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The role of personality in the capacity to love
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A personalidade é uma grande parte de quem somos, moldando a forma como pensamos, comportamos e reagimos às situações do quotidiano (Allport, 1961). Quando está em causa a análise da natureza humana, o amor é uma das dimensões mais prementes, sendo uma fonte de inspiração e esperança desde o início dos tempos (Kapusta et al., 2018). Sabe-se que os seres humanos apresentam uma necessidade básica de ter relações interpessoais, mas para alguns não é fácil envolverem-se, comprometerem-se e manterem relações íntimas, e parecem não ter esta capacidade individual para amar (Hazan & Shaver, 1992; Kernberg, 2011). Embora a personalidade, o amor e as relações tenham sido estudados exaustivamente, persiste a necessidade de realizar estudos científicos que incluam o estudo da personalidade e a capacidade de amar em conjunto.
Dada a importância que as relações desempenham nas nossas vidas, e o facto de que problemas e dificuldades associados a relações românticas serem cada vez mais frequentes em consultas psicológicas podendo ser um fator de risco para problemas do foro mental, é crucial ter uma melhor compreensão da capacidade para amar e do papel que a personalidade desempenha nessa capacidade individual. Neste âmbito, o principal objetivo do estudo que se apresenta é analisar o papel dos “Cinco Grandes Traços de Personalidade” (Extroversão; Amabilidade; Conscienciosidade; Neuroticismo e Abertura à Experiência) na capacidade para amar, numa amostra portuguesa constituída por 839 participantes entre os 18 e os 74 anos. A recolha de dados foi efetuada através de um questionário sociodemográfico, do Big Five Inventory (BFI) e do CTL- Inventory (CTL-I). Os principais resultados sugerem que a amostra apresenta níveis altos de amabilidade, baixos níveis de estabilidade emocional e altos níveis de capacidade para amar. Nesta amostra, as mulheres apresentam níveis mais elevados de amabilidade e interesse pelo outro, e os homens são mais emocionalmente estáveis. Os participantes que estão envolvidos numa relação íntima apresentam-se como mais conscienciosos, extrovertidos e apresentam uma melhor capacidade para amar. Também foi possível perceber que aqueles que têm filhos são mais extrovertidos, conscienciosos, emocionalmente estáveis e apresentam níveis mais baixos de capacidade para amar. Os divorciados apresentam os níveis mais baixos de capacidade para amar e os solteiros apresentam os níveis mais altos, sendo estes últimos, descritos como menos conscienciosos e emocionalmente estáveis quando comparados com os casados, divorciados e viúvos. As pessoas com relações mais curtas tendem a ser menos conscienciosas e a apresentar uma tendência neurótica, relatando níveis mais elevados de permanência da paixão sexual, as que têm relações mais longas são as que apresentam menor capacidade para amar, já quem apresenta uma maior satisfação com a relação, são as pessoas mais extrovertidas, amáveis e emocionalmente estáveis e estas apresentam também uma maior capacidade para amar. Indivíduos que apresentam uma maior capacidade para amar começam mais cedo as suas relações e à medida que a idade aumenta a capacidade para amar tende a diminuir. Por último, foi encontrada uma associação positiva entre os cinco grandes traços e as dimensões da CTL, e quatro dos traços da personalidade (amabilidade, abertura à experiência, estabilidade emocional e extroversão) parecem ter um contributo modesto como preditores da capacidade de amar, sendo a amabilidade o fator de predição mais forte.
