Internalizing problems (such as depression) represent an important risk especially during adolescence, because it is a period with many developmental demands, changes and tasks to achieve (Steinberg & Morris, 2001; Zahn-Waxler et al, 2000). Previous studies showed associations between specific personality profiles (e.g. Overcontrolled or Vulnerable) and anxiety or depression (Akse et al, 2007a, 2007b; De Clerq et al, 2012), but few studies have focused on the relations between personality profiles and the developmental trajectories of depression.
The proposed study aims to examine: personality profiles in pre-adolescence based on the Big Five Traits (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Openess; McCrae and Costa, 1995); relations between trajectory of Affective Problems (i.e. the DSM-Oriented subscale that assess depressive symptoms in the ASEBA system; Achenbach, 1991) during adolescence and personality profiles, controlling for gender.
We propose to use a sample of Italian adolescents drawn from an existing longitudinal study.
We expect to find four personality profiles: a Resilient profile, high on all traits; a Moderate, average on all traits; a Vulnerable, low on all traits; and an Undercontrolled, low on Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability, high on Extraversion. In addition, we expect to confirm the specific relations between different profiles and the trajectory of depression during adolescence. In particular, we hypothesize that a maladjusted profile can be associated with a higher trend of depression, whereas an adjusted profile can be negatively associated with this trend.
We expect to identify four personality profiles: a Resilient profile, high on all traits; a Moderate, average on all traits; a Vulnerable, low on all traits; and an Undercontrolled, low on Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability, high on Extraversion. In addition, we expect to confirm the specific relations between different profiles and the trajectory of depression during adolescence. In particular, it can be hypothesized as follow:
- the Resilient profile would negatively associated with the initial level of Depression, as well as with trend overtime;
- the Vulnerable profile, the most maladjusted profile, would be positively associated with the initial levels of depression, and that overtime would not decrease;
- the Undercontrolled profile, would not associated with the initial level or the rate of change of depression.
This study could be useful for the following reasons:
- The proposed study will contributes to knowledge concerning personality in the field of typological research (Asendorpf & Van Aken, 1999; Meeus et al., 2011) with pre-adolescents in the European context, highlighting the usefulness of adopting a holistic approach to examining the predictive value of personality profiles, rather than focusing on the predictive value of a single personality trait
- A focal aim of the proposed study is to corroborate the presence of four personality profiles, because, compared with the three-profile solution, four profiles may better reflect the original theoretical framework for understanding personality profiles proposed by Block and Block, and they are considered as more theoretical and empirically powerful (Isler et al., 2017). To our knowledge, there is a lack in this field, because findings from previous studies are mixed: they considered different developmental periods, and used different methodologies to identify personality profiles. In addition, this proposed study would increase the knowledge about personality profiles in the Italian context that was scarcely examined in the past.
- Another focal aim of the proposed study is to analyze the unique relationship between personality profiles and maladjustment overtime. As mentioned before, this study would be the first study that focusing specifically on the predictive value of personality profiles on the development of depression during adolescence. Only one study (Meeus et al. 2011) investigated the relations between personality profiles and the trajectories of internalizing problems, but they focused on anxiety. This project would contributed to that body of research focused on the associations between personality profiles and trends overtime of depression, and more in general of internalizing problems, in young adolescents, because this is a key point to better understand later maladjustment in young adulthood.
- At least, the proposed study, by linking differently personality profiles to depression, would contribute to support the vulnerability/predisposition hypothesis (Tackett, 2006), which emphasises the importance to take into account different configurations of personality characteristics (with different levels of adjustment and maladjustment), that differently and uniquely predict later emotional and behavioral problems, such as depression and other internalizing problems.