The extant literature on personality and psychopathology indicates effortful control mechanisms are theoretically related to executive functioning. The present study examines the role of conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and grit in performance on the Test of Attentional Vigilance (TOAV) in a sample of male (n = 27) and female (n = 23) adults. Researchers hypothesized conscientiousness and grit would negatively relate to standard deviation of reaction time (SDRT), reaction time variability (RTV), and omissions errors, implying more regulated attentional processes. Additionally, conscientiousness and grit were hypothesized to be negatively related to mean reaction time (MRT) and commission errors, suggesting more efficient inhibition of prepotent motoric responses. Lastly, neuroticism was hypothesized to be positively related to MRT, SDRT, RTV, omission errors, and commission errors, suggesting less efficient executive control mechanisms. Multiple regression analyses utilizing personality measures did not significantly predict MRT, SDRT, RTV, omission errors, or commission errors (ps > .05). Bonferroni-corrected analysis of variance models indicated statistically nonsignificant mean differences between high and low conscientiousness, high and low grit, high and low extraversion, and high and low neuroticism in relation to all variables of interest (ps > .05). Binary logistic regression analysis indicated a statistically nonsignificant relationship between omission errors and personality measures (p > .05). Implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research will be provided in context.
Andrew Crow, ’16
Whitefish Bay, WI
Psychology
Sponsor: Alice Ganzel