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Study finds link between brain shape and personality traits
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Researchers discovered a pattern between varied brain structure and the five key personality traits referred to the “Big Five” by psychologists. (Shutterstock/File)
A recent study has revealed that the shape of an individual’s brain can say a lot about their personality.
The study's senior author, Luca Passamonti from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, said in a press release, “Linking how brain structure is related to basic personality traits is a crucial step to improving our understanding of the link between the brain morphology and particular mood, cognitive or behavioral disorders”, as quoted by Alternet.
Researchers discovered a pattern between varied brain structure and the five key personality traits referred to as the “Big Five” by psychologists. The five personality types include: neuroticism (paranoia and negativity), extraversion (enthusiasm), open-mindedness (adventurous and open), agreeableness (how accepting and cooperative one is) and conscientiousness (self-control).
The study—published in the Journal of Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience—utilized brain scans on 500 participants without any medical or psychiatric complications who were aged 22 to 36 years, and observed their cortex (outer layer of the brain). The differences in brain structure were analyzed on the basis of thickness, area and the amount of folds present in the cortex.
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The study found that “neuroticism was linked to a thicker cortex and a smaller area and folding in some brain regions," said the paper's co-author Roberta Riccelli from Magna Graecia University in Italy. On the other hand the openness personality trait is linked with “a thinner cortex and greater area and folding”, she adds.
The reason why there are folds on the outermost part of our brains is because, “evolution has shaped our brain anatomy in a way that maximizes its area. It's like stretching and folding a rubber sheet—this increases the surface area, but at the same time the sheet itself becomes thinner”, as further detailed by Passamonti.
Riccelli concludes that this examination is an important step in expanding our knowledge about mental disorders. Once we are more aware, we can take preventative measures and stop them from developing into something more severe. (nik/kes)
