Personality Comparisons of College Students Reporting Previous Sexually Transmissible Disease Infection and Students Never Infected

Abstract

This study determined if college students reporting previous sexually transmissible disease infection can be identified as possessing particular personality characteristics. The Cattell Sixteen Personality Factor questionnaire was administered to students in health education classes at seven U.S.A. universities. Students indicated if they had ever contracted an STD through sexual contact outside of marriage. The data were analyzed by the discriminant function analysis. Previously infected females (N = 47) and males (N = 49) were differentiated by personality from their counterparts reporting no previous infection. Six personality factors were the major discriminators between the female groups, with previously infected females being more sober, placid, trusting, affected by feelings, experimenting, and forthright. Five factors differentiated the two male groups, with previously infected males being more tender-minded, assertive, relaxed, practical, and expedient than never infected males. All of the personality factors for the STD groups were within the “average” range for college students. Therefore, the STD groups apparently had no greater psychological difficulties/deviations than other college students. Focusing control efforts on population groups with particular personality characteristics would appear not to be appropriate.