#bigfive — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #bigfive, aggregated by home.social.
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DATE: August 5, 2026 at 08:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How a year abroad shapes student personality
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-a-year-abroad-shapes-student-personality/
Spending a year studying abroad makes college students more agreeable, more curious, and less anxious, but it does not lead to a complete personality overhaul. By tracking daily behaviors alongside long-term changes, researchers discovered that how students act in the moment helps shape their broader psychological development over time. These findings were published in the Journal of Research in Personality.
Psychologists generally view personality through three different layers. Broad traits, often called the Big Five, represent general dispositions like extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Narrow traits focus on specific tendencies that fall under those broad categories, such as resilience or curiosity. Finally, personality states are the momentary thoughts, feelings, and behaviors a person experiences on a given day.
Researchers want to understand how life events shift these different layers of personality. Moving to a different country is a major life transition that requires individuals to adapt to new cultures, languages, and social norms. British university programs often mandate a year abroad for language students, providing a natural environment to observe human adaptability in young adults.
Psychology researchers Ian Moore, Akansha Singh, and Nadin Beckmann of Durham University partnered with Damian P. Birney of The University of Sydney to track these developmental changes. They designed a study to see if living abroad altered personality more than staying home. They also structured their project to test whether fleeting, everyday behaviors eventually add up to permanent personality changes.
The team recruited 180 undergraduate students from 12 universities in the United Kingdom. Within this group, 110 students moved abroad for an academic year, while 70 remained at their home institutions. The traveling students went to 32 different countries, with a majority staying in European nations like France, Spain, and Germany. While abroad, the students engaged in various activities, including attending classes, working at internships, or teaching.
The researchers assessed the students’ broad Big Five traits four times over the 14-month study period using standardized questionnaires. They also measured narrow traits, specifically anxiety, curiosity, and resilience, 11 times to capture monthly development. This schedule allowed the team to track steady psychological maturation across the entire academic cycle.
The results did not show a widespread personality transformation among the traveling students. Four of the Big Five traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism) remained relatively stable regardless of where the students lived. The students’ broad personality rankings stayed mostly the same from the beginning of the year to the end, contradicting popular ideas about the completely life-altering nature of travel.
The new environment did appear to influence specific areas of psychological growth. As the year progressed, students living abroad became more agreeable and more curious than their peers at home. The traveling students also reported a steady decrease in overall anxiety, suggesting the international experience helped them manage stress and approach novel situations more effectively over time.
To capture daily personality states, the researchers used a technique called experience sampling. During three separate weeks scattered throughout the academic year, the students received phone prompts four times a day. Each prompt asked them to rate how they were feeling, thinking, and behaving in that exact moment, as well as how they perceived their immediate situation.
This intense measurement schedule allowed the researchers to compare how much personality varies across different timeframes. They calculated the ratio of within-person variability compared to between-person variability. Within-person variability refers to how much a single individual’s behavior fluctuates, while between-person variability describes how much people differ from one another.
The analysis revealed a distinct pattern across the personality hierarchy. Broad traits were the most rigid, showing high between-person variability but very little within-person change. Narrow traits showed a more balanced ratio of flexibility. Daily states fluctuated the most, meaning that students varied more in their own day-to-day behaviors than they differed from the rest of the study participants.
Finally, the team used statistical models to link these daily fluctuations to the students’ long-term trait changes. They analyzed the average of each student’s daily states and compared it to their broad personality scores at the end of the year. The researchers wanted to test the idea that repeated momentary experiences accumulate into permanent psychological shifts.
The data supported this bottom-up theory of personality development. A student’s average daily state consistently predicted their long-term growth. For example, students who repeatedly acted conscientious in their daily tasks saw their overall trait conscientiousness increase by the end of the academic year. The daily repetition of a behavior appeared to solidify it into a lasting trait.
The researchers also checked to see if extreme daily behavioral fluctuations influenced long-term traits, but the results were not statistically significant in most categories. Average daily behavior proved to be a much stronger indicator of future personality than unpredictable behavioral spikes.
The researchers also analyzed situation contingencies, which describe how a person’s behavior changes in response to a specific environmental trigger. They looked at whether reacting to a specific situation predicted long-term personality changes. In most cases, these momentary reactions did not translate into broad trait development.
There was one exception regarding the trait of openness. The researchers found that students generally acted more open when they felt familiar with their physical location. Students who showed a very strong momentary spike in openness when they felt familiar with their surroundings also experienced the greatest long-term growth in broad trait openness over the year.
