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Massive study reveals how much personality comes from DNA
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- A large study of over 1 million people identified more than 1,000 genetic variants linked to major personality traits, showing genetics can explain up to about 13% of personality differences.
- The research focused on the "Big Five" personality traits—extraversion, openness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness—and found no single gene determines these traits; instead, thousands of small genetic influences interact with each other and the environment.
- Genetic profiles associated with certain traits correlate with real-world behaviors, such as people with higher openness tending to live in cosmopolitan cities and those with higher neuroticism more likely residing in affluent suburbs.
- People genetically predisposed to extraversion were more likely to contract COVID-19 earlier in the pandemic, likely due to their eagerness to resume social interactions when restrictions eased.
- Despite genetic influences, personality is largely shaped by environmental factors, experiences, culture, and upbringing, meaning genes contribute but do not dictate an individual's personality or destiny.
