Basic Temperament Components of Loneliness, Shyness, and Conformity

The PAD Temperament Model provides a general framework for personality description and consists of three nearly independent dimensions: Trait Pleasure-displeasure, Trait Arousability, and Trait Dominance-submissiveness. The present study analyzed the Shyness, Loneliness, and Conformity scales within the PAD Model. Shyness resembled trait anxiety and neuroticism and was composed of unpleasant, arousable, and submissive characteristics, with submissiveness the strongest and arousability the weakest components. Loneliness, like depression, was composed of unpleasant and submissive qualities, although submissiveness was a much weaker component of loneliness than of depression. A new Conformity Scale evidenced a strong negative correlation with Trait Dominance and was independent of Trait Pleasure and Trait Arousability. Implications of the findings for clinical intervention were discussed.