The concept of personality factors in addiction

Personality factors are internal characteristics that influence an individual's health and behaviour. In the context of addiction, individuals with pathological personalities are easily stressed and have a negative outlook on life, making them more likely to develop dependencies.

Eysenck's theory of addictive personality

Eysenck (1997) argued that individuals displaying neuroticism (high levels of anxiety and irritability) and those displaying psychoticism (high levels of aggression and emotional detachment) are more vulnerable to dependencies, as addictive substances and behaviours bring temporary relief. As Eysenck saw personality as innate, dependency behaviours were therefore an inherited tendency.

Cloninger's tri-dimensional theory of addictive behaviour

Cloninger (1987) developed a theory stating that there are three key traits to vulnerability to dependency:

• Novelty seeking - individuals with a low boredom threshold and a need for excitement
• Harm avoidance - individuals who do not perceive the negative elements of a situation
• Reward dependence - individuals who experience rewarding effects more easily.

Key research on personality and dependency behaviours

Research has explored how personality traits correlate with addictive behaviours, providing evidence for theories like those of Eysenck and Cloninger.

Howard et al. (1997) review on Cloninger's dimensions

Howard et al. (1997) reviewed studies to find that novelty seeking does predict alcohol abuse in teenagers and young adults and anti-social behaviour in such alcoholics, but harm avoidance and reward dependence were not clearly linked to addictive behaviours. This suggests that the three dimensions of Cloninger's theory do not contribute equally to addictive behaviour.

Zuckerman (1983) study on sensation seeking

Zuckerman (1983) studied addictive behaviour and reported a link between the need for novelty and dependencies. As sensation seeking is closely related to novelty seeking, the findings give support to that element of Cloninger's theory.

Yan et al. (2014) study on internet addiction

• Method - The sample consisted of 892 Chinese participants, who completed questionnaires measuring personal data, family functioning, internet addiction level, personality and stress levels.
• Results - Ten per cent of participants had severe internet addiction and 11 per cent mild internet addiction. Severe addicts had poor family relationships, high neuroticism and psychoticism and low extroversion levels, as well as high stress levels over the last year. Mild addicts scored similarly to non-addicts on all measures.
• Conclusions - Personality, stress and family functioning are influential in dependency behaviour. Eysenck's predictions of addiction being linked to high levels of neuroticism and psychoticism were supported.
• Evaluation - Poor family relations could be an effect of, rather than a cause of, addiction. Many participants were not included as they did not complete questionnaires, which could bias results, as they may have been individuals wishing not to disclose addictive tendencies.

Strengths and limitations of research on personality and addiction

• Supporting evidence - Research evidence indicates high levels of neuroticism and psychoticism, as well as novelty seeking, are involved in dependency behaviours, as predicted.
• Predisposition not inevitability - The possession of certain traits does not automatically mean that addiction will occur; it is merely a predisposition, other factors play a part too.

Practical applications and issues in understanding personality factors

Applications of personality research in addiction prevention

Personality tests can indicate which individuals may be more vulnerable to dependency behaviours so that preventative interventions could be more targeted at them, though there is a danger of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy by doing so.

Issues and debates surrounding personality and addiction

As Eysenck saw personality factors as innate, it suggests that addictive personalities result from biological determinism, with addicts having no free will over their dependencies.