Effect of Personality Dimensions on the Diurnal Pattern of Motor Activity

• Published in: Journal of personality 2002-04, Vol.70 (2), p.233-248
• Main Authors: Volkers, Anita C., Tulen, Joke H. M., Duivenvoorden, Hugo J., Gieteling, Marieke J., Wegewijs-De Jong, Marlies, Van Den Broek, Walter W., Passchier, Jan, Pepplinkhuizen, Lolke
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activity levels. Psychomotricity; Adult; Age; Age differences; Age Factors; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Circadian Rhythm; Cognition; Day time; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gender; Gender differentiation; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Motor ability; Motor Activity; Multivariate Analysis; Personality; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor activities; Questionnaires; Regression Analysis; Sex Factors
• ISSN: 0022-3506; 1467-6494
• DOI: 10.1111/1467-6494.05004

ABSTRACT The effects of personality dimensions, age, and gender on 24‐hour motor activity patterns were studied in 101 healthy subjects between 20–70 years. We measured motor activity by wrist‐actigraphy and personality dimensions by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) of Cloninger. Random Regression Models were used to estimate the effects of personality dimensions, age, and gender on the diurnal pattern of motor activity. Harm Avoidance as well as Reward Dependence influenced the overall level of motor activity, independent of age and gender. Subjects high on Harm Avoidance showed lower activity levels than subjects low on Harm Avoidance, whereas subjects high on Reward Dependence had higher overall levels of motor activity than subjects low on Reward Dependence. Older subjects were found to be less active than younger subjects, but the activity level did not differ between males and females.