title: Personality traits in Sardinia: testing founder population effects on trait means and variances.
abstract: Potential founder population effects on personality trait means and variances were examined in a large, genetically homogeneous sample (N=5,669) from the Ogliastra, an isolated region within Sardinia, Italy. The Italian version of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory showed good psychometric properties: Internal consistency reliabilities ranged from 0.80 to 0.87; the factor structure replicated the American normative structure; and associations with education and gender replicated cross-cultural patterns. The hypothesis that mean trait levels in the Sardinian founder population would differ from mainland Italian values was not supported. Phenotypic variation in this founder population was within the range found in other cultures. However, the hypothesis of restricted phenotypic variation was supported for all five factors and 28 of the 30 facets when a Sardinian subsample matched on age, sex, and education was compared to a mainland Italian sample. The genetic homogeneity effect on the phenotypic expression of complex traits merits further exploration.
authors.affiliation: National Institute on Aging, NIH, DHHS, 5600 Nathan Shock Dr., Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA. costap@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terracciano
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uda
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vacca
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mameli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pilia
authors.forename: Alan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Zonderman
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lakatta
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schlessinger
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: McCrae
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004522:Educational Status; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D018703:Founder Effect; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012727:Sex Characteristics