Because the students chose whether to go abroad or stay home, the two groups differed before the study even began. The students who decided to travel already displayed lower levels of anxiety and neuroticism at the start of the academic year. This indicates a selection effect, meaning that certain types of people are more likely to pursue an international education.
The psychological growth seen in the traveling group might not be entirely caused by the foreign environment. These students might have been on a natural developmental path toward higher agreeableness and lower anxiety regardless of their location. Because the traveling students started with lower neuroticism, they might have been better equipped to handle the stress of moving, allowing them to focus on exploring their new environments.
The study also relied entirely on self-reported data. The results reflect how the students viewed themselves rather than how their friends, family, or teachers perceived them. Measuring personality through self-reflection can introduce bias, as individuals might not notice subtle changes in their own dispositions over an extended period.
Future research will need to track students before they leave for their trips to establish a more accurate baseline of their daily behaviors. Scientists can also use these findings to design psychological interventions that focus on small, manageable behavioral changes. By targeting daily actions, psychologists might help people slowly cultivate lasting improvements in their broader personalities.
The study, “Personality dynamics and trait change on the year abroad,” was authored by Ian Moore, Damian P. Birney, Akansha Singh, and Nadin Beckmann.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-a-year-abroad-shapes-student-personality/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #YearAbroad #PersonalityDevelopment #BigFive #Agreeableness #Curiosity #Openness #AnxietyReduction #DailyBehaviors #ExperienceSampling #PsychologyResearch
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DATE: August 5, 2026 at 08:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How a year abroad shapes student personality
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-a-year-abroad-shapes-student-personality/
Spending a year studying abroad makes college students more agreeable, more curious, and less anxious, but it does not lead to a complete personality overhaul. By tracking daily behaviors alongside long-term changes, researchers discovered that how students act in the moment helps shape their broader psychological development over time. These findings were published in the Journal of Research in Personality.
Psychologists generally view personality through three different layers. Broad traits, often called the Big Five, represent general dispositions like extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Narrow traits focus on specific tendencies that fall under those broad categories, such as resilience or curiosity. Finally, personality states are the momentary thoughts, feelings, and behaviors a person experiences on a given day.
Researchers want to understand how life events shift these different layers of personality. Moving to a different country is a major life transition that requires individuals to adapt to new cultures, languages, and social norms. British university programs often mandate a year abroad for language students, providing a natural environment to observe human adaptability in young adults.
Psychology researchers Ian Moore, Akansha Singh, and Nadin Beckmann of Durham University partnered with Damian P. Birney of The University of Sydney to track these developmental changes. They designed a study to see if living abroad altered personality more than staying home. They also structured their project to test whether fleeting, everyday behaviors eventually add up to permanent personality changes.
The team recruited 180 undergraduate students from 12 universities in the United Kingdom. Within this group, 110 students moved abroad for an academic year, while 70 remained at their home institutions. The traveling students went to 32 different countries, with a majority staying in European nations like France, Spain, and Germany. While abroad, the students engaged in various activities, including attending classes, working at internships, or teaching.
The researchers assessed the students’ broad Big Five traits four times over the 14-month study period using standardized questionnaires. They also measured narrow traits, specifically anxiety, curiosity, and resilience, 11 times to capture monthly development. This schedule allowed the team to track steady psychological maturation across the entire academic cycle.
The results did not show a widespread personality transformation among the traveling students. Four of the Big Five traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism) remained relatively stable regardless of where the students lived. The students’ broad personality rankings stayed mostly the same from the beginning of the year to the end, contradicting popular ideas about the completely life-altering nature of travel.
The new environment did appear to influence specific areas of psychological growth. As the year progressed, students living abroad became more agreeable and more curious than their peers at home. The traveling students also reported a steady decrease in overall anxiety, suggesting the international experience helped them manage stress and approach novel situations more effectively over time.
To capture daily personality states, the researchers used a technique called experience sampling. During three separate weeks scattered throughout the academic year, the students received phone prompts four times a day. Each prompt asked them to rate how they were feeling, thinking, and behaving in that exact moment, as well as how they perceived their immediate situation.
This intense measurement schedule allowed the researchers to compare how much personality varies across different timeframes. They calculated the ratio of within-person variability compared to between-person variability. Within-person variability refers to how much a single individual’s behavior fluctuates, while between-person variability describes how much people differ from one another.
The analysis revealed a distinct pattern across the personality hierarchy. Broad traits were the most rigid, showing high between-person variability but very little within-person change. Narrow traits showed a more balanced ratio of flexibility. Daily states fluctuated the most, meaning that students varied more in their own day-to-day behaviors than they differed from the rest of the study participants.
Finally, the team used statistical models to link these daily fluctuations to