Variability in the stability of personality traits across a single combat deployment

ABSTRACT

This study assessed changes in measures of personality traits across a 12-month combat deployment in a sample of conventional US Army soldiers. Results revealed Impulsive Sensation-Seeking (ImpSS) and Sociability (Sy) decreased significantly, whereas Neuroticism–Anxiety (N-Anx) increased. Changes in ImpSS scores were mainly attributed to age, but were inversely related to increases in traumatic stress symptoms. Combat exposure, concussion, age, education, and changes in traumatic stress scores all independently contributed to changes in N-Anx scores. Changes in Sy were not associated with any of the data available from pre-deployment or deployment measures. Changes in Aggression–hostility (Agg-Hos) and Activity (Act) across the deployment were not significant. The findings suggest significant variability in the stability of personality traits when exposed to combat stress and injury while deployed, which may be influenced by factors such as age and education.

KEYWORDS:

• Impulsive sensation seeking
• neuroticism
• anxiety
• military
• PTSD
• aggression
• hostility
• combat exposure
• concussion

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the staff at the US Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, who were instrumental in the logistical process of data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data sets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to the protection of human subjects.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. Data will not be shared since consent to do so was not attained from the participants.

2. The study was not preregistered with an independent, institutional registry.

3. MD was the study PI who secured funding, developed the study design, facilitated data collection, conducted overall analysis, interpretation of findings, and drafting of the manuscript. BT contributed to the development of the manuscript. MT contributed to the development of the manuscript and preparation for submission. RK and RK helped with interpretation of the results and writing of the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This is supported by US Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) – Military Operational Medical Research Program (MOMRP).³