As the global prevalence of mental health issues continues to rise, the accurate assessment of negative emotions is crucial in both clinical and research settings. While previous studies have shown that societal expectations can lead to response biases in emotional self-reports, the role of personality traits, specifically the Big Five, in influencing such biases (i.e., concealment and exaggeration) remains underexplored. This study aims to examine how Big Five personality traits affect aberrant responding in the assessment of negative emotions. A sample of 564 university students completed the Big Five Inventory (BFI) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). The Poly-BW Indices, developed by Huang and Lu (2017), were used to measure concealment (W index), exaggeration (B index), and adjusted personality trait scores (C index). Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between the Big Five traits and aberrant responding in depression, anxiety, and stress assessments. Results showed that Neuroticism (β=0.32, p<0.001) and Agreeableness (β=−0.12, p=0.005) significantly predicted concealment in depression assessment (R²=0.13). Neuroticism (β=0.27, p<0.001), Extraversion (β=−0.09, p=0.040), Agreeableness (β=−0.11, p=0.010), and Conscientiousness (β=−0.107, p=0.010) significantly predicted exaggeration in depression assessment (R²=0.15). Similar patterns were observed for anxiety and stress assessments, with Neuroticism emerging as the most consistent predictor of both concealment and exaggeration across all domains. These findings suggest that individuals high in Neuroticism are more likely to both conceal and exaggerate negative emotions. Future assessments should account for these personality-driven response styles to enhance the accuracy and reliability of emotional evaluations.

Authors:
Shih-Wei Yang, National Chiayi University & Tainan University of Technology, Taiwan
Tsai-Wei Huang, National Chiayi University & Chung Jen Junior College of Nursing, Health Science and Management, Taiwan
Malcolm Koo, Tzu Chi University & University of Toronto, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Ms. Shih Wei, Yang is a PhD candidate in the Department of Education at National Chiayi University in Taiwan and a lecturer in the Department of Styling and Cosmetology at Tainan University of Technology.

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