Phenotypic and Genomic Associations of a Common Executive Function Factor and the p-Factor with the Big Five Personality Traits
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A substantial number of patients with mental disorders struggle with goal-directed behavior. Both differences in personality and executive functions (EFs) are studied as potential mediators. On a latent level, EFs are highly heritable and have been shown to represent a genomic neurocognitive correlate of mental disorders. Here, we study the interplay of a latent common EF factor (cEF), both phenotypic and genomic, with the Big Five personality traits. We also study the genomic influence of a latent factor for general psychopathology on personality. Personality assessments, executive test performance and genomic data were available from two deeply phenotyped cohorts (PsyCourse Study and FOR2107). In both samples, a phenotypic cEF was derived by confirmatory factor analysis and polygenic scores (PSs) were calculated for the cEF and the p-factor. In a two-step regression analysis approach the phenotypic cEF, genomic cEF-PS and p-factor PS were associated with each of the Big Five personality traits, followed by a fixed-effects meta-analysis. All personality traits were associated with the phenotypic cEF. The direction of effect was negative for Neuroticism and positive for Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. On a genomic level we found a negative association between the cEF-PS and Neuroticism, and a positive association with Openness. Regarding the p-factor PS we found a positive association with Neuroticism and a negative association with Conscientiousness. For the first time we report associations of a latent phenotypic cEF with all Big Five personality traits as well as associations of individual-level cEF and p-factor PS scores with the Big Five.
