Personality Traits Are Linked To Differences In Brain Structure, Says Researchers (neurosciencenews.com)

New submitter baalcat quotes a report from Neuroscience News: Our personality may be shaped by how our brain works, but in fact the shape of our brain can itself provide surprising clues about how we behave -- and our risk of developing mental health disorders -- suggests a study published today. According to psychologists, the extraordinary variety of human personality can be broken down into the so-called 'Big Five' personality traits, namely neuroticism (how moody a person is), extraversion (how enthusiastic a person is), openness (how open-minded a person is), agreeableness (a measure of altruism), and conscientiousness (a measure of self-control). In a study published today in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, an international team of researchers from the UK, US, and Italy have analyzed a brain imaging dataset from over 500 individuals that has been made publicly available by the Human Connectome Project, a major US initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health. In particular, the researchers looked at differences in the brain cortical anatomy (the structure of the outer layer of the brain) as indexed by three measures -- the thickness, area, and amount of folding in the cortex -- and how these measures related to the Big Five personality traits. The study has been published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

Comments

Actual study

[Anonymous Coward]

So it would be nice if the summary linked to the actual study instead of the splash page for the journal. Some of the results wouldn't hurt either.

Neuroticism was associated with thicker cortex and smaller area and folding in prefrontal–temporal regions. Extraversion was linked to thicker pre-cuneus and smaller superior temporal cortex area. Openness was linked to thinner cortex and greater area and folding in prefrontal–parietal regions. Agreeableness was correlated to thinner prefrontal cortex and smaller fusiform gyrus area. Conscientiousness was associated with thicker cortex and smaller area and folding in prefrontal regions. ... Cortical thickness and surface area/folding were inversely related each others as a function of different FFM traits (neuroticism, extraversion and consciousness vs openness), which may reflect brain maturational effects that predispose or protect against psychiatric disorders.

Re:Actual study

[rtb61]

So what this study actually does indicate is the areas of the brain that you exercise the most grow the biggest, whilst other areas shrink. It does not indicate why that change is originally trigged which is far more likely to be triggered in the cerebellum and temporal lobe, which will induce activity changes due to genetic biases (these thought preferences the cause certain parts of the brain to grow due to being repeatedly exercised). So a lack of an autonomic empathic response will cause many areas of the brain to shrink due to lack of activity whilst other areas grow, due to singular focus of the narcissist (those affected by a lack of an autonomic empathic response). Never forget diet and environment for also causing major cerebral differences and social biases ie lead poising in the majority of the US population, some worse than others, with a resulting high crime rate and a bias to anti-social politics (through use in fuels, lead water pipes and a love of firing lead at gun ranges).

Phrenology TNG

[toppromulan]

It's like peeling the phrenological onion

Better question

[zifn4b]

Which part of the brain is responsible for modifying the configuration of the brain. You know, the one that makes cognitive behavioral therapy work. In other words, where does meta thinking happen and what parts of the brain are responsible for that? That's an INFINITELY more interesting question.