Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 17, 2026

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
Published on: February 22, 2018
Predicting anxiety and depression from personality: is there a synergistic effect of neuroticism and extraversion?
A F Jorm1, H Christensen, A S Henderson
1National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Centre, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. anthony.jorm@anu.edu.au
Abstract:
In a longitudinal study of college students, B. S. Gershuny and K. J. Sher (1998) found that high neuroticism and low extraversion had a synergistic effect in predicting anxiety and depression 3 years later. This article attempted to replicate their finding using data from 2 community samples: (a) a cross-sectional survey of 2,677 persons aged 18-79 years, and (b) a longitudinal study in which 441 persons aged 70 or older were followed over 3-4 years. Both studies found that neuroticism predicted anxiety and depression, but there were no Neuroticism x Extraversion interaction effects. These results cast doubt on the generalizability of the original findings.
Related Concept Videos
Personality Theory by Eysenck and Eysenck
In the extroversion/introversion dimension, highly extroverted people are sociable, outgoing, and easily connect with others. In contrast,...
Traits, Mood, and Subjective Wellbeing
Neuroticism and Emotional...
Traits and States
Five-Factor Theory of Personality
Openness reflects creativity, curiosity, and openness to new experiences. Individuals scoring high in openness are imaginative, have a wide range of interests, and are independent thinkers. Low...
Factors Influencing Attraction VI: Personality Traits
Introduction to Personality Psychology
Early Theories of Personality
The study of personality dates...
