Role of Behavioral Activation/Inhibition Systems and Life Orientation in HEXACO Personality Dimensions in University Students

Background and Aim: The current study was performed to investigate the role of activation/inhibition systems and life orientation in the students’ personality traits. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-correlational study included 370 university students studying for Bachelor, MA and Phd degrees.The participants were selected by multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected by using scale of behavioral activation-inhibition, life orientation testrevised, and HEXACO personality inventory. Using SPSS-21 software, data were analyzed by Spearman correlation coefficient and regression analysis. Results: among the components of behavioral activation/inhibition systems, punishment was negatively related to extraversion and conscientiousness, while there was a positive correlation between reward and extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Also a positive correlation was found between entertainment and conscientiousness. Among the components of life orientation, optimism was positively correlated with honesty-humanity, extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience; pessimism was positively correlated with emotionality and negatively correlated with openness to experience and conscientiousness. The results of regression analysis revealed that among personality dimensions of HEXACO, the most frequent variances explained by behavioral activation/inhibition systems and life orientation were conscientiousness (0.17) and openness to experience (0.11), respectively. All the components of behavioral activation/inhibition systems and life orientation could explain 0.53 of HEXACO personality dimensions. Conclusion: Predictions of all of HEXACO personality dimensions by behavioral activation/inhibition systems and life orientation components were significant. Conscientiousness and openness to experience were the most frequent variances explained by behavioral activation/inhibition systems and life orientation among personality dimensions of HEXACO.