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Health‐relevant personality is associated with sensitivity to sound (hyperacusis)
Author(s) -
Villaume Karin,
Hasson Dan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/sjop.12350
Subject(s) - hyperacusis , psychology , conscientiousness , extraversion and introversion , personality , neuroticism , big five personality traits , facet (psychology) , clinical psychology , negative affectivity , audiology , developmental psychology , psychiatry , medicine , social psychology , tinnitus
Hyperacusis, over‐sensitivity to sounds, causes distress and disability and the etiology is not fully understood. The study aims to explore possible associations between health‐relevant personality traits and hyperacusis. Hyperacusis was assessed using the Hyperacusis Questionnaire ( HQ ), and clinical uncomfortable loudness levels ( ULL ). Personality was measured with the Health‐relevant Personality ( HP 5i) Inventory. The study sample was 348 (140 men and 208 women; age 23–71 years). Moderate correlations were found between the personality trait negative affectivity ( NA ; a facet of neuroticism) and dimensions of the HQ and weak correlations were found with the ULL s. Hedonic capacity (a facet of extraversion) was significantly correlated with the HQ but not with the ULL s. Impulsivity (a facet of conscientiousness) was correlated with the HQ and the ULL s. A significant difference in mean values was found in all hyperacusis measures and different levels of NA – those with higher levels displayed more severe signs of hyperacusis. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that higher levels of NA increases the odds of having hyperacusis on average 4.6 times for men and 2.4 times for women. These findings imply that health‐relevant personality traits should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment of hyperacusis.