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Quarrelsomeness in daily life
1Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montréal, Québec, H3A 1B1, Canada. dsm@psych.mcgill.ca
Journal of Personality
|May 4, 2010
Summary
This study explores hostile-irritable-quarrelsome behaviors, showing they are stable yet variable. Interpersonal cues and personality traits like agreeableness influence these behaviors, with serotonin also playing a role.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Personality traits are often studied as static predictors.
- Recent research allows examination of personality and interpersonal processes over time.
- Understanding dynamic interpersonal behaviors is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review research on hostile-irritable-quarrelsome behaviors.
- To examine stability and variability of these behaviors.
- To identify interpersonal cues and personality moderators.
Main Methods:
- Identification of behaviors reflecting hostile-irritable-quarrelsome traits.
- Analysis of behavioral stability and within-person variability.
- Documentation of event-level cues and dispositional moderators.
Main Results:
- Quarrelsome behaviors show both stability and within-person variability.
- Event-level interpersonal cues systematically associate with behavioral variation.
- Agreeableness and irritability moderate cue-behavior associations.
- Serotonin influences reactivity to quarrelsome behavior and perceptions.
Conclusions:
- Hostile-irritable-quarrelsome traits are dynamic, influenced by situational cues and individual differences.
- Reduced affective reactivity and increased behavioral reactivity characterize quarrelsome individuals.
- Serotonin levels impact behavioral responses related to quarrelsomeness.
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