Personality Traits

Many humans wonder why some people act the way that they do. A person’s actions are a result of traits in their personality. For example, some people may act violent, which is due to an aggressive personality trait. In contrast, others may be the life of the party, which is a characteristic of social and outgoing personality traits. Interestingly, there are numerous personality traits, and a common one is being anxious. Anxiousness has biological and environmental origins, as it serves as a fight or flight mechanism in threatening situations, and the undesirable trait can be reduced with therapy and medication.

In 1936, Gordon Allport began to explore adjectives that could be used to describe a human’s personality. Many researchers would later expand on Allport’s work, and the research would lead to the creation of the Big Five Factor Model. According to Ryckman, Thorton, Gold, and Collier (2011), the Big Five model covers “five broadband traits that include Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness” (p.108). Personality traits such as depressed and aggressive fall under the Neuroticism category, while talkative and outgoing relate to the Extraversion category. Furthermore, traits such as lively and intellectual relate to the Openness to Experience factor, organized and reliable would be categorized as Conscientiousness, and helpful and sympathetic personality traits would relate to the Agreeableness category. In all, the traits in the Big Five Factor Model fall along a continuum, and they are classified as desirable to those traits that are considered undesirable.

One undesirable personality trait that develops in humans is anxiousness. When people are anxious, they tend to be nervous, fearful, and they worry a lot. Further, being anxious can create high levels of anxiety in a person, which may affect their day to day life. Interestingly, research has shown that there are three ways that this personality trait can develop in humans. First, biological factors can cause a person to become anxious in childhood. For example, if a father has an anxious personality trait, the offspring of the father are susceptible for inheriting this trait. Therefore, a child may be born susceptible to developing this trait; however, the child may not develop high levels of anxiousness until later in the life.

Furthermore, biological factors can also lead to a person being anxious if they inherit an anxiety disorder. Bosquet and Egeland (2006) supported this claim when they determined that “a biological vulnerability may underlie the development of anxiety disorders” (p.518). For example, if a mother or father suffers from a generalized anxiety disorder, they can pass this mental health disorder on to their children. In all, this trait is not only biological in nature, but being susceptible to developing anxiety and worry can also be a direct result of environmental influences.

Additionally, the personality trait, anxious, can develop in humans from environmental factors. Environmental factors can range from family influences to substance abuse. For example, if children are not loved and cared for by their parents during infancy, they can develop high levels of anxiousness and fear as they age (Bosquet & Egeland, 2006). Further, if a person abuses alcohol, they can develop anxiety and continue to display signs of anxiousness for the rest of their life. However, being anxious is not always caused by environmental factors. If a person inherits a biological predisposition for the trait and it is not activated by environmental influences, the trait can develop from a medical condition.

Interestingly, many humans are not aware of the fact that personality traits can develop as a result of a medical condition. For example, if a 40 year-old woman has lived her life without fear and worry and suddenly becomes anxious every day, she may have a thyroid problem. In this case, the personality trait is a symptom of the medical condition, and the trait may stay with her throughout the lifespan. In contrast, if a male is diagnosed with cancer, he may develop high levels of anxiety about his health and remain anxious for the rest of his life. This example proves that the personality trait, anxious, may not develop in humans during childhood. Instead, the trait may develop and appear later in life as a result of a medical condition.

Every personality trait in the Big Five Model serves a purpose or function in humans. For example, the purpose of the trait, loneliness, is to show that people are craving human contact and companionship. In contrast, the personality trait, aggressiveness, shows that a person is angry and that he/she could become violent. Nonetheless, the trait, anxiousness, is a function of a human’s nervous system that shows that a person is anticipating a harmful event of a threat.

The state of being anxious is classified by worrying and having a great deal of anxiety. The anxiety and nervousness that is felt and displayed by the person is a result of the fight-or-flight response in the human body. When the human body feels threatened by someone or something, our nervous system reacts to the event. This reaction is called the fight-or-flight response. The person will either approach, or fight, the stimuli, or they will avoid it, and flee (Baumgartner & Strayer, 2008). As the person decides to fight or flight the object that is causing the threat, changes will occur in the human body. These changes include a rapid heart rate, shaking, worry, nervousness, and fearfulness.

