Personality profiles of dyslexic children: a study with the Big Five Questionnaire

This study explores the personality profiles of 65 dyslexic readers (36 male and 29 female, aged between 8 and 14), and 70 normal readers using the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ), version for children. The BFQ assesses the constellation of the traits defined by the Five Factors Theory of Personality: Agreeableness (A), Emotional Instability (I), Open mindedness (M), Energy/Extroversion (E), Conscientiousness (C). Compared to the control children, subjects with dyslexia in our sample had lower scores in M, C and A dimensions. Overall, they showed personality traits characterized by less originality and creativity, poor control over emotional reactions, changeable moods and negative affections. The dyslexic readers who have benefited from an additional specialist tuition for a longer time, showed higher scores in I, A and C dimensions (p < 0.05). It seems that an additional specialist tuition could help children with dyslexia to develop personality dimensions such as conscientiousness, agreeableness, and a stronger emotional stability. Furthermore, the I dimension correlates (p < 0.05) with the age of diagnosis: the later the diagnosis is established, the more evident the emotional instability trait becomes. The present study suggests that dyslexia and academic failure, in the long run, could affect negatively emotional experiences and personality traits.