Relationships between personal characteristics and cognitive activity in individual and competitive settings

Background. The investigation of personal characteristics contributing to high cognitive performance across various social contexts is a research priority for psychophysiology. Aims. This study investigates the relationships between personal characteristics and cognitive performance in individual and competitive settings, focusing on factors that influence both productivity and the choice of strategy. Materials and methods. A sample of 104 male medical students (52 dyads) aged 17–28 (mean age 19 years, 7 months ± 3 months) underwent standardized assessments of personality traits according to the five-factor model. Participants completed a cognitive task developed by B. Pokrovsky (1961), initially individually and then competitively against another participant, focusing on the speed and accuracy of task performance. Statistical analysis was done using the statistical packages GraphPad Prism v.8.01 and STATISTICA v.12. Results. This study demonstrates significant correlations between neuroticism scores and cognitive performance across individual and competitive settings. Competitive settings had a negative relationship between performance and trust in others. Furthermore, self-sufficient individuals tended towards rapid but inaccurate strategies, while those higher in self-criticism adopted slower methods. Conclusion. This research contributes to the understanding of the relationships between personal characteristics and cognitive performance in individual and competitive settings.