Relationship between personality traits and anxiety

with loneliness in students

Marzieh Mombini

and Fariba Kalantari

Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

Department of Psychology, Ramhormoz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ramhormoz, Iran

ABSTRACT

The aim of study is the relationship between Personality characteristics and anxiety with loneliness in students of

Islamic Azad University of Ramhormoz. The statistical population included all male and female students of Islamic

Azad University of Ramhormoz in 2015-2016. The study sample included 300 students who also by simple random

sampling based on Morgan table of random numbers were selected from the statistical population. Results showed

that there was a signi cant relationship among neuroticism, extraversion, openness and agreeableness with loneli-

ness. And there was a signi cant relationship between anxiety and loneliness.

KEY WORDS: PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS, ANXIETY, LONELINESS

218

ARTICLE INFORMATION:

*Corresponding Author: kalantari_fr@yahoo.com

Received 30

Dec, 2016

Accepted after revision 29

March, 2017

BBRC Print ISSN: 0974-6455

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Biosci. Biotech. Res. Comm. Special Issue No 1:218-221 (2017)

INTRODUCTION

Loneliness and experiences, usually in the lives of all

people, from childhood to middle age it happens and

attention to past experience is important. Past experi-

ences often feel an ongoing basis we are alone. Loneli-

ness in adolescence may be because one of the factors

such as the parents’ dispute, sexual abuse and feelings of

failure at anything happen (Homferi, 2007). Family stud-

ies have important insights to the understanding alone

in children and adolescents that can know the roots of

interpersonal relationships and Experience alone. Alone,

a complex set of subjective experiences and painful feel-

ings and the gap between the existing social relations

and social needs and not realized expectations re ects

(Makgero, 2008). Investigation of Factors Affecting on

loneliness in various social groups has always been the

focus of many studies.

Salarvandian (2014) studied on personality traits as

one of the factors in uencing the feelings of loneliness

in students. One of the factors in uencing the feelings

of loneliness is Personality characteristics. Personality

Mombini and Kalantari

BIOSCIENCE BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY TRAITS AND ANXIETY WITH LONELINESS IN STUDENTS 219

characteristics as an organized collection unit consists

of relatively stable components, the people on both, dis-

tinguishes one person from another person, can affect

the feelings of loneliness (Shamloo, 2003). In other

words, the features of the character set of psychologi-

cal characteristics, cognitive, emotional and volitional,

which determines the behavior and thinking of each per-

son’s life is centered. (Rogers et al., 2006). However, one

of the most common views on the theory of personality

characteristics is including neuroticism, extraversion,

openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness.

Research results of Jafari Siavoshani et al (2014) Pre-

diction the role of Personality characteristics of loneli-

ness in high school adolescent girls showed that extra-

version, consistent and conscientious is reduced level of

loneliness.Another variable is associated with loneliness

in students is anxiety and as pervasive and problematic

phenomenon among students can have negative effect

on academic achievement and performance optimiza-

tion (Mahmoud Elmi, 1999). Reduce or create of anxiety,

several factors such as personality characteristics can be

effective. (Sedrpoushan, 2005).The results research of

Maria and Niva, (2009), showed that anxiety has a sig-

ni cant impact on feelings of loneliness. In fact, anxiety

especially social anxiety and anxiety related to inter-

personal relationships particularly meaningful relation-

ship with loneliness in adolescents girls. Lack of anxiety,

especially social anxiety, increase group acceptance and

by shaping interpersonal relationships is to reduce lone-

liness in students.

Considering the importance of loneliness in students and

the impact of individual and social variables, this research

aims to examine the relationship between Personality

characteristics and anxiety with loneliness in students. The

main research question is to answer the question whether is

there relationship between Personality characteristics and

anxiety with loneliness among students?

METHODS

The present study, survey and research are descriptive.

The statistical population included all male and female

students of Islamic Azad University of Ramhormoz in

2015-2016. The study sample included 300 students who

were also by simple random sampling based on Morgan

table of random numbers were selected from the statisti-

cal population.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS

1. Personality characteristics Questionnaire: In this

study to evaluate the personality characteristics of the

Big Five Personality Inventory short form McCrae and

Costa (1985) was used. The test measures  ve Personality

characteristics that puts people, these features include:

neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience,

agreeableness and conscientiousness. McCrae and Costa

(2004) conducted a study on 208 students that reliability

for  ve personality characteristics include neuroticism,

extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and

conscientiousness, respectively, 0.83, 0.75, 0.80, 0.79

and 0.79 were reported. Also McCrae and Costa (2004)

convergent validity of the test by linking with NEO Test

240 questions for the  ve personality characteristics

(factors) by 0.83, 0.83, 0.91, 0.76 and 0.86 reported. In

this study, Cronbach’s alpha reliability is this question-

naire to extraversion, 0.76, openness 0.65, agreeable-

ness 0.67, neuroticism 0.72 and conscientiousness 0.76,

respectively.

