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Personality Trait, Gender and Substance Use as Predictors of Antisocial Behaviour among Undergraduates in Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki
Abstract
The manner at which the youths of nowadays engage in self-defeating antisocial behaviour have
becomes overwhelming. While it is generally hypothesized that due to the high rate and
accessibility of illicit substances of self-destruction peddled across Nigeria, antisocial behaviour
is inevitable. This study set out to specifically find out if personality traits, gender and substance
use predicted antisocial behaviour among undergraduates. The study was anchored on Moffitt’s
Developmental Theory. Simple random sampling technique (hand picking) was used in selecting
One hundred and fifty (150) participants comprising of (61) male and (89) female
undergraduates of Ebonyi State University Abakaliki. Participant’s ages ranged from 16 years to
35 years, with a mean age of 20.46 (M = 20.46; SD = 3.16). The study adopted the Crosssectional survey design and Hierarchical Multiple Regression was the main statistics used in the
study. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested. Three instruments were used in the study.
They are; Big Five Inventory, Antisocial Behaviour Scale (ABS) and Drug Use Questionnaire
(DAST – 20). Result showed that the five personality traits extraversion (β = .06, p> .05),
agreeableness (β = .03, p> .05), conscientiousness (β = -.05, p> .05), neuroticism (β = -.01, p>
.05) and openness to experience (β = .06, p> .05) were not significant predictors of antisocial
behavior. Gender and substance use did not significantly predict antisocial behavior of
undergraduates. The study concludes that antisocial behaviour among undergraduates could be
caused by other factors that may interact with the variables studied. We recommend that factors
such as social influence, frustration and modeling in relation to antisocial behaviour among
youths should be explored in further research as they may be interfering with the variables
studied in producing antisocial behaviour among undergraduates.