Personality is a big part of who we are, shaping the way we think, behave, and react to everyday situations (Allport, 1961). When it comes to the analysis of human nature, love is one of the most urgent dimensions, being a source of inspiration and hope since the beginning of times (Kapusta et al., 2018). It’s known that Humans have this basic need for interpersonal relationships but for some, is not easy to engage and maintain committed and intimate relationships and seem not to have this individual capacity to love (Hazan & Shaver, 1992; Kernberg, 2011). Although personality, love and relationships have been widely studied, there is still a need for scientific studies that include the study of personality and the capacity to love together. Given the importance that relationships play in our lives, and the fact that problems associated with relationship difficulties are often seen in consults and can be a risk factor for mental health problems is crucial to have a better understanding of one’s capacity to love and what kind of role personality plays in it, that it’s the main objective of the present study, to analyse the role of the Big Five Personality traits (extraversion; agreeableness; conscientiousness; neuroticism; openness to experience) in the Capacity to Love in a Portuguese sample of 839 participants between ages 18 and 74. Data collection was carried out using a sociodemographic questionnaire, The Big Five Inventory (BFI) and the CTL - Inventory (CTL-I). The main results suggest that the sample presents high levels of agreeableness, low levels of emotional stability, and high levels of capacity to love. In this sample, females show higher levels of agreeableness and interest in the other, and males are more emotionally stable. The participants who are involved in an intimate relationship are also more conscientious, extroverted, and present a better capacity to love. It was also possible to understand that those who have children are more extroverted, conscientious, emotionally stable, and present lower levels of capacity to love. Divorced people present the lowest capacity to love, and singles present the higher levels of CTL, being also described as less conscious and emotionally stable when compared to married, divorced, and widowed. Those with shorter relationships tend to be less conscious and present a neurotic tendency, having more levels of permanence of sexual passion, the ones with the longest relationships are the ones with less capacity to love. People with more capacity to love start their relationships early in life and as for relationship satisfaction, extroverted, agreeable, emotionally stable people tend to be more satisfied with their relationships presenting a higher capacity to love, and as age increases the capacity to love tends to decrease. Finally, a positive association was found between the big five traits and the CTL dimensions, and four of the personality traits (agreeableness, openness to experience, extraversion and emotional stability) seem to have a modest contribution in predicting the capacity to love, with agreeableness as the strongest predictor.
Personality is a big part of who we are, shaping the way we think, behave, and react to everyday situations (Allport, 1961). When it comes to the analysis of human nature, love is one of the most urgent dimensions, being a source of inspiration and hope since the beginning of times (Kapusta et al., 2018). It’s known that Humans have this basic need for interpersonal relationships but for some, is not easy to engage and maintain committed and intimate relationships and seem not to have this individual capacity to love (Hazan & Shaver, 1992; Kernberg, 2011). Although personality, love and relationships have been widely studied, there is still a need for scientific studies that include the study of personality and the capacity to love together. Given the importance that relationships play in our lives, and the fact that problems associated with relationship difficulties are often seen in consults and can be a risk factor for mental health problems is crucial to have a better understanding of one’s capacity to love and what kind of role personality plays in it, that it’s the main objective of the present study, to analyse the role of the Big Five Personality traits (extraversion; agreeableness; conscientiousness; neuroticism; openness to experience) in the Capacity to Love in a Portuguese sample of 839 participants between ages 18 and 74. Data collection was carried out using a sociodemographic questionnaire, The Big Five Inventory (BFI) and the CTL - Inventory (CTL-I). The main results suggest that the sample presents high levels of agreeableness, low levels of emotional stability, and high levels of capacity to love. In this sample, females show higher levels of agreeableness and interest in the other, and males are more emotionally stable. The participants who are involved in an intimate relationship are also more conscientious, extroverted, and present a better capacity to love. It was also possible to understand that those who have children are more extroverted, conscientious, emotionally stable, and present lower levels of capacity to love. Divorced people present the lowest capacity to love, and singles present the higher levels of CTL, being also described as less conscious and emotionally stable when compared to married, divorced, and widowed. Those with shorter relationships tend to be less conscious and present a neurotic tendency, having more levels of permanence of sexual passion, the ones with the longest relationships are the ones with less capacity to love. People with more capacity to love start their relationships early in life and as for relationship satisfaction, extroverted, agreeable, emotionally stable people tend to be more satisfied with their relationships presenting a higher capacity to love, and as age increases the capacity to love tends to decrease. Finally, a positive association was found between the big five traits and the CTL dimensions, and four of the personality traits (agreeableness, openness to experience, extraversion and emotional stability) seem to have a modest contribution in predicting the capacity to love, with agreeableness as the strongest predictor.
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Keywords
Personalidade Big Five inventário CTL inventário Relações românticas Personality Big Five inventory Capacity to love CTL inventory Romantic relationships