Conscientiousness, Openess Related to Impulsivity / Reflectiveness And Gender Difference
Project Group Usual Suspects Supervisor: Dr. Garry Prentice, Group Members: Alan Doran, Alan Cummins, Martin Kacor, Sean Moore , Robert Maguire
Using BFIQ and MFFT a correlational study was carried out to
measure Conscientiousness and openess and their relation
to impulsivity. 24 Students took part in between groups
experiment. It was found that there is no significant correlation
between these factors.
The five factor model (FFM) or ‘Big Five’: Allowing measurement of
personality using 5 key traits: Openness, Conscientiousness,
Extraversion, Agreeableness & Neuroticism
Research is performed using the Big Five Inventory (BFI) self-
report questionnaire devised by Oliver John in which participants rate a
no. of statements related to personality scored 1-5. These results are
quantified and interpreted to measure the participant’s personality.
Each of the 5 key factors is made up of several other determinations. E.g.,
a participant scoring high in conscientiousness has high self-discipline,
and low impulsiveness; a participant scoring high in openness is curious,
imaginative and emotional.
Conscientiousness (Consc) is related to the trait of impulsiveness, which
was identified as a key factor in the measurement of personality by
Eysenck,1967. Kagen et al in 1964 devised the Matching Familiar
Figures Test (MFFT) in order to study ‘conceptual tempo’, a
concept close to impulsiveness. MFFT involves a participant matching a
given image with its pair, and is measured by evaluating response time
against errors made, resulting in a scale of ‘reflection-impulsivity’.
This experiment studies the factors of conscientiousness and openness
using BFI and MFFT, to then determine the relationship between
cognitive performance and personality.
1. There is no significant relationship between the two personalities.
2. There is no internal consistency reliability of the items from the
personality measures.
3. There is no significant correlation between conscientiousness and avg
time to 1st response and total error standardized difference scores.
4. There is no significant correlation between openness and avg time to
1st response and total error standardized difference scores.
5. There is no significant difference between genders on the avg time to
1st response and total error standardized difference scores.
Design and Procedure:
 Between groups, males vs. females
 Correlational design, BFIQ to Reflection-Impulsivity
 N = 24DBS Psychology students, voluntary
aged 18-40
Reflection-Impulsivity questionnaire: (Likert)
IV: Gender, Personality Ttraits DV: BFIQ Score
MFFT experiment: (Online visual test)
IV: Cards presented. DV: time taken and errors made.
Materials:
• Computer, Mouse, Web • Pens, Chairs, quiet lab
 MFFT20 Lab Experiment Big Five Inventory Questionnaire
Likert Scoring System  SPSS for analysis
Pearson Correlation: No signif relation ship in consc and openess.
(r =-0.116, P>0.05, 2-tailed)
Internal consistency / reliability: Good
- Consc: 0.772 - Openess: 0.854
Pearson Correlation: No signif relationship between consc and std scores
(r =0.02, P > 0.05, 2-tailed)
Pearson correlation:
Significant relationship between openess and std scores
(r =-0.409, P < 0.05, 2-tailed)
Independent samples t-test: No signif gender diff
(t=-1.349, P > 0.05, 2-tailed)
Mean Avg time to 1st response and total error:
Female
-0.3202 Male
1. Consc and openness do not correlate; no signif correlation. The
correlation of consc and openness is very weak and negative.
2. There is an internal consistency reliability of the consc and the
openness. We reject the null hypothesis. Participants in the sample
gave consistent answers, Cronbach’s Alpha shows results higher than
0.7 in both cases.
3. No signif correlation between consc and avg time to 1st response
and total error std difference scores. We confirm the null hypothesis.
Signif correlation between openness and avg time to 1st response
and total error std difference scores. We reject this null hypothesis.
The research has shown that being conscientious doesn’t predict
impulsiveness / reflectiveness. Found that being open does correlate
negatively with avg time on 1st response. Higher the participants
score, lower their scores in the MFFT diff, meaning participants who
are open are more reflective.
4. No signif diff between genders on the avg time to 1st response
and total error std difference scores. We confirm the null hypothesis.
Females are not signif more imulsive even if their scores are a little
higher.
Conclusion:
The experiment goes along the original research and theory of Big Five,
where conscientiousness and openness are two different dimensions.
We have found that participants in our sample, who scored high on
openness, tend to be more reflective.
Criticisms:
 Participants were instructed vaguely about the aims of the
experiment
 Lack of motivation to carry out test effectively and in timely manner.
 Time of day, sleep deprivation, coffee intake etc
 User interface with MFFT test
 Lab conditions, distractions such as noise, heat
Eysenck, H.J., Eysenck, S.B.G. (1967). On the unitary nature of
extraversion. Acta Psychologica, 26, 383-390.
0.2287 Kagan, J., Rosman, B.L., Day, D., Albert, J. and Philips, W. (1964).
Information processing in the child.: Significance of analytic and
reflective attitudes. Psychological Monographs, 78, (1, Whole No. 578)
Nunnally, J. (1978). Psychometric Theory. New York: McGraw Hill.