After a human decides to fight or flight a stimulus that is perceived as a threat, the human body will begin to return to its original state. However, if a person is constantly in a state of threat, their body will adapt to these changes, and the person will remain anxious. Over time, anxiousness can develop into anxiety, which is a “state of chronic apprehension and future harm, characterized by worry, negative affect, and a feeling of insecurity” (Grillon, 2008, p. 422). When a person suffers from anxiety, he/she is constantly anxious and on edge, and all stimuli in the environment can be perceived as a threat. Interestingly, it appears that a person’s fight-or-flight response will now be permanently on flight, as the human will do whatever they can to get away from the object or event that is perceived as a threat.

When a person has an anxious personality, the trait can affect the individual’s social behavior in three ways. First, humans with anxious personality traits may “become shy when meeting new people, quiet in groups, and withdrawn in unfamiliar social settings” (Stein & Stein, 2008, p. 1115). When a person is shy and withdrawn in social situations, they can be considered to have a social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder is characterized by anxiousness, fear, and discomfort in social settings. Having social anxiety disorder will affect an individual’s social behavior since the person will avoid speaking in public, expressing opinions to others, and he or she will stay away from large crowds and groups of people (Stein & Stein, 2008). As a result, the human may have a small group of friends, and they may only go to places that are familiar and considered comfortable.

Additionally, being anxious will affect an individual’s social behavior since high levels of anxiousness may lead to the development of panic attacks. Panic attacks are sudden surges of anxiety in the human body that causes the person to become extremely nervous, dizzy, and disoriented (Roy-Byrne, Craske, & Stein, 2006). When a person experiences a panic attack, the individual may feel like they are going to die. As a result, the person may become anxious about developing further panic attacks, and they will start to avoid the stimuli that triggered the original panic attack. Overtime, a panic disorder can develop, and the person will begin to avoid all unfamiliar people and places to reduce the likelihood of having another panic attack. This is called agoraphobia, and it will affect an individual’s social behavior since the person may now avoid all social events and limit human contact.

Finally, the personality trait, anxious, can affect an individual’s social behavior as the person may flee social situations when they become nervous and fearful. For instance, if a person works as a bartender and the bar becomes packed with people, the individual may makeup an excuse to leave work to avoid the situation. Unfortunately, if an anxious individual continues to flee social situations, the person may not be able to hold a job. Further, interpersonal relationships could be jeopardized as an anxious person may become secluded and avoid contact with humans.

Not only does having high levels of anxiousness affect an individual’s social behavior, but it can also have a significant impact upon interpersonal relationships. First, when a person is anxious, they may be afraid to open up to others. Since communication is essential to forming and maintaining interpersonal relationships, an anxious person may not be close to others since they will fear rejection and ridicule if they express their true self and opinions. As a result, interpersonal relationships will be jeopardized since a lack of communication could lead to the relationship terminating.

Next, since an anxious person tends to shy away from meeting new people, it may lead to the person not having many friends. When a person does not have many friends, they may be perceived to be a loner or unsociable. When an individual is characterized as a loner, acquaintances may not want to strengthen their interpersonal ties with that person since they may feel that the relationship is not important. As a result, an anxious person may have limited or zero interpersonal relationships in their life.

Finally, when a person is anxious, interpersonal relationships may be jeopardized if the person has social anxiety disorder or a panic disorder. These two mental health conditions make it difficult for anxious people to participate in and enjoy social activities. If an individual does not make an effort to participate in social activities with others, interpersonal relationships can be jeopardized since the person will not be invited to social gatherings and events. As a result, the anxious individual may spend most of their time at home, and all interpersonal relationships could be terminated and avoided.

To date, there are numerous personality traits that can represent an individual’s personality. When these traits are characterized under the Big Five Factor Model, they will fall under five categories that include Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience, and Neuroticism. Unfortunately, personality traits that fall under the category, Neuroticism, are considered the least desirable traits since these traits have undesirable qualities. Further, personality traits that fall under Neuroticism reflect emotional instability, and this quality is evident when an individual’s personality is anxious.

Although anxiousness represents emotional instability, there are four methods and techniques that are utilized to decrease the quantity of the trait. First, when an individual is chronically anxious and filled with worry and anxiety, the cause for the anxiousness must be determined. Those who are anxious should first schedule an appointment with a doctor or a psychiatrist to figure out the root cause of the anxiousness. If a person makes an appointment with a doctor, the doctor may check for any medical conditions to determine if a disease or illness is causing the trait. In contrast, if an individual seeks the help of a psychiatrist, the psychiatrist will take data from the person to see if the anxiousness is a symptom of a mental health disorder. After a proper cause and diagnosis is given, medication may be prescribed to make the person less anxious.

