Smokers are more extroverted than non-smokers, but with lower levels of conscientiousness and friendliness, points out a study cited by "Medical Express", reported BTA.
Cigarette and cigar users, as well as non-smokers, have their own psychological profile, says the study published in the journal "Plos one". It was jointly conducted by scientists from the Catholic University of Portugal and the "Western Governors" Graduate School. in the US.
Tobacco remains a global threat to human health, putting the lives of 8 million people at risk annually. This includes passive smokers.
The authors of the study focused on the relationship between the five personality characteristics - degree of openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, and smoking. Data of 9918 people from 11 European countries were analyzed.
The results show that smoking is associated with lower levels of conscientiousness and agreeableness, but also with higher levels of extroversion compared to non-smokers.
According to the authors, a low level of conscientiousness could be associated with a lack of self-discipline and neglect of long-term health risks, with more impulsive behavior. Low agreeableness may explain why smokers resist social pressure and disapproval. A high level of extroversion suggests that smokers enjoy the social nature of their habit, the researchers noted.
Cigar smokers had lower levels of neurotic behavior and more openness compared to cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. This suggests that the motivation for smoking is different for different people.
According to the authors, future research should focus on young people and information campaigns for smoking prevention, taking into account individual psychological types. New research is also needed to include other forms of tobacco use - electronic cigarettes and heating devices.