Poster #193 - Neuroticism Relates to Threat Detection in Adolescents

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Social Cognition

Integrative Statement

Word Count: 403

Introduction
Adolescence is a period of social exploration, which requires judgments about unknown social others (Kilford et al., 2016). An overly sensitive predisposition to judge social counterparts as threatening can lead to maladaptive social behavior (Yoon et al., 2007). Although previous literature has examined how neurobiological factors (Bar-Haim et al., 2007; Hariri, 2009; Dennis & Chen, 2007) and environmental factors (Pluess, 2015) contribute to threat sensitivity, very little research has focused on personality as a contributing factor to threat sensitivity. Previous findings link higher neuroticism scores with negative responses to environmental stressors (Bolger et al., 1990). Links have also been found between heighted neuroticism scores in adolescence and the development of adverse mental health outcomes. (Aldinger et al., 2014). In this study, we investigated the relation between neuroticism and threat bias in a sample of 45 adolescents.

Methods and Results
A sample of 14-18 year old healthy participants (n=45, female=22, Mage =15.89 years, SD =1.11) were asked to complete the neuroticism subscale of the Big Five Inventory (Goldberg, 1992) and view ambiguous computer-generated faces morphed along a pre-established threat continuum (1=not threatening to 7=threatening) (Figure 1) Oosterhof & Todorov (2008). Participants were asked to rate each face threatening or not threatening (binary responses, 1 and 0 respectively). Neuroticism scores were determined by summing item responses. Scores ranged from 1=“behavior not highly associated with neuroticism” to 5=“behavior highly associated with neuroticism” (max possible score=40, range = 9 to 38, Mscore=24.67, SD=6.38).
Objective threat valence (estimate=0.504, SE=0.061, z=8.280, p<.001) and neuroticism scores (estimate=0.059, SE=0.024, z=2.433, p=0.015) (Figure 2) were significantly positively related to threat ratings such that higher neuroticism scores were associated with more faces rated as threatening as were higher valences on the threat continuum. There was no significant interaction between objective threat valence and neuroticism score (estimate=-0.012, SE=0.010, z=-1.215, p=0.224).

Discussion
Adolescents with higher neuroticism scores were more likely to rate faces as threatening. These findings held controlling for age, sex, and objective face valence, which was highly related to threat ratings. Adolescence is an important period for social exploration, making it important to understand the possible individual different factors that may affect healthy development. Having a predisposed threat bias in adolescence may impede exploring of the environment and has been shown to lead to adverse mental health disorders in adulthood; like social anxiety. Our findings suggest links between threat sensitivity and personality factors that may affect successful social development during this developmental period.

Authors

• Rachel Storer, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
  Presenting Author

• Sarah Marie Tashjian, University of California, Los Angeles
  Non-Presenting Author

• Adriana Galván, University of California, Los Angeles
  Non-Presenting Author