PERSONALITY AND SELF-REPORT OF COGNITIVE-FUNCTIONING

We examined the relationship of trait personality dimensions (negative affectivity and positive affectivity) on self-report of cognitive fun ctioning. Ninety-six subjects who were screened to be without evidence of psychiatric or neurologic disorder and who had previously complete d the Tellegen Differential Personality Questionnaire (mean interval = 2 years) were sent a self-report questionnaire of cognitive functioni ng (MASQ). As predicted, negative affectivity (NA) was more strongly r elated to self-appraisal of cognitive functioning than was positive af fectivity (PA); subjects with higher NA scores acknowledged more cogni tive difficulties. Negative affectivity was also a stronger predictor of cognitive self-report than was self-report of current sad mood stat e. The implications of these findings for the examination of self-appr aisal and accuracy of self-report are discussed.