PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS WITH WILLIAMS SYNDROME AND DOWN SYNDROME

This study presents an attempt to approach the personality characteristics of the adolescents and adults with Williams syndrome and those with Down syndrome from the perspective of the Big Five personality dimensions. The parents of 22 individuals with Williams syndrome (age range 14 to 37 years) and 22 individuals with Down syndrome (age range 14 to 38 years) as well as the parents of those from two chronological age- and gender-matched control groups from a nonclinical population completed the FFI-MH questionnaire (author I. Ruisel). The results showed lower openness to the experience in both the Williams syndrome and the Down syndrome groups than in their control groups. The Williams syndrome group was assessed higher on extroversion and neuroticism and lower on conscientiousness than its control group as well as the Down syndrome group. The agreeableness did not differ across groups. The data are discussed within the framework of the results from the previous research.