Citation

Byrne KA, Silasi-Mansat CD, Worthy DA. Pers. Individ. Dif. 2015; 74: 22-28.

Affiliation

Texas A&M University.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.paid.2014.10.009

PMID

28373740

PMCID

PMC5376094

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether the Big Five personality factors could predict who thrives or chokes under pressure during decision-making. The effects of the Big Five personality factors on decision-making ability and performance under social (Experiment 1) and combined social and time pressure (Experiment 2) were examined using the Big Five Personality Inventory and a dynamic decision-making task that required participants to learn an optimal strategy. In Experiment 1, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed an interaction between neuroticism and pressure condition. Neuroticism negatively predicted performance under social pressure, but did not affect decision-making under low pressure. Additionally, the negative effect of neuroticism under pressure was replicated using a combined social and time pressure manipulation in Experiment 2. These results support distraction theory whereby pressure taxes highly neurotic individuals' cognitive resources, leading to sub-optimal performance. Agreeableness also negatively predicted performance in both experiments.

Language: en

Keywords

decision-making; performance pressure; personality