2. Anxiety Inventory: to evaluate anxiety in this study

used the inventory of Najarian et al. (2005) that Cron-

bach’s alpha coef cient for the total subject (male and

female) reported 0.90. Research of Dabiri Nejad (2008),

the validity of questionnaires through correlation test

score of anxiety and aggression reported 0.64. The sig-

ni cance level was in 0.001 which the validity is accept-

able. In this study, Cronbach’s alpha reliability was 0.87.

3. Loneliness questionnaire: Russell and Katrona

(1980) questionnaires to assess loneliness was used. In

research of Shokrkon Mirdrikvand (2008), with Cron-

bach’s alpha and split-half reliability was calculated

0.77 and 0.72 respectively. The correlation scale new

and original scale was reported that 91% showed high

validity of the new scale in this study, the reliability of

the questionnaire was obtained by Cronbach’s 0.79.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Descriptive  ndings included the number, minimum,

maximum, average, and standard deviation of the vari-

ables are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Descriptive  ndings of anxiety, Personality

characteristics and feelings of loneliness in students

Index

variable

Mean SD

Anxiety 65.05 5.45

Personality characteristics

Neurosis 23.58 5.22

Extraversion 18.87 6.86

Openness 26.81 8.80

Agreeableness 25.47 7.97

Conscientiousness 23.53 7.63

feelings loneliness 50.46 5.1

Mombini and Kalantari

220 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY TRAITS AND ANXIETY WITH LONELINESS IN STUDENTS BIOSCIENCE BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Table 2. Results of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test on normal distribution of scores of

research

Index

Variable

Statistics DF P Distribution

normal/ abnormal

Anxiety 1.30 299 0.065 normal

Personality characteristics

Neurosis 1.17 299 0.127 normal

Extraversion 1.68 299 0.07 normal

Openness 1.07 299 0.198 normal

Agreeableness 1.11 299 0.168 normal

Conscientiousness 1.31 299 0.064 normal

Loneliness 0.90 299 0.38 normal

Table 3. Correlation coef cients between Personality characteristics and anxiety with loneliness

dependent variable

independent variable

Neurosis Extraversion Openness Agreeableness Conscientiousness Anxiety

loneliness r = 0.17

sig= 0.002

r =- 0.27

sig = 0.001

r =-0.56

sig = 0.001

r = - 0.60

sig = 0.031

r = - 0.09

sig = 0.099

r = 0.20

sig =0.001

Table 4. Regression analysis to predict the simultaneous arrival of loneliness

Index

Criterion

variable

MR R

Predictor variables a

Personality characteristics Anxiety

51.89

Neurosis

Extraversion

Openness

Agreeableness

Conscientiousness

loneliness 0.79 0.63 F=85.83

P=0.001

=0.21

b=0.24

t=4.49

P=0.001

=-0.16

b=-0.12

t=2.95

P=0.003

=-0.47

b=-0.27

t=-9.77

P=0.0001

=-0.54

b = -0.35

t= -10.84

P=0.0001

=-0.24

b=-0.16

t= - 4.28

P=0.0001

=-0.05

b= -0.05

t =1.63

P=0.103

Before examining the research hypotheses normal

distribution of variables using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov

test at a con dence level of 95% ( = 0.05) were exam-

ined and the results are listed in Table 2.

Results Table 2 shows the distribution of scores for all

variables, including Personality characteristics, anxiety

and loneliness are normal (p< 0.05). Due to the fact that

Personality characteristics, anxiety and loneliness are

normally distributed, so Pearson correlation coef cient

was used to examine the relationship between them is

that its results are as follows.

This study examined the relationship between Person-

ality characteristics and anxiety with loneliness in stu-

dents of Islamic Azad University of Ramhormoz. Results

showed that there was a signi cant relationship among

neuroticism, extraversion, openness and agreeableness

with loneliness. In other words, the results showed that

the people extraversion, openness and agreeableness

higher and neuroticism lower, feel less alone. People

who have features are good neurosis due to negative

motions do not have the convenient ability to adapt

to the environment and the expression, their emotions

have refused so they tend to loneliness and isolation

(Ferraro et al., 2007).

While extroverts in the community and guests, deci-

sive, active, and are talking. And discussion and social-

Mombini and Kalantari

BIOSCIENCE BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY TRAITS AND ANXIETY WITH LONELINESS IN STUDENTS 221

izing and prefer to be alone (Nenimz, 2005) so obviously

they feel less lonely. The results also showed that there

was a signi cant relationship between anxiety and lone-

liness. The results showed that students who have higher

anxiety, they feel more alone. To explain these  ndings,

it can be stated that debilitating anxiety, apprehension

and encourage intense that the individual or family, or

enhance it in person. Anxieties through the involvement

of some of the physiological, cognitive and emotional

cause reduce the ability and willingness of individuals to

start or continue the interpersonal relationships. So does

the person feel alone? Given that this research has been

conducted on the students so in generalizing the results

to other people is limited. Based on the results, it is sug-

gested their families special attention to parenting style

according to their impact on Personality characteristics

and is followed by feelings of loneliness.

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