Study of the relationship between myopia and personality

Abstract

Objective: To study the correlation between the myopic refractive error and certain personality traits, and to determine whether there is a correlation between the degree of myopia and an increased frequency in personality disorders.

Methods: Cross-sectional observational multicenter study conducted on 82 subjects (26 men, 56 women) age over 18 years with myopia (spherical defect ≤ -0.5 D), with 30 subjects having high myopia (<-6 D).

Data collected: age and gender, academic level, result in the Neo PI-R personality test, autorefractometry, myopic pathology, and ophthalmological treatment.

Results: Correlation (Spearman's) between the magnitude of the spherical defect and the 5 personality traits studied in the total sample was not statistically significant: neuroticism (-0.057; P=.610), extroversion (-0.020; P=.857), openness (-0.032; P=.774), kindness (-0.060; P=.592), and responsibility (-0.034; P=.765). By dividing them into subgroups of low and high significance (t-test), a significant (P=.002) upward trend of the myopic defect with increasing scores on extraversion was found. When comparing high myopic subjects to the non-high myopic ones, there were significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of the associated pathology (P=.001), received treatment (P=.001) and the level of studies (P=.013). There were no differences in the variables of personality: neuroticism (P=.852), extroversion (P=.199), openness (P=.560), kindness (P=.584), and responsibility (P=.722).

Conclusions: A low correlation was found between myopia and personality. There was no difference in the degree of myopia between the groups with different education levels. Subjects with more severe ocular pathology associated with myopia had higher scores in neuroticism, without finding any significant association.

Keywords: Extraversión; Extroversion; High myopia; Inteligencia; Intelligence; Miopía magna; Neuroticism; Neuroticismo; Personality traits; Rasgos de personalidad.