Do Personality Traits Predict the Quality of Life Among Adolescents?

Introduction

Personality traits wield a profound influence across diverse life domains, including interpersonal relationships, career trajectories and health-related behaviours. Investigating the nexus between personality traits and quality of life illuminates potential risk factors associated with mental health disorders, stress-induced illnesses and other adverse outcomes, particularly within social realms. Consequently, it becomes essential to explore preventative measures, therapeutic interventions and strategies that bolster resilience and foster adaptive coping mechanisms, thereby facilitating optimal psychological and physical health outcomes. Research into personality traits thus contributes to an enriched understanding of human behaviour and the underlying factors that foster a rewarding and meaningful existence.

The term "personality" traces its origins to the Latin word "persona," which denoted the masks worn by actors in ancient theatre. Personality is defined as the "dynamic organization within the individual of those psycho-physical systems that determine his unique adjustment to his environment" (Allport, 1961). This description underscores the notion that both physical and psychological systems are inherently independent yet subject to evolution over time, stating that each individual's experiences and responses are uniquely shaped by their specific environmental context.

Personality traits serve as the foundational elements that facilitate the description and comprehension of individual differences. Traits are enduring and stable attributes that underlie variations in cognition, affect and behaviour (McCrae, Costa, 1986). The Five Factor Model of personality (Costa, McCrae, 1985) is among the most widely utilized frameworks for examining personality, encompassing five core traits that capture an individual's dispositions. Individuals with elevated scores on particular traits typically exhibit a higher propensity for characteristics associated with that trait. These personality dimensions include agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism and openness to experience (Costa, McCrae, 1985). Agreeableness is characterised by cooperation, trustworthiness, compassion, adaptability, tolerance, leniency and a pleasant demeanour. Neuroticism is characterized by anxiety, emotional volatility, self-consciousness, moodiness, vulnerability and difficulty in managing emotions. Conscientiousness is known for diligence, meticulousness, punctuality, ambition and tenacity. Openness to Experience centres around imagination, artistically inclined, innovative, curious and receptive to new ideas. Extraversion involves a warm, sociable, enthusiastic and passionate individual is typically marked by elevated levels of extraversion.

Quality of life (QoL) can be understood as an individual’s appraisal of various dimensions of human experience. It encompasses a comprehensive array of factors, including physical health, psychological well-being, autonomy, social relationships, personal beliefs and the individual’s relationship to significant environmental features in a complex, multifaceted manner (Pocnet et al., 2016). The four primary domains of QoL are: Physical Health which refers to one’s general physical state, encompassing elements such as regular exercise, balanced nutrition and sufficient rest. Psychological Health encompasses mental and emotional well-being, happiness, life satisfaction and emotional resilience, incorporating effective stress management and healthy emotional expression. Social Relationships that pertain to the depth and satisfaction derived from interpersonal connections, including supportive friendships, strong familial bonds and a sense of community belonging. Environment that encompasses external factors that influence one’s quality of life, such as living conditions, safety, access to resources and opportunities for employment. Together, these four domains provide a comprehensive framework for assessing and understanding an individual's overall quality of life.

