Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Sandra Caramela-Miller

Abstract

The diagnosis of schizophrenia has been associated with increased risk of violence and aggression. However, the extent of this association in relation to displayed personality traits among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia have not been fully investigated. The lack of research has resulted in an inability to determine why only some individuals with schizophrenia display violent tendencies when others do not. Guided by Costa and McCrae's five-factor model of personality and Eysenck's theory of personality and crime, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the five personality traits and the display of violence among individuals with schizophrenia, as well as the predictability of violence. A personality assessment was used to explore the personality of the participants (n = 111), individuals obtained by convenience sampling of data originally collected by Ohi, Shimada, and Kawasaki. Each of the participants included had been diagnosed with schizophrenia by at least two clinical physicians. One-way analyses of variance were performed for each of the five personality traits in order to distinguish any relationships. A binary logistic regression model was conducted in order to discover a model of predictability in regards to violent behavior among individuals with schizophrenia. Results confirmed previous research findings of a statistically significant relationship between neuroticism and violence. However, adding to the research was the result of a significant contribution of neuroticism in the prediction of violence among schizophrenics. Positive social changes arising from these findings include practitioners having the future abilities of designing specific treatment options for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia based on personality.

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