Personality as a moderator of intervention effects: Examining differential susceptibility

Esther C.a. Mertens; Maja Deković; Monique Van Londen; Ellen Reitz

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2021.111323

Personality as a moderator of intervention effects: Examining differential susceptibility

Esther C.a. Mertens^*, Maja Deković, Monique Van Londen, Ellen Reitz

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine whether Big Five personality traits moderated intervention effects through differential susceptibility for environmental factors. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in which adolescents received either Rock & Water (a universal school based intervention aiming to enhance youth's psychosocial development) or care as usual. Adolescents (N = 1299, M_age = 12.38) reported on the outcomes (i.e., psychological wellbeing, resilience, aggression, and bullying) at four different time points during two years. Parents reported on adolescents' personality at baseline. Adolescents with high levels of Neuroticism and Extraversion, and low levels of Conscientiousness, Openness to experiences, and Agreeableness benefitted most from the intervention. As high levels of Neuroticism, and low levels of Conscientiousness and Openness to experiences are seen as markers of environmental susceptibility, the moderation pattern supported the pathway of differential susceptibility. Particularly adolescents susceptible to environmental factors appear to be able to benefit from an intervention. Knowledge about how less susceptible adolescents can be successfully targeted is eminent to optimize interventions for this group of adolescents.

Original language	English
Article number	111323
Journal	Personality and Individual Differences
Volume	186
Early online date	13 Oct 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111323
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was financially supported by a grant from The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development , grant number 531001106 .

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors

Keywords

Differential susceptibility
Moderation
Personality
RCT
School-based intervention

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.paid.2021.111323Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S0191886921007029-mainFinal published version, 428 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Personality as a moderator of intervention effects: Examining differential susceptibility",

abstract = "The aim of the present study was to determine whether Big Five personality traits moderated intervention effects through differential susceptibility for environmental factors. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in which adolescents received either Rock & Water (a universal school based intervention aiming to enhance youth's psychosocial development) or care as usual. Adolescents (N = 1299, Mage = 12.38) reported on the outcomes (i.e., psychological wellbeing, resilience, aggression, and bullying) at four different time points during two years. Parents reported on adolescents' personality at baseline. Adolescents with high levels of Neuroticism and Extraversion, and low levels of Conscientiousness, Openness to experiences, and Agreeableness benefitted most from the intervention. As high levels of Neuroticism, and low levels of Conscientiousness and Openness to experiences are seen as markers of environmental susceptibility, the moderation pattern supported the pathway of differential susceptibility. Particularly adolescents susceptible to environmental factors appear to be able to benefit from an intervention. Knowledge about how less susceptible adolescents can be successfully targeted is eminent to optimize interventions for this group of adolescents.",

keywords = "Differential susceptibility, Moderation, Personality, RCT, School-based intervention",

author = "Mertens, {Esther C.a.} and Maja Dekovi{\'c} and {Van Londen}, Monique and Ellen Reitz",

note = "Funding Information: This work was financially supported by a grant from The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development , grant number 531001106 . Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Authors",

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AU - Mertens, Esther C.a.

AU - Deković, Maja

AU - Van Londen, Monique

AU - Reitz, Ellen

N1 - Funding Information: This work was financially supported by a grant from The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development , grant number 531001106 . Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors

PY - 2022/2/1

Y1 - 2022/2/1

N2 - The aim of the present study was to determine whether Big Five personality traits moderated intervention effects through differential susceptibility for environmental factors. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in which adolescents received either Rock & Water (a universal school based intervention aiming to enhance youth's psychosocial development) or care as usual. Adolescents (N = 1299, Mage = 12.38) reported on the outcomes (i.e., psychological wellbeing, resilience, aggression, and bullying) at four different time points during two years. Parents reported on adolescents' personality at baseline. Adolescents with high levels of Neuroticism and Extraversion, and low levels of Conscientiousness, Openness to experiences, and Agreeableness benefitted most from the intervention. As high levels of Neuroticism, and low levels of Conscientiousness and Openness to experiences are seen as markers of environmental susceptibility, the moderation pattern supported the pathway of differential susceptibility. Particularly adolescents susceptible to environmental factors appear to be able to benefit from an intervention. Knowledge about how less susceptible adolescents can be successfully targeted is eminent to optimize interventions for this group of adolescents.

AB - The aim of the present study was to determine whether Big Five personality traits moderated intervention effects through differential susceptibility for environmental factors. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in which adolescents received either Rock & Water (a universal school based intervention aiming to enhance youth's psychosocial development) or care as usual. Adolescents (N = 1299, Mage = 12.38) reported on the outcomes (i.e., psychological wellbeing, resilience, aggression, and bullying) at four different time points during two years. Parents reported on adolescents' personality at baseline. Adolescents with high levels of Neuroticism and Extraversion, and low levels of Conscientiousness, Openness to experiences, and Agreeableness benefitted most from the intervention. As high levels of Neuroticism, and low levels of Conscientiousness and Openness to experiences are seen as markers of environmental susceptibility, the moderation pattern supported the pathway of differential susceptibility. Particularly adolescents susceptible to environmental factors appear to be able to benefit from an intervention. Knowledge about how less susceptible adolescents can be successfully targeted is eminent to optimize interventions for this group of adolescents.

KW - Differential susceptibility

KW - Moderation

KW - Personality

KW - RCT

KW - School-based intervention

U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111323

DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111323

M3 - Article

SN - 0191-8869

VL - 186

JO - Personality and Individual Differences

JF - Personality and Individual Differences

M1 - 111323

ER -

Personality as a moderator of intervention effects: Examining differential susceptibility

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Cite this