The DNA Behind Personality

Scientists Find 1,260 DNA Variants Linked to Personality in Huge Genetics Study Scientists have uncovered the strongest genetic map yet of human personality, identifying 1,260 DNA variants associated with the five major personality traits used by psychologists. The vast study analysed genetic and personality data from as many as 1.14 million people and found hundreds of associations that had never been detected before. The findings do not mean scientists can read someone's DNA and reliably decide whether they are outgoing, anxious, organised or adventurous. Instead, they reveal something subtler: personality appears to be partly influenced by enormous numbers of tiny genetic effects acting together, while environment and experience remain crucial parts of what makes people different.