Selon le modèle de Young, les schémas précoces inadaptés (SPI) sont considérés comme un facteur de vulnérabilité dans un large champ de troubles psychologiques. Plusieurs recherches montrent que les SPI sont liés à certains traits de personnalité, particulièrement le névrosisme tel que le décrit le modèle de la personnalité en cinq facteurs. Ce trait se compose de quatre facettes anxiodépressives et de deux facettes impulsives selon Petot. L’objectif de cette étude est d’identifier les relations entre les SPI et (a) les cinq traits de personnalité et (b) les 30 facettes de personnalité. Cent adultes en activité ont complété le questionnaire de personnalité de Costa et McCrae en 240 items et le questionnaire des SPI de Young. Les résultats montrent que le névrosisme corrèle positivement avec sept SPI (abandon, abus-méfiance, assujettissement, échec, manque d’autocontrôle, relation fusionnelle, vulnérabilité) qui sont tous liés à au moins une facette anxiodépressive à l’exception du SPI abus-méfiance qui est lié à la facette colère-hostilité. Le SPI contrôle émotionnel est lié à l’extraversion et à deux de ses facettes (chaleur, émotions positives). Le SPI droits personnels exagérés est lié à l’agréabilité et à la facette confiance. L’ouverture et la conscience ne corrèlent significativement avec aucun SPI. Deux facettes du trait conscience (compétence, délibération) sont liées à trois SPI spécifiques (compétence et SPI échec, délibération et SPI abus-méfiance et droits personnels exagérés). Ces relations entre SPI spécifiques et facettes de personnalité suggèrent aux thérapeutes d’orientation cognitive d’évaluer conjointement les SPI, les traits de personnalité de leurs patients ainsi que leurs facettes de personnalité.

According to Young's schema model, early maladaptive schemas (EMS) are regarded as a vulnerability factor for a wide range of psychological disorders. Several studies have observed significant relations between EMS and different disorders (anxious trouble, addictive behaviors, disorder of personality). Some researchers have observed relationships between EMS and the dimensions of the Five-factor model of personality, particularly with nevrosism. The current study examines the relationships between the 15 EMS and the five global personality traits (nevrosism, extraversion, openness, agreeability, and conscientiousness) as well as EMS and the 30 personality facets (six facets per dimension) according to the five-factor model. In particular, the present study seeks to identify the relationships between EMS and the anxious depressive facets as well as the impulsive facets of nevrosism.

One hundred adult outpatients occupying posts of high responsibility completed the Costa and McCrae 240 items-personality questionnaire (NEO PI-R) and Young 75-item questionnaire of early maladaptive schemas. Thus, each subject obtains (1) a total score of activation of the 15 maladaptive schemas; (2) a score for each of the 15 maladaptive schemas; (3) a score in five dimensions of the personality (nevrosism, extraversion, openness, agreeability, and consciousness); (4) a score for each of the 30 facets of personality.

The results show significant relationships between (a) the nevrosism and maladaptive schemas and (b) some specific EMS and some facets of nevrosism, extraversion, agreeability and conscientiousness. The nevrosism is correlated to seven EMS (abandonment, abuse-mistrust, subjugation, failure, insufficient self-control, symbiotic relationship, vulnerability). Six EMS are related to anxious-depressive facets (anxiety, depression, shyness, vulnerability) and one EMS (abuse-mistrust) is related to the anger-hostility facet, which is also related to the vulnerability and entitlement EMS. The impulsivity facet of nevrosism does not present any other significant correlations with the EMS. These results suggest that the vulnerability EMS is not related to the facet of nevrosism vulnerability and suggest that the vulnerability notion regarding disease is different to the notion of stress vulnerability in the NEO PI-R. The extraversion personality trait inversely correlated with the emotional control EMS. This EMS is also inversely correlated with the extraversion warmth/cordiality facet and with the positive emotions facet. One EMS (dependence) is correlated with the extraversion assertiveness facet (E3) and two other EMS (entitlement, high standards) are correlated to the excitement-seeking facet (E5). The Agreeability personality trait is negatively correlated with the only the entitlement EMS. This EMS is also inversely correlated with another facet of agreeability: trust (A1). The self-sacrifice EMS is correlated with altruism (A3). The openness and conscientiousness personality traits do not present any significant correlations with Young's EMS. However, the conscientiousness competence facet (C1) is correlated with the failure EMS and the deliberation facet (C6) is correlated with the abuse/mistrust and entitlement EMS. Different EMS are correlated with the anxious-depressive facets of the nevrosism and with the anger/hostility facet. The complementarily of EMS and NEO-PI personality facets is demonstrated with the notion of vulnerability with the stress in NEO PI- R and the EMS vulnerability with the diseases, which showed no correlations in the present study. These specific relationships between personality facets and EMS suggest to cognitive therapists and the experts in the cognitive restructuration the interest in evaluating EMS, the five traits of personality of their patients as well as the specific facets of personality.