Effect of personality traits in positive and negative framings on decision making

    ZHANG Yinª²Ling, MIAO Danª²Min, LUO Zhengª²Xue, LIU Xuª²Feng, QI Jianª²Lin

    Department of Psychology, School of Aerospace Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi¬ðan 710033, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To study the influence of framing effect on the risky decisionª²making and the effect of personality traits in positive and negative framing on decision making by cadets in Chinese military academies. METHODS: By cluster sampling, 214 cadets from a military academy were investigated with Modified Big Five Personality Scale and selfª²designed decisionª²making scale. The cadets were randomly divided into 2 groups. After nonª²effective questionnaires were eliminated, the first group (n=110) were in a positive framing and the second group (n=104) in a negative framing. A chiª²square test was used to analyze the results of program chosen and t test was used to determine the relationship between personality dimension and risky choice. RESULTS: ¢Ù Of those in the positive framing, 45.45% chose the safe program and 54.55% chose the risky program. Only 16.35% in the negative framing chose the safe program. A chiª²square test revealed a significant difference. ¢Ú In positive framing, subjects with high scores of Extraversion were likely to take the risky option, while those with high scores of Agreeable were likely to take the safe option. In negative framing, results indicated that options appeared to be independent of the personality traits.CONCLUSION: People in negative framing are more apt to risky program. Personality traits of Extroversion and Agreeable are related to decisionª²making behavior and are predictors of riskª²taking. ......