The relationship between cognitive reappraisal strategy and skin picking behaviours in a non-clinical sample depends on personality profile

The purposes of the present study were to: 1. examine the relationship between naturally occurring personality profiles and skin picking in a non-clinical sample; 2. verify whether personality patterns may interact with emotion regulation strategies in their effect on skin picking. The study sample consisted of 240 adults (207 women and 33 men; age M = 23.87; SD = 5.32). Variables were assessed using Temperament and Character Inventory, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and Skin Picking Scale-Revised. The study identified three personality clusters. It was found out that individuals belonging to the cluster characterized by elevated Novelty Seeking (NS), elevated Harm Avoidance (HA), elevated Self Transcendence (ST), average Reward Dependence (RD), decreased Persistence (P), decreased Self-Directedness (SD) and decreased Cooperativeness (CO) declared the highest level of skin picking behaviours. Moderation analyses revealed that cognitive reappraisal strategy was associated with a lower level of skin picking but only among individuals characterized by low NS and HA, as well as high RD, SD, C and ST. Results suggest that personality profile may constitute an important risk factor which underlies skin picking development and may change the effectiveness of applying emotion regulation strategies in skin picking treatment