Differences between smokers and non-smokers in personality traits: the role of sensation seeking and core self-evaluations

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Smoking is recognized as one of the most important preventable causes of premature death in the world and personality traits as one of the influential factors in people’s tendency to smoke. Therefore, we conducted the present research to compare the sensation seeking and core self-evaluations in the smoking and nonsmoking population.

Methods

867 people from the general population of Hormozgan Province participated in this cross-sectional study. We collected the data online using questionnaires of demographic information, smoking, Zuckerman sensation seeking and core self-evaluations.

Results

38.2% of the participants in the study were smokers and 61.8% were nonsmokers. The mean scores of awareness of the harms of smoking in non-smokers and smokers were 7.43 (SD = 2.43) and 6.51 (1.72), respectively (p < 0.001). The mean scores of sensation seeking in the non-smokers and smokers were 15.10 (SD = 5.64) and 23.09 (SD = 4.18), respectively (p < 0.001). The mean scores of core self-evaluations in the non-smokers and smokers were 43.46 (SD = 6.79) and 37.9 (SD = 4.82), respectively (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

According to the findings, smokers have lower core self-evaluations and high sensation seeking compared to non-smokers. Therefore, paying attention to these personality factors is necessary in the design and implementation of preventive therapeutic and psychological interventions in smokers.

KEYWORDS:

• Core self-evaluations
• personality trait
• smoking
• sensation seeking

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences. Also, we are grateful to all participants in this research.

Consent to participate

Written informed consent was obtained from individuals who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This project is funded by a research grant from the Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences. The funding body (HUMS) didn’t have any role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.