Research evidence on personality

Research in the domains of mental health, quality of life and personality traits has revealed that neuroticism serves as a predictor of heightened negative affect reactivity, which, in turn, is associated with the onset of chronic conditions and functional limitations. Conversely, elevated levels of conscientiousness are linked with a diminished negative affect reactivity and more favourable physical health outcomes (Leger, Turiano, Almeida, 2016). Neuroticism has been consistently correlated with lower subjective well-being and the prevalence of various mental disorders, while extraversion has been associated with overstimulation and impulsivity, which pose challenges in navigating social interactions. This suggests a nuanced relationship between personality traits and social functioning (Kang et al., 2023). Moreover, research indicates that positive social support correlates with higher levels of openness, extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness and is associated with active coping strategies, whereas neuroticism is linked with maladaptive coping mechanisms (Agbaria, Mokh, 2022). Studies have further suggested that socio-demographic and psychological factors, including traits such as conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness, significantly influence global quality of life (GQOL) among students during the COVID-19 pandemic (Mihăilescu, Ciobanu, Diaconescu, 2024). Personality traits, gender and age notably impact post-COVID quality of life, with neuroticism and extraversion affecting health outcomes, and women and younger healthcare workers experiencing elevated stress levels (Lekka, Orlandou, Roubi, 2021). Neuroticism, extraversion and conscientiousness have emerged as the most reliable predictors of mental health, life satisfaction and positive affective states (Finch et al., 2012). Specifically, neuroticism has been linked to the intensity and persistence of negative emotions, which ultimately contribute to a diminished quality of life, while extraversion has been associated with an enhancement in quality of life (Wilt, Revelle, 2012). The significant and positive relationship exists between all the dimensions of quality of life such as Physical health, Psychological health, Social relationship and environment with extraversion, agreeableness, and Conscientiousness trait of personality except the social relationship which is not significantly related to agreeableness (Pal, Sharma, Kirmani, 2024). The personality trait such as neuroticism was significantly linked with inferior quality of life (QoL) and consequently, was negatively related to QoL (Dedova, 2022; Harandi, 2020; Khan, 2022). Agreeableness was found be a significant predictor of quality of life (Khan et al., 2021). Extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism have a positive relationship with health-related quality of life whereas openness has a reverse relationship (Chen et al., 2024). The study revealed that all traits (except neuroticism) of BIG five factor are significantly related to QoL whereas reverse relationship is evident between neuroticism and QoL (Cai et al., 2023).

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, billions of adolescents have undergone rapid and unparalleled shifts in their lives, encompassing school closures, confinement to their homes and the imposition of social distancing measures-each of which has profoundly affected their mental health. Adolescence is a pivotal period for social and emotional development, marked by an intensified need for social engagement and relationships. Consequently, adapting to the prevailing "neo-normal" conditions and adhering to current restrictions may have adverse effects on adolescents' mental health; thereby influencing their quality of life.

Despite the body of research, significant gaps persist, many of which remain inadequately explored or insufficiently addressed. For instance, studies have rarely examined all the specific facets within each dimension of quality of life. Therefore, more extensive research is warranted to investigate how personality traits correlate with various aspects of physical and psychological health, social relationships and environmental satisfaction. Furthermore, the far-reaching impact of COVID-19, including the "neo-normal" conditions post-2021-2022, and their effects on dimensions of quality of life such as social relationships and environmental satisfaction, remain underexplored and require further investigation. The constraints inherent in cross-sectional designs-particularly in terms of establishing causal relationships, the necessity for more representative participant recruitment and the absence of pre-pandemic quality of life data-further underscore the limitations within the existing body of research.

Thus, there exists an urgent need to examine whether personality traits possess the potential to predict the quality of life among adolescents. Despite the increasing body of literature, there remains a conspicuous lack of information regarding the interplay between personality traits and quality of life among adolescents during the pandemic. Accordingly, the present research seeks to address the following objectives:

1. To explore the quality of life (encompassing physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment) among adolescent boys and girls.
2. To determine the relationship between personality traits and quality of life.
3. To identify the significant predictors of quality of life.

Method

Sample

In the current study, a total of 210 adolescents (boys – 120 (57,14%); girls – 90 (42,86%)) participated through an online survey platform (Google Forms). The participants, ranging in age from 14 to 19 years (mean age = 16,87, SD = 2,95), were recruited from various regions across India. They were contacted via social networking platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and through email. Participants were informed of the study’s primary objectives and were requested to complete an online questionnaire. Snowball sampling, a non-probability sampling technique, was utilized to recruit participants for this study. Most of the participants were from middle socioeconomic status.

