Comparison of the Big Five Factor Model of Personality, Self-Efficacy, and Cognitive Regulation Strategies between Runaway Girls and Normal Girls

Aim and Given the ever-increasing rate of escaping of adolescent girls from home and the unfavorable individual and social consequences of the event, the aim of this study was the comparison of the big five factor model of personality, self-efficacy, and cognitive regulation strategies between runaway girls and normal girls.
Methods and Materials: The present study, in both its objective and data collection method, was a descriptive research. The study population consisted of all runaway girls in Kermanshah, Iran, in 2014, from among which 50 runaway girls were selected through convenience sampling and were matched with 50 girls from a high school in Kermanshah in terms of gender, age, and education. The data collection tools consisted of the Five-Factor Model, General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). The Data were analyzed using MANOVA.
Findings: Significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of neuroticism (P 0.001), agreeableness (P 0.001), extraversion (P 0.001), openness to experience (P 0.001), self-efficacy (P 0.001), and cognitive regulation strategies (P 0.001).
Considering the increasing trend of girls running away from home and its unfavorable consequences, attention to preventative measures, identification of predisposing factors, and implementation of various rectifying interventions seem necessary.