Effect of toxoplasmosis on personality profiles of Iranian men and women
There is evidence to suggest that the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis, changes the personality of people who are infected with it. The aim of this study was to compare the personality characteristics of Iranian students with and without latent toxoplasmosis. A total of 237 st...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Academy of Science of South Africa
2013-01-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/4141 |
| _version_ | 1798045936037920768 |
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| author | Shahram Khademvatan Niloufar Khajeddin Jasem Saki Sakineh Izadi-Mazidi |
| author_facet | Shahram Khademvatan Niloufar Khajeddin Jasem Saki Sakineh Izadi-Mazidi |
| author_sort | Shahram Khademvatan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There is evidence to suggest that the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis, changes the personality of people who are infected with it. The aim of this study was to compare the personality characteristics of Iranian students with and without latent toxoplasmosis. A total of 237 students (111 men and 126 women) of Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (Ahvaz, Iran) were tested for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies and completed demographic questionnaires and Cattell’s 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire. Data were analysed using multiple univariate analyses of variance. Women with latent toxoplasmosis had a significantly different personality profile from women without toxoplasmosis, namely higher O (apprehension), N (privateness) and Q4 (tension) scores, and lower Q1 (openness to change) scores. Infected men had significantly higher L (vigilance, mistrust) scores compared to non-infected men. Factors E (dominance) and Q1 (openness to change) tended to be higher in infected men than non-infected men but the difference was not quite statistically significant. Our findings have, for the first time, independently confirmed that personality profile is affected by latent toxoplasmosis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:30:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a433e8965eb041c68204bab0d5b3c2d8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-7489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:30:10Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Science of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-a433e8965eb041c68204bab0d5b3c2d82022-12-22T03:57:11ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892013-01-011091/24410.1590/sajs.2013/00174141Effect of toxoplasmosis on personality profiles of Iranian men and womenShahram Khademvatan0Niloufar Khajeddin1Jasem Saki2Sakineh Izadi-Mazidi3Department of Medical Parasitology, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IranDepartment of Psychiatry, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IranDepartment of Medical Parasitology, Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IranDepartment of Psychology, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, IranThere is evidence to suggest that the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis, changes the personality of people who are infected with it. The aim of this study was to compare the personality characteristics of Iranian students with and without latent toxoplasmosis. A total of 237 students (111 men and 126 women) of Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (Ahvaz, Iran) were tested for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies and completed demographic questionnaires and Cattell’s 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire. Data were analysed using multiple univariate analyses of variance. Women with latent toxoplasmosis had a significantly different personality profile from women without toxoplasmosis, namely higher O (apprehension), N (privateness) and Q4 (tension) scores, and lower Q1 (openness to change) scores. Infected men had significantly higher L (vigilance, mistrust) scores compared to non-infected men. Factors E (dominance) and Q1 (openness to change) tended to be higher in infected men than non-infected men but the difference was not quite statistically significant. Our findings have, for the first time, independently confirmed that personality profile is affected by latent toxoplasmosis.https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/4141Toxoplasma gondiipersonality characteristicsCattell’s 16PF questionnaireELISAIran |
| spellingShingle | Shahram Khademvatan Niloufar Khajeddin Jasem Saki Sakineh Izadi-Mazidi Effect of toxoplasmosis on personality profiles of Iranian men and women South African Journal of Science Toxoplasma gondii personality characteristics Cattell’s 16PF questionnaire ELISA Iran |
| title | Effect of toxoplasmosis on personality profiles of Iranian men and women |
| title_full | Effect of toxoplasmosis on personality profiles of Iranian men and women |
| title_fullStr | Effect of toxoplasmosis on personality profiles of Iranian men and women |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of toxoplasmosis on personality profiles of Iranian men and women |
| title_short | Effect of toxoplasmosis on personality profiles of Iranian men and women |
| title_sort | effect of toxoplasmosis on personality profiles of iranian men and women |
| topic | Toxoplasma gondii personality characteristics Cattell’s 16PF questionnaire ELISA Iran |
| url | https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/4141 |
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