THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BIG FIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE AND THEIR EFFECTS ON LEVEL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ANXIETY AMONG MOTHERS OF PALESTINIAN PRISONERS IN OCCUPATION PRISONS

Abstract

Introduction: Psychological resilience and anxiety are closely linked to various personality traits, especially as conceptualized in Five-Factor Model developed by McCrae and Costa, This model—comprising neuroticism, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness—offers framework for understanding how personality influences individual responses to stress and adversity, For mothers of Palestinian prisoners in occupation prisons, intersection of personality, resilience, and psychological anxiety becomes particularly salient due to prolonged emotional and social challenges they face.

Objective: This study aims to examine relationship between Big Five personality traits and psychological resilience, and how both affect level of psychological anxiety among mothers of Palestinian prisoners, Additionally, study explores influence of several demographic variables, including gender of prisoner, sentence duration, family order, age of prisoner, place of residence, number of children, marital status, and economic level.

Method: study employed descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing validated tools including Big Five Inventory by McCrae and Costa, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). and Taylor’s Manifest Anxiety Scale, sample consisted of 108 mothers of Palestinian prisoners.

Results: Results revealed significant negative correlations between psychological anxiety and four of Big Five traits: extraversion, agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness. Neuroticism, by contrast, showed positive correlation with anxiety. Psychological resilience also exhibited strong negative correlation with anxiety. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that extraversion, agreeableness, and resilience significantly predicted lower levels of psychological anxiety. The study also found statistically significant difference in anxiety levels based on gender of prisoner, with mothers of Palestinian mother’s of prisoners reporting higher anxiety. Other demographic factors such as sentence duration, family order, age, and residence showed no significant differences in most psychological measures.