OBJECTIVE:
Previous research has examined the correlation between certain personality traits and specific voice disorders. These studies indicated that the personality type classified as “extrovert” was most commonly correlated with certain voice disorders associated with high vocal dosage (e.g. nodules). The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation exists between self-reported vocal fatigue and any of the five personality traits measured by the Big Five Personality Index: Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness. We hypothesized vocal fatigue would be more prevalent in individuals who scored higher in Extraversion and Neuroticism.
METHODS
111 full-time elementary and middle-school teachers (86 Female, 25 Male) completed this portion of the study. Participants ranged in age from 21 to 70 and had between 2 and 36 years of teaching experience. Data were collected on location at various schools throughout the district. All participants consented to take part in this study prior to implementation of the testing protocol. Part of a larger study of factors influencing vocal health among teachers, subjects were asked to complete the Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) and the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI 10). The VFI is a self-report questionnaire of perceived vocal fatigue (VF). It consists of 19 questions divided into the following three factor categories: (1) tiredness of voice and avoidance of voice use, (2) physical discomfort, and (3) improvement of symptoms with rest. The BFI-10 is a 10-item Likert scale inventory, with two items corresponding to each of the five traits.
RESULTS
Initial analysis indicated only weak correlations between the traits of extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism and scores in sections 1 and 2 of the VFI. All other relationships showed no correlations. Male subjects showed slightly stronger correlations with agreeableness and neuroticism, and slightly lower correlations with extraversion than female participants.
CONCLUSIONS
Contrary to our hypothesis, the correlation between extraversion and the VFI was negative, with higher VFI scores being associated with lower scores of extraversion. Further study and analysis is warranted to clarify how personality may impact how individuals experience symptoms of voice fatigue and other voice disorders.
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