EXTRAVERSION AND NEUROTICISM IN RELATION TO WELL-BEING – DO SOME SOCIAL CATEGORIES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS MODIFY THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THEM?

Abstract

The theoretical assumptions and research findings have established some connections between extraversion/introversion, and neuroticism on the one hand, and well-being on the other hand. There is scarce scientific literature specifying these connections in different social categories or their possible modification in different levels of such personality traits as psychoticism and social desirability. The goal of the current study was to specify if the relationships between extraversion, neuroticism and well-being varied, according to gender, age, degree of manifestation of psychoticism and social desirability. The sample consisted of 470 Bulgarians from 18 to 55 years old using Bulgarian adaptation of Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and a dichotomized analogous scale measuring subjectively assessed well-being. This study found that higher well-being was related to higher extraversion and lower neuroticism, no matter of gender, age, or the degree of manifestation of other personality traits such as psychoticism and social desirability. Social isolation during COVID-19 pandemic may reflect negatively on well-being, as due to various constraints the extrovert people limit their social contacts and because of increased emotional lability in emergency situations that deserves further being investigated.