neuroticism
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A personality trait characterized by chronic anxiety, emotional instability, and a tendency toward negative emotions: Neuroticism is a fundamental dimension of personality in psychology, describing a person's general tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily, such as fear, sadness, embarrassment, anger, guilt, and disgust. It is not a clinical diagnosis but a measure of emotional reactivity. 2. A mental or personality disturbance not attributable to any known neurological or organic dysfunction: This more clinical definition refers to a condition or state marked by neurotic symptoms, such as excessive anxiety or obsessive behaviors, where no physical cause can be identified.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- High levels of neuroticism are often linked to a greater risk of mood disorders like depression.
- Her neuroticism manifests as constant worry about minor details.
- In the Five-Factor Model of personality, neuroticism is contrasted with emotional stability.
Advanced Usage
- "Neuroticism" in Psychological Assessment: The term is a core, measurable trait in major personality inventories like the NEO Personality Inventory, where it is one of the "Big Five" personality dimensions.
- "Neuroticism score": Refers to the numerical result a person receives on a psychological test measuring this trait.
- A high neuroticism score suggests a person is more vulnerable to stress.
Variants and Related Words
- Neurotic (adj): Pertaining to or affected by neurosis; emotionally unstable and prone to anxiety.
- He had a neurotic fear of germs.
- Neurotic (n): A person affected with a neurosis or with high neuroticism.
- The character was portrayed as a compulsive neurotic.
- Neurosis (n, pl. neuroses): A relatively mild mental disorder involving symptoms of stress (depression, anxiety, obsessive behavior) but not a radical loss of touch with reality. This is the older clinical term from which "neuroticism" is derived.
Synonyms
- Emotional instability
- Negative affectivity (a closely related psychological term)
- Anxiety-proneness
Antonyms
- Emotional stability
- Emotional resilience
Noun
- a mental or personality disturbance not attributable to any known neurological or organic dysfunction