21. Personality traits in ADHD

Of the Big 5 personality traits according to the Five-Factor-Model (1), changes are found in particular in neuroticism (significantly increased), conscientiousness (significantly decreased), agreeableness (decreased) and extraversion (decreased) in relation to ADHD.

In addition to the Big 5 Five-Factor Model, there are other assessment instruments that measure personality traits, some of which correlate with those of the Big 5. Where this is the case, we have listed the correlating traits under the respective Big 5 trait and marked them with the following numbers for the assessment instrument in question. In addition, we have listed changes in these traits in ADHD. The results are largely congruent.

(1) Five-Factor Model
(2) Integrated Five-Factor Model
(3) DAPP-BQ
(4) Cloninger TCI
(5) ICD-11
(6) AMPD

• 21.1. Neuroticism (Emotional Reactivity)
• 21.2. Conscientiousness
• 21.3. Extraversion (approach tendencies)
• 21.4. Compatibility
• 21.5. Openness to experience

21.1. Neuroticism (Emotional Reactivity)¶

Neuroticism (Emotional Reactivity)¹

• Significantly increased in ADHD²³ , including adolescents with ADHD((Krieger, Amador-Campos, Guàrdia-Olmos (2020): Executive functions, Personality traits and ADHD symptoms in adolescents: A mediation analysis. PLoS One. 2020 May 6;15(5):e0232470. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232470. PMID: 32374779; PMCID: PMC7202790. n = 118)
  • Especially in case of inattention⁴
• Neuroticism correlates with personality traits on other assessment instruments:
  • High Negative Emotionality (2) in ADHD⁵
    • Strongly increased in case of inattention¹
    • Increased with hyperactivity¹
  • High Negative affect (5, 6)
  • High Emotional dysregulation (3)
  • High Harm avoidance (4)
  • Low self-regulation (willpower) (4)

21.2. Conscientiousness¶

Conscientiousness (top-down control process)¹

• Greatly reduced in ADHD², even in adolescents with ADHD((Krieger, Amador-Campos, Guàrdia-Olmos (2020): Executive functions, Personality traits and ADHD symptoms in adolescents: A mediation analysis. PLoS One. 2020 May 6;15(5):e0232470. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232470. PMID: 32374779; PMCID: PMC7202790. n = 118)
• Conscientiousness is referred to as (intrinsically motivated) functional perfectionism, whereas perfectionism refers to (extrinsically motivated) dysfunctional perfectionism, which is highly correlated with neuroticism.
• Conscientiousness correlates with personality traits on other assessment instruments:
  • High Consentious Inhibition (2)
    • Consentious inhibition is reduced in ADHD⁵
    • Consentious Inhibition very much reduced in ADHDInattention¹⁴
    • Consentious inhibition strongly reduced in hyperactivity¹
  • High compulsivity (3, 5)
  • High persistence (endurance, perseverance) (4)
  • Low disinhibition (disinhibition) (6)
  • Low Novelty seeking (4)
• Conscientiousness correlates with executive functions, so lower conscientiousness is associated with lower EFs⁶

21.3. Extraversion (approach tendencies)¶

• Extraversion (approach tendencies)¹
  • Reduced with ADHD²
  • Extraversion correlates with personality traits of other assessment instruments:
    • High Positive Emotionality (2)
      • Positive emotionality slightly reduced in case of inattention¹
      • Positive emotionality slightly increased in hyperactivity¹
    • High Reward dependence (4)
    • Low inhibitedness (3)
    • Low Harm avoidance (4)
    • Low detachment (aloofness) (5, 6)

21.4. Compatibility¶

Compatibility (Agreeableness; Bottom-Up Control Process)¹

• Decreased in ADHD², including adolescents with ADHD((Krieger, Amador-Campos, Guàrdia-Olmos (2020): Executive functions, Personality traits and ADHD symptoms in adolescents: A mediation analysis. PLoS One. 2020 May 6;15(5):e0232470. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232470. PMID: 32374779; PMCID: PMC7202790. n = 118)
  • Reduces in inattention as well as in hyperactivity¹
  • Reduces in particular at⁴
    • Hyperactivity/impulsivity
    • Oppositional defiant behavior
    • Adults with ADHD
• Agreeableness correlates with personality traits of other assessment instruments:
  • High Agreeable Inhibition (2)
    • Agreeable inhibition strongly reduced in hyperactivity¹
    • Agreeable inhibition significantly reduced in the presence of inattention¹
  • High willingness to cooperate (4)
  • Low hostility (6)
  • Low dissocial behavior (3, 5)

21.5. Openness to experience¶

Openness to experience (Openness)

• Slightly increased in ADHD²
  • Not significantly increased; if, more likely in inattention and more likely in children¹
  • Tends to increase with attention and inhibition problems²
  • Slightly decreased with increased delay discounting and atypical working memory / verbal fluency²
• Openness to experience correlates with personality traits of other assessment instruments:
  • High openness (2)
  • High psychoticism (6)
  • High self-transcendence (spirituality) (4)