Measures Used

1. The NEO-Five-Factor Inventory-3 (NEO-FFI-3) (Costa, McCrae, 1986) was administered to evaluate the core personality dimensions of the Big Five Factor Model: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Participants provided responses to 60 items on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), with the internal consistency coefficients for each of the NEO-FFI-3’s five scales varying between 0,75 and 0,83. Neuroticism (N) assesses tendencies toward emotional instability, impulse dysregulation and heightened anxiety; individuals with elevated neuroticism scores are typically characterized by heightened distress, reduced adaptability, a predisposition toward irrational thoughts and a propensity to experience negative emotions and diminished self-esteem. Extraversion (E) reflects sociability and assertiveness; extraverts tend to excel in social environments, exhibit strong collaborative tendencies, and maintain a characteristically cheerful and optimistic outlook. Openness to Experience (O) captures intellectual curiosity, aesthetic appreciation and autonomous judgment, with individuals scoring high in openness often engaging in unconventional behaviours and perspectives. Agreeableness (A) comprises traits of altruism, benevolence, empathy, trust in the intentions of others and respect for alternative viewpoints; thereby making individuals with high agreeableness notably cooperative. Conscientiousness (C) denotes a marked propensity for purposefulness, rigorous organization, punctuality, resoluteness, dependability and a strong orientation toward achievement.
2. The WHOQOL-BREF (WHOQOL, 1995), an abridged form of the original WHOQOL-100, functions as a self-administered assessment comprising 24 items dispersed across four distinct domains: physical health (7 items), psychological well-being (6 items), social relations (3 items) and environmental context (8 items). Each item is rated by participants on a 5-point Likert scale, where higher scores correspond to an enhanced overall quality of life. The reliability coefficients, calculated via Cronbach’s alpha, were observed to be 0,85 for the physical health domain, 0,77 for psychological well-being, 0,61 for social relations and 0,80 for environmental factors, indicating robust internal consistency across most domains.

Procedure

Prior to data collection, informed consent was duly obtained from all participants. They were provided with comprehensive instructions to ensure clarity and the questionnaire was administered on participants with clear and proper instructions. Following procedure was followed:

• In the present study, the demographic information schedule was administered first. In which first one was age which was a continuous variable used in the present study and we administered questionnaire only on adolescents. The second demographic variable was gender (binary variable) boys and girls and the third demographic variable was socioeconomic status which we kept it control for our study that is we collected data from middle socio economic status only.
• After collecting demographic information, NEO-FFI-3’s five scales were administered on participants to assess their five personality traits and lastly
• The WHOQOL-BREF was administered in order to assess the four dimensions of QoL of participants.
• After collecting data screening was done in order to carry out requisite analyses and calculations and facilitating a meticulous interpretation of the results.

Results and discussion

The primary data were screened and then were statistically analysed. The descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t test) of QoL dimensions (Physical health, Psychological health, Social relationships and Environment) based on gender were computed and displayed in Table 1.

Table 1

Mean, standard deviation (SD) and t Test of QoL dimensions by gender (N = 210)

The above table indicates that average adolescents are pretty much low on all the dimensions of QoL however, no significant difference by gender is found.

In order to examine second objective, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlations Between Personality Traits and Quality of Life Dimensions were carried out and presented in Table 2.

Table 2

Pearson’s product moment correlation between personality traits and quality of life dimensions of adolescent (N = 210)

Note: ** – p < 0,01 level.

The significant and positive relationship between the physical dimension of quality of life and openness to experience indicating that openness to experience is associated with better physical health. A negative and significant relationship exists between the physical dimension of quality of life and the neuroticism dimensions of personality which states that emotional instability negatively impacts physical health. Significant and positive relationship between psychological dimension of quality of life and extraversion and conscientiousness. This states that adolescents who are high on extraversion and conscientiousness tend to be higher on emotional, psychological resilience, emotional well-being, happiness and life satisfaction and thereby using effective stress management strategies while confronting adverse situations in life. The findings are partially supported by the findings of (Pal, Sharma, Kirmani, 2024) which suggested that extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness are positively and significantly related to few personality traits. Negative relationship exists between psychological dimension of quality of life and neuroticism. Adolescents who are low on emotional stability prefer to lower on life satisfaction and psychological resilience and consequently, tend to use ineffective stress management strategies. This finding is supported by the finding of (Khan et al., 2021) which stated that neuroticism had a negative significant relationship with the quality of life. This finding is also contradicted by the finding of an existing study which stated that neuroticism had a positive relationship with health related QoL (Chen et al., 2024).

