A survey to the predictive value of personal dimensions, anxiety trait and depressive quality in smoking

Introduction: Research finding shows that some personality traits are linked with smoking. Thus, scrutiny of the five major personality dimensions, anxiety trait, depressive quality and their connection to smoking, was the aim of this research. Method: 22 faculties from governmental and non-governmental universities in Tehran, through random sampling, and 913 students from the faculties, via convenient sampling were selected respectively, in terms of ex facto design and application of two-steps sampling method. Costello & Comrey anxiety-trait and depressive-trait scale (1967) along with Golberg five major personality scale (1999) were used for data gathering. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS-16 using descriptive methods, Pearson’s correlation and logestic regression. Results: Sex, openness to experience and depressive trait could directly predict smoking; On the other hand agreeableness, conscientiousness and anxiety trait inversely predicted it. Conclusion: Some of the personality dimensions are linked with smoking, but more research is required, due to divergence of findings. Depressive trait is a predisposing factor to smoking and on the contrary anxiety trait can prevent smoking as a protective cognitive mechanism.