Who takes health risks? A probe into eight personality types

Ample research has shown that the basic personality factors of neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness (or psychoticism) are important predictors of risky health behaviours. Yet, the findings are increasingly inconsistent. We propose that configurations of the basic personality factors, as represented by a typology, may yield clearer results. In a sample of 683 university students, smoking, consumption of alcohol and drugs, and risky...