Five-factor personality model versus affective temperaments: a study in a nonclinical Polish sample

The main goal of the study was to investigate and evaluate the relationship between personality traits postulated by the Costa and McCrae five-factor personality model (FFM; McCrae & John, 1992) and Akiskal’s (Akiskal & Akiskal, 2005) affective temperaments as measured by the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Auto-Questionnaire (TEMPS-A) in a nonclinical population. Affective temperament types (depressive, cyclothymic, hyperthymic, irritable and anxious) are trait-related manifestations that play definitive roles in determining predispositions to affective disorders (Akiskal & Akiskal, 2005; Pompili et al., 2018; Solmi et al., 2016). Vázquez and Gonda (2013) emphasize that the model of affective temperaments was based on the observation of patients with mood disorders and their healthy first-degree relatives. As has been demonstrated, affective temperaments exhibit good long-term stability and may be considered stable traits (Kawamura et al., 2010). Furthermore, they encompass healthy personality traits (Rovai et al., 2013) and, as demonstrated by data from large national studies employing general and healthy samples, have universal (Vázquez & Gonda, 2013) and culturally specific characteristics (Vázquez, Tondo, Mazzarini, & Gonda, 2012). Costa and McCrae’s (McCrae & John, 1992) five-factor personality model was developed in order to describe healthy human functioning. The model comprises five broad trait dimensions: neuroticism (or emotional instability), extraversion versus introversion, openness (or unconventionality), agreeableness versus antagonism, and conscientiousness/constraint (Bagby & Widiger, 2018). Multiple studies (e.g., Kotov, Gamez, Schmidt, & Watson, 2010; Malouff, Thorsteinsson, & Schutte, 2005) support a link between FFM traits and psychopathology. Neuroticism seems to be the FFM dimension most closely associated with affective temperaments. Blӧink, Brieger, Akiskal and Marneros (2005) demonstrated positive correlations between neuroticism as measured by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory and all the affective temperaments, except for hyperthymic in the German nonclinical sample. Notably, extraversion was negatively correlated with all affective temperaments, again with the exception of hyperthymic (positive correlation) in the German sample. Also, negative correlations between agreeableness and cyclothymic and irritable temperaments were found in this group as well as a positive correlation between conscientiousness and depressive temperament and a negative correlation between conscientiousness and cyclothymic temperament (Blӧink et al., 2005). Kwapil et al. (2013) showed that five-factor personality model traits accounted for between 38% (irritable temperament) and 49% (hyperthymic temperament) of total variance in the affective temperaments. Oniszczenko, Stanisławiak, Dembińska-Krajewska and Rybakowski (2017) demonstrated that neuroticism-related temperament traits, such as emotional reactivity (ER) and perseveration (PE), accounted for 24% of the anxious temperament variance, while extraversion-related temperament traits such as activity were the best predictors of hyperthymic temperament, accounting for 25% of the variance. These results also support the hypothesis regarding the relationship between FFM dimensions and affective temperaments. According to McCrae and Costa (2005), FFM personality traits are endogenous basic tendencies that have been developing since childhood. It is important to note that Costa and McCrae (2001) gave all the traits the status of temperament traits. However, these traits are all commonly referred to as personality traits. Basic tendencies, genetically determined, in interaction with external influences cause characteristic adaptations and behaviors (McCrae & Sutin, 2018). FFM traits may also contribute to psychopathology symptoms, course and treatment. Of particular importance is the high level of neuroticism and the low levels of extraversion, conscientiousness and agreeableness (Malouff et al., 2005). Affective temperaments are thought to be present in up to 20% of the healthy general population (Vázquez et al., 2012), while all adults and children since early and middle childhood can be characterized by FFM traits (McCrae & Costa, 2005). Taking into account that FFM traits are present and can be measured starting from childhood (Caspi, Roberts, & Shiner, 2005), we assume that FFM traits may serve as factors conducive to development of affective temperaments throughout the lifespan and indirectly contribute to the development of psychopathology. This study is the first attempt to demonstrate the relationship between the FFM dimensions and affective temperament in a nonclinical Polish sample. We hypothesized that: (a) neuroticism would be positively correlated with depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperaments while negatively related to hyperthymic temperament; (b) extraversion would be positively correlated with hyperthymic temperament and negatively with depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperaments; (c) agreeableness and conscientiousness would have a negative relationship with affective temperaments.