Family climate and its relationship with the Big-Five personality factors among a sample of adolescents

     This study aimed to test five hypotheses: (a) there will be a significant sex-related difference in family climate as perceived by adolescents, (b) there will be a significant sex-related differences in the big five personality factors, (c) there will be a significant association between family climate and the big five personality factors, (d) similar factors would be extracted from the scales of family climate and the big five personality factors in both sexes, and (e) specific personality factors will predict family climate. The sample consisted of (485) adolescents: (248) males, and (237) females. To test the study’s hypotheses they answered the "SOFA" Family Climate Scale developed by Molloy & Pallant, and the Family Climate Scale developed by Gomez-Baya et al., In addition to the Arabic Big Five Personality Inventory. The results indicated that the mean scores on the family climate was significantly higher among males than did their female counterparts. Neuroticism and agreeableness were statistically significantly higher among females than their male counterparts. Statistically significant associations and positive were found between family climate and extraversion, openness to experience and conscientiousness in both sexes, whereas there was a significant negative correlation between family climate and neuroticism in both sexes. Principal components analysis extracted two components in both sexes and labelled: "Family climate versus neuroticism", and "Normal personality". Regression analysis revealed a positive role for extraversion and conscientiousness in predicting family climate in both sexes, as well as a negative role for neuroticism in predicting family climate in both sexes.