Abstract
Research within the field of addictive behaviours has found that personality traits as measured by the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality are predictive of engaging in substance use and gambling at problematic levels. However, the structure of the FFM has been criticized as being incomplete, with recent lexical studies identifying a sixth personality dimension. The aim of the present study was to examine this six-factor (HEXACO) model of personality in relation to disordered engagement in three addictive behaviours: alcohol (AUDs), cannabis (CUDs), and gambling (GDs). Four groups of participants (AUDs, CUDs, GDs, and healthy controls; N = 308) completed the 100-item HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised. Scores on the six subscales (honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience) were compared across groups. Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed lower levels of honesty-humility among AUDs and GDs and higher levels of openness among CUDs relative to control participants. AUDs and GDs also reported lower levels of honesty-humility when compared to CUDs. Results support the utility of the HEXACO model in the field of addictive behaviours and highlight the potential role of honesty-humility in the development and maintenance of substance use disorders and behavioural addictions.
