Personality Profiles and Problematic Tendencies in Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study

Adolescence is a critical period of life in which youths have to face with challenging developmental demands and changes (Steinberg & Morris, 2001). During this period, certain adolescents' personality characteristics may represent risk factors for their later adjustment problems (see Vulnerability model; Tackett, 2006). Within this view, the present contribution aimed to examine the relations between personality profiles and adolescent’s problematic tendencies. In particular, on the basis of previous studies (e.g. Asendorpf & Van Aken, 1999; De Clerq et al, 2012), we aimed to: a) identify personality profiles based on the Big Five Model of personality traits (McCrae & Costa, 1999) in preadolescents; b) examine the relations of personality profiles with substance use (i.e., drugs, alcohol, and tobacco) and internalizing tendencies (i.e., anxiety problems and affective problems) three years later. Six-hundred fifteen adolescents (ageM = 12.5) from Genzano Longitudinal Study completed Big Five Questionnaire for Children at T1 and Youth Self-Report three years later (T2). Latent Profile Analysis on personality traits suggested four profiles: Resilient (high in all traits), Moderate (average in all traits), Vulnerable (low in all traits), and Undercontrolled profiles (low in Conscientiousness and Emotional Stability, high on Extraversion). Personality profiles at T1 were associated with different problematic tendencies three years later. Resilient and Moderate profiles reported lower substance use and internalizing problems than the other profiles. The Undercontrolled profile scored higher in using all types of substance and in depressive symptoms, but not in anxious symptoms. Differently, the Vulnerable profile showed a consistent, but more limited, use of substances (i.e., drugs and tobacco, but not alcohol), and scored higher on anxious and depressive symptoms. Findings suggested that Undercontrollers and Vulnerables could be differently vulnerable to different problematic tendencies Further research has to further clarify the association between different personality profiles and specific adolescents' problematic developmental pathways.