Personality profile comparison between cancer patients and other disease groups

Abstract

This research was designed to measure personality dimensions of cancer patients on an objective instrument, and to make comparisons both within the sample as well as to other disease groups. The Cattell Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF) was administered to 51 cancer patients. Four factors showed a pattern of difference: Lower ego strength, Stronger super ego strength, Protension, and Guilt Proneness. When grouped by sex, race, and primary site of lesion, analyses revealed significantly similar personality factor profiles. While different from the norm, only the breast cancer group was clearly differentiated by site of the lesion (Lower ego strength for the females. When compared on the 16 PF to other disease samples, there were close similarities between the profile of the cancer group and the mean profile of epileptics and TB patients, but differed from heat and psychosomatic diagnosed patients.