Neuropsychological performance profiles in groups with harm avoidance (HA) and novelty seeking (NS) temperament trait clusters : an exploratory study

Abstract

Whilst there is a growing body of research investigating links between temperament, neuropsychological performance and psychopathology, as well as the neurophysiological aspects underlying temperament; few studies have sought to examine the neuropsychological performance profiles of different combinations of temperament trait clusters. Therefore, the aim of the study is to explore the differences in executive performance profiles within second order temperament trait clusters comprised of harm avoidance (HA) and novelty seeking (NS) as defined by Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Participants (N = 420) were evaluated using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and the PennCNP neuropsychological battery of executive functioning and abstract reasoning tasks. The participants were clustered into four main groups evidencing impulsive (low HA and high NS; n = 121) and rigid (high HA and low NS; n = 131) traits, and those with hyperthymic (low HA and low NS; n = 75) and hypothymic (high HA and high NS; n = 93) reactive traits. The results indicated firstly that when comparing rigid-trait individuals and impulsive-trait individuals, rigid-trait individuals reacted more slowly to both complex (executive functioning) and less complex tasks (attention and working memory) tasks. These individuals also attained fewer correct responses on complex tasks. Secondly, the results also revealed that hyperthymic-trait individuals demonstrated faster response times on the tasks, as well as performing consistently better on complex tasks (executive functioning) than hypothymic-trait individuals. These results are discussed within the psychobiological framework.