Robert M. McFatter

Interactions in Predicting Mood From Extraversion and Neuroticism

Many researchers have found evidence that, when only marginal distributions are examined, extraversion is related primarily to positive affect, whereas neuroticism is related primarily to negative affect. Recent findings have suggested that extraversion and neuroticism interact in predicting mood so that marginal relations could be misleading. The present study used extraversion (and its components, sociability and impulsivity) along with neuroticism in regression equations including interactive and curvilinear components to predict measures of positive and negative affect. Results confirm earlier findings that extraversion and neuroticism interact in predicting both positive and negative affect. The interaction pattern was similar to previous findings. Both positive and negative affect were strongly related to extraversion only among neurotic subjects.

Cognitive performance after sleep deprivation: does personality make a difference?

Abstract The relations between personality and cognitive performance under sleep deprivation were examined in a college age (17–25 years) sample (n=28) using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Eysenck, H.J., & Eysenck, S.B.G., 1975), and a computerized battery of eight neuropsychological tests from the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics, version 3.11 (Kane, R.L., & Reeves, D.L., 1997, Perez, W.A., Masline, P.J., Ramsey, E.G., & Urban, K.E., 1987). The specific tasks analyzed were time estimation, immediate recall, delayed recall, match to sample, spatial processing, finger tapping, digit span, and the Stroop color-word tasks. Sleep deprivation had an overall negative effect on accuracy in the time estimation, immediate recall, delayed recall, and digit span tasks. There were also significant interactions between extraversion and sleep deprivation on accuracy in the time estimation, immediate recall, delayed recall, Stroop color-word, and finger tapping tasks. Extraverts performed worse than introverts on all of these tasks except the Stroop, on which extraverts had more variability in performance through the night. Finally, there were significant interactions between extraversion and neuroticism in predicting performance on the time estimation and the Stroop color-word tasks. The general findings were that the poorer performance of extraverts compared with introverts was even more pronounced in neurotics than stables.

Emotional intensity: Some components and their relations to extra version and neuroticism

Abstract Several models of the relation between affect intensity or emotional intensity and temperament were tested in a large sample (N = 1553) using the Emotional Intensity Scale (EIS) developed by Bachorowski & Braaten (1994) and the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI). Analyses revealed the necessity of separating negative emotional intensity into an anger/frustration component and a non-anger (worry, guilt, sadness) component when examining how temperament variables like extraversion and neuroticism are related to emotional intensity. Implications of this distinction for models of emotional intensity are discussed. Results for intensity measures manifested a number of sharp contrasts with results found in other studies for frequency measures of positive and negative affect. The pattern of the relations between emotional intensity (both positive and negative) and neuroticism, found here, throws light on the basic nature of neuroticism.

Empathy and distress: Two distinct but related emotions in response to infant crying

This study examined a largely overlooked, yet potentially important, association between empathy and distress in cry responding. The cry stimulus included a 1-min-long video clip of a 4-week-old, crying, male infant. Participants reported their dispositional empathy and distress, perceived aversiveness of the cry stimulus, response emotions, and intention to intervene with the crying infant. Empathy and distress covaried positively both in disposition and in cry responding. Response empathy and distress were related to their corresponding dispositional emotions, but response empathy was also related to dispositional distress. Perceived aversiveness interacted with response distress in predicting response empathy. Both response empathy and distress appeared to be important determinants of intention to intervene. Overall, empathy and distress in response to infant crying appeared more closely related than previously thought. Implications concerning the regulation of emotions in cry responding are discussed.

The Power of Hypothesis Tests for Comparisons.

Correct simple formulas are provided for the value of 0 needed to use the commonly available Pearson and Hartley (1951) power charts in determining the power of hypothesis tests involving single degree-of-freedom comparisons in the fixed effects analysis of variance. Most experimental design textbooks do not present such formulas; two widely used texts that do give them present incorrect ones.