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RE: Psychology Addict # 46 |The Thinking, Emotional & Behaviour Patterns that Characterise Us.
I think I'm an introverted disagreeable non-neurotic openly conscientious person :D Any places online where I can take a test and find out for sure?
Also, to what extent are these personality traits fixed/genetic? I personally don't feel that I had much choice being these things. I happened to read an article today about a new book by psychologist/geneticist Robert Plomin that claims that most of everything that describes us is genetic.
PS: Nevermind, I took the test!
Robert Plomin is great!😃 Thank you for sharing this article with me :) I don't have an appointment with the hairdresser for the next two weeks, but already got something to read during my next hair treatment :P
Jokes aside ...
Over the past few years quite a few studies have been looking into the genetics of The Big Five Dimensions. Although. the ones I have come across mostly correlate the genetics of personality with psychiatric disorders (not even extroversion escaped- which genetic variation correlates with ADHD ref.). You can imagine when it comes to neuroticism ref. ! So, yes, there is now evidence of genetic variations underlying our personality traits.
Nevertheless, twin studies suggest that genetics and environmental factors are equally important when it comes to the formation of personality ref.
Finally, the days when it was believed our personality is fixed are gone. It is now understood for example, that we become more agreeable as we age, and less Open to Experience as the years go by ref.
Thanks a lot for stopping by once again, and this time, taking the time to do the test :D
All the best to you always!
😄
I knew it!! This is very cool! The evidence against them is amassing! :D
To play devil's advocate, I could say that perhaps the change is also genetically mediated: just like hair changes to white as we age, maybe we're meant to be more agreeable as we age because we're not as strong, say, or because there's more progeny to take care of and tolerate.
Thanks for your (as always) detailed and informed reply!
I've seen a similar view (the one about our genetics) expressed by the outspoken (and occasionally controversial) Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene and I personally find it quite plausible -- our genes define the structure of our organs and their functions, including our neurology, which defines everything that we are or could be as a conscious entity. It's an established fact that our genetic structure changes throughout our life -- we very literally change not just as a "person" but on a more fundamental level, as a living organism.
I have anecdotal evidence of my own personality changes as a result of recovery from hormonal/dietary disbalance I've experienced in my life, but that's another story. :)
Very true.