Emotional and affective temperament in 23 professional areas

Abstract 

Background

Preliminary data has shown temperament differences in workers of a few professions, particularly in artists.

Methods

3805 subjects (75.5% female, mean 32.4±9.8years) of 23 broad professional areas answered a web-survey with the Combined Emotional and Affective Temperament Scale (CEATS).

Results

Educational level was correlated with drive and control, was lower in depressives and apathetics and higher in euthymics and hyperthymics. Fear was lower in administration and communications and higher in computing and office workers. Drive was lower in those unemployed and at home and higher in fitness and administration. Control was lower in arts and higher in teaching and health caring. Anger was lower in subjects in the areas of teaching and health caring and higher in human studies and unemployed. For affective temperament scores: depressive was lower in fitness and higher in human studies; anxious and apathetic scores were lower in fitness and higher in unemployed subjects; cyclothymic was lower in health caring and higher in unemployed; euthymic score was lower in human studies and higher in fitness; irritable was lower in religion and higher in unemployed; labile was lower in health caring and higher in unemployed; disinhibited was lower in engineering and higher in communications and arts; hyperthymic was lower in human studies and high in fitness.

Limitation

Convenience sample by the internet and most subjects assessed the instruments through a psychoeducational website for bipolar spectrum disorders, which may have biased the absolute scores of emotional temperaments.

Conclusions

Professional areas and educational level are associated with distinct emotional and affective profiles.

Keywords: Temperaments, Professions, Mood, Personality