Personality Traits, Personality Disorder Dimensions, and Physical Health: The Predictive Ability of Self and Informant Reports
Abstract
There is compelling evidence that personality is linked to disease and health-related
behaviors. There is also emerging research which suggests that personality
disorders (PDs) are related to health. Most assessments of normal and disordered
personality rely on self-reported information, yet self reports offer only a single
perspective on personality and personality pathology and may be limited by individuals’
insight ability and motivation. As such, informant reports offer an important second
perspective on personality and PDs.
In the current study, I analyzed self and informant reports of normal personality
and PDs, and their respective abilities to predict physical health outcomes in a
representative community sample of adults (N = 1,449) approaching later life (initially
aged 55-65 years old). Using a series of hierarchical binary logistic and linear multiple
regression equations, I found that both informant-reported personality and PDs can add
significant variance above self reports of normal personality. Informant reports did not
outperform self reports, nor did disordered personality outperform normal personality as
hypothesized; rather, each added unique variance. This suggests that, above self reports
of normal personality, informant reports and disordered personality are important
components in the study of personality-health relationships.
Citation
Cooper, Luke D (2014). Personality Traits, Personality Disorder Dimensions, and Physical Health: The Predictive Ability of Self and Informant Reports. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A & M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /152631.