To find out the significant predictor/s of QoL, multiple regression analyses were calculated and only the significant predictors are presented in the Table 3.

Table 3

Regression analysis of personality traits on QoL dimensions of adolescents

Note: * – p < 0,05 level, ** – p < 0,01 level.

Model 1: Adjusted R2 = 0,48; Model 2: Adjusted R2 = 0,32

Above table indicates that extraversion is the only significant predictor of psychological health and it explains 48% variance in psychological health. Neuroticism is found to be the significant predictor of physical health and explains 32% variance in physical health.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first representative study in India assessing the relationship between personality traits and different dimensions of quality of life among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study suggests that adolescents manifest lower levels in all dimensions of quality of life, possibly due to the feelings of being overburdened, fatigued and experiencing more negativity from restricted social interactions and isolation during lockdown. These findings align with Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, which posits that disruptions in the microsystem (e.g., peer interactions and social activities) can negatively impact adolescent development and overall well-being.

The findings indicate a significant and positive association between the physical dimension of quality of life and openness to experience, suggesting that individuals high in openness may sustain better physical functioning through their continued interest in engaging with new activities, curiosity, adaptability and compliance with governmental health measures. From a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective, openness to experience may fulfil the psychological needs of autonomy and competence, as these individuals seek out novel and meaningful activities; thereby supporting their overall health.

Additionally, a significant positive relationship exists between the psychological dimension of quality of life and both extraversion and conscientiousness (Wilt, Revelle, 2012). Active social media users, for instance, may find an outlet for venting negative emotions, while conscientious individuals demonstrate an enhanced ability to foresee and prepare for challenges; thereby serving as tools of emotional regulation and maintaining a sense of connectedness. As outlined in the Social Learning Theory, social interactions enable shaping of behaviour and fosters emotional resilience.

In contrast, a significant negative relationship emerges between both the physical and psychological dimensions of quality of life and neuroticism (Costa, McCrae, 1986), as neurotic tendencies-such as ineffective coping mechanisms and immature defense strategies-can foster social isolation and negative emotional states, along with heightened stress level, anxiety and social withdrawal, which inhibit positive psychological experiences (Costa, Zonderman, McCrae, 1991). As stated by the cognitive theorists, individuals with neurotic traits may have a negative cognitive schema that amplifies feelings of helplessness and inhibits adaptive functioning. The dual-process model of self-regulation also supports this observation, indicating that high neuroticism undermines the ability to employ effective regulatory strategies. Thus, this study posits that traits such as openness to experience, extraversion and conscientiousness are positively associated with quality of life, while neuroticism is negatively associated.

Interventions focusing on strengths-based approaches, such as cultivating curiosity (openness), encouraging social connectedness (extraversion) and enhancing self-discipline (conscientiousness), may prove effective in improving adolescent quality of life. Simultaneously, targeted therapeutic strategies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) may assist with high neuroticism by reframing maladaptive thought patterns and reducing their vulnerability to negative emotional experiences.

The study, hence, provides preliminary insights into how personality traits contribute to adolescents' quality of life, bearing several practical implications. Among these is the need for educational initiatives aimed at enhancing quality of life by encouraging openness and discipline in students as well as equipping adolescents with strategies to better manage anxiety and impulsive behaviour.

Limitations and implications

The study presents certain limitations. Firstly, its cross-sectional design restricts the ability to draw causal inferences. Secondly, the study depends on self-reported data collected online, which may introduce biases. Thirdly, the sample size is relatively small, limiting the generalizability of findings. Additionally, due to constraints related to time and situational factors, this study does not account for other variables that might influence quality of life, such as additional personality traits, psychological capital and self-esteem. These limitations underscore the need for future research utilizing longitudinal designs, offline data collection methods and more diverse sampling approaches.

The study has several implications. Educators and mentors are encouraged to organize targeted educational programs, such as psychological resilience training, workshops and educational excursions, aimed at enhancing students' quality of life. School administrators and parents should also focus on fostering openness and discipline in their students and children. Moreover, adolescents would benefit from training designed to improve anxiety management and impulse control, equipping them to lead more fulfilling and productive lives.

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