informants from Study 1, to explore the potential causes of those relationships observed in Study 1. It has been found from the study that consumers' perception of PSMAs varies based on their personality traits. Consumers with dominant extraversion, conscientiousness, and neurotic personality traits perceive PSMAs positively whereas the openness to experience and agreeableness dominant consumers perceive those negatively. Positive perception of PSMAs among consumers increases the perceived usefulness of communications and subsequently improves the click-through intentions of the consumers. Generation Z Consumers' perception of PSMAs does not have any influence on their privacy concerns. Consumers' high privacy concerns reduce the click-through intention rate toward PSMAs. The study will help digital marketing managers to strategically deliver PSMAs, thereby enhancing the efficiency of their advertisements.

Examining the association between the FTO gene and neuroticism reveals indirect effects on subjective well-being and problematic alcohol use.

Associations between the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene and obesity are well-established. However, recent studies have linked FTO to addiction phenotypes and dopaminergic signaling, thus suggesting broader psychiatric implications. We explored this assumption by conducting a phenome-wide association study across 4756 genome-wide association studies, identifying 23-26 psychiatric traits associated with FTO at the multiple-corrected significance level. These traits clustered into four categories: substance use, chronotype/sleep, well-being, and neuroticism. To validate these findings, we analyzed a functionally suggestive FTO variant (rs1421085) in a separate cohort, examining its impact on (i) alcohol use based on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), (ii) subjective well-being based on the WHO (Ten) Well-Being Index, and (iii) neuroticism based on Schafer's Five Factor Model or the Karolinska Scales of Personality. Our results confirmed a direct association between rs1421085 and neuroticism that was independent of age, sex, alcohol use, body mass index (BMI), and childhood adversities. Interestingly, while no direct association with alcohol intake was observed, both cross-sectional and lagged longitudinal mediation analyses uncovered indirect relationships between rs1421085 and problematic alcohol use (AUDIT-P), with increased neuroticism acting as the intermediary. Mediation analyses also supported an indirect effect of rs1421085 on lower well-being through the pathways of increased neuroticism and BMI. Our study is the first to validate a direct association between FTO and neuroticism. However, additional studies are warranted to affirm the causal pathways linking FTO to well-being and alcohol use through neuroticism.