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Neuroticism

The responses can include maladaptive behaviors, such as dissociation, procrastination, substance use, etc., which aids in relieving the negative emotions and generating positive ones.

"Maladaptive Behaviors"

When neuroticism is described as a personality trait that measures emotional stability, research has indicated that it is also involved in maladaptive behaviors to regulate an individual's emotions. High levels of neuroticism in an individual is associated with anxiety and overthinking, as well as irritability and impulsiveness. Studies have shown that individuals with higher levels of neuroticism are associated with a shortened life span, a greater likelihood of divorce, and a lack of education. To cope with the negative emotionality, these individuals may engage in maladaptive forms of coping, such as procrastination, dissociation, etc. With these internal pressures, due to these negative emotions, neuroticism often relates to difficulties with emotion regulation, leading to engagement in divergent (risky) behaviors.

Due to the facets associated with neuroticism, it can be viewed as a negative personality trait. A common perception of the personality trait most closely associated with risky behaviors is extraversion, due to the correlated adjectives such as adventurous, enthusiastic, and outgoing. These adjectives allow the individual to feel the positive emotions associated with risk-taking. However, neuroticism can also be a contributing factor, just for different reasons. As anxiety is one of the facets of neuroticism, it can lead to indulgence in anxiety-based maladaptive and risky behaviors. Neuroticism is considerably stable over time, and research has shown that individuals with higher levels of neuroticism may prefer short-term solutions, such as risky behaviors, and neglect the long-term costs.

This is relevant to neuroticism because it is also associated with impulsivity. One of the distinct traits of impulsivity is called urgency, which is a predisposition to experiencing strong impulses that can lead to impulsive behavior, while dealing with the negative emotions attached. Urgency can be both negative and positive; positive urgency deals with positive emotions and the contrast for negative urgency.  Research has shown in factor analysis that both negative and positive urgency is related to neuroticism, but not extraversion, another personality trait commonly associated with risk-taking. Despite the negative emotions that are prominent in neuroticism, research indicates that it is combination of the negative emotions present, together with the positive emotions that are generated by the engagement in maladaptive behaviors.