Controlling neuroticism in the measurement of stress

Abstract

To assess stress — the demands placed on the individual by his or her environment — life‐event checklists and lists of daily hassles have been widely used. Such instruments are intended to reflect harmful, threatening, or challenging aspects of the environment, but they are likely to be strongly influenced by characteristics of the respondent, especially the personality disposition of neuroticism. Individuals high on this dimension perceive life as stressful, cope poorly, are dissatisfied with social supports, have low psychological well‐being, and make more somatic complaints. Relations among these variables may be due to the common influence of neuroticism rather than processes of stress and coping. Longitudinal designs and objective outcome measures can reduced the confounding effect of neuroticism. By including measures of neuroticism in their designs, researchers can increase their understanding of the mutual roles of stress and personality in determining mental and physical health. By measuring neuroticism in their clients, stress management practitioners can gain insight into the reports of stressful events and conditions their clients make.