When a person suffers with high levels of anxiety, anxiousness, and worry, they could be prescribed a benzodiazepine. Lader (2008) explained that benzodiazepines are most commonly prescribed for the treatment of anxiety. Benzodiazepines increase levels of GABA in the brain, which causes a calming effect on the individual. There are several types of benzodiazipines, including Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium. Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed for short periods of time due to the addictive properties of the medication (Lader, 2008). However, utilizing this method to decrease the levels of anxiousness in a person would be recommended since it would enable the individual to experience less anxiety and allow the individual to attend social events and gatherings.

Additionally, another medication that is available to reduce the quantity of anxiousness in individuals are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are prescribed for anxiety and depression, and overtime, they lessen the frequency of anxiety and panic in individuals by increasing the levels of Serotonin the brain. The most commonly prescribed Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are Zoloft and Paxil; however, many individuals do not respond well to these medications due to their adverse side effects (Lader, 2008). Fortunately, those individuals that respond favorably to these drugs will experience a decrease in worry, anxiety, and anxiousness.

When a person is prescribed medication to decrease the quantity of a personality trait, such as anxiousness, they may also be urged to seek therapy to determine the cause for their high levels of anxiousness and anxiety. Therapists help people to explore events in their lives that may be causing their symptoms. When a therapist is trying to help an individual suffering with high levels of anxiousness, they may use techniques of conditioning and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). According to Leichsenring, Hiller, Weissberg, and Leibing (2006), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy “helps clients to understand the relationship between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors” (p.234). Therefore, if a person is anxious all of the time, the therapist will try to understand what thoughts are causing the high levels of anxiousness. Then, the therapist will help the client to determine ways to reduce the frequency and quantity of these thoughts which will ultimately change their person’s behavior.

Interestingly, when an individual is undergoing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, they may also be prescribed Systematic Desensitization therapy as well. The purpose of this behavioral therapy is to help a person to conquer their fears by gradually being exposed to the stimulus that is producing the anxiousness and worry. For example, if a person is anxious at the mall, the therapist will take the individual to the mall in gradual steps to help the person become comfortable with frequenting the place. Overtime, the individual should feel less anxious when going to the mall, and the person’s goal is to be able to go there comfortably with reduced levels of anxiousness and discomfort.

Finally, a method that is commonly used to make a person less anxious is breathing techniques. This method instructs a person to take deep breathes when they are anxious or fearful. This technique helps a person to control their breathing and to reduce their heart rate. When an individual reduces their heart rate, they are less likely to feel anxious and to have a panic attack. This technique is widely used throughout the world to help control symptoms of anxiousness and anxiety.

To conclude, the personality trait, anxious, is a trait that falls under the Neuroticism category of the Big Five Factor Model. Anxiousness has biological and environmental origins, and it can be caused by medical conditions. The purpose of the trait is to serves as a fight or flight mechanism in threatening situations. Although high levels of anxiousness can lead to a person developing social anxiety disorder or a panic disorder, medication, therapy, and breathing techniques can lessen the frequency of the trait in humans.

References

Baumgartner, E., & Strayer, E.F. (2008). Beyond flight or fight: Developmental changes in young children's coping with peer conflict. Acta Ethologica, 11(1), 16-25.

Bosquet, M., & Egeland, B. (2006). The development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms from infancy through adolescence in a longitudinal sample. Development and Psychopathology, 18, 517-550.

Grillon, C. (2008). Models and mechanisms of anxiety: Evidence from startle studies. Psychopharmacology, 199, 421-437.

Lader, M. (2008). Effectiveness of benzodiazepines: Do they work or not work? Expert Review of neurotherapeutics, 8(8), 1189-1191.

Leichsenring, F., Hiller, W., Weissberg, M., & Leibing, E. (2006). Cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy: Techniques, efficacy, and indications. Psychotherapy, 60(3), 233-259.

Roy-Byrne, P.P., Craske, M.G., & Stein, M.B. (2006). Panic disorder. The Lancet, 368(9540), 1023-1032.

Ryckman, R.M., Thorton, B., Gold, J.A., & Collier, S. (2011). Considering competition avoidant individuals via the Big Five Model. Current Research in Psychology, 5(1), 108-114.

Stein, M.B., & Stein, D.J. (2008). Social anxiety disorder. The Lancet, 371(9168), 1115-1125.