Integrating variable centered and person centered approaches for personality and nicotine use

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Understanding the complex interplay between personality traits and substance use is crucial for effective public health strategies.
• Previous research has often focused on individual trait-nicotine use relationships, potentially overlooking nuanced interaction patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the Big Five personality traits and nicotine use patterns using integrated variable-centered and person-centered methodologies.
• To identify distinct personality profiles and their relationship with nicotine consumption status (never, former, current users).

Main Methods:

• Survey data from 1885 English-speaking adults were analyzed.
• Variable-centered approach: Multinomial logistic regression to identify personality predictors of nicotine use.
• Person-centered approach: Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) to derive personality profiles and examine nicotine use differences.

Main Results:

• Openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness significantly predicted nicotine use.
• Four distinct personality profiles were identified: 'Ordinary,' 'Expressive,' 'Cautious,' and 'Unstable.'
• The 'Unstable' and 'Expressive' profiles were linked to current nicotine use, while the 'Cautious' profile was associated with never using nicotine.

Conclusions:

• Integrating variable-centered and person-centered approaches provides a more comprehensive understanding of personality's role in nicotine use.
• Identifying specific personality profiles associated with nicotine use can inform the development of targeted prevention and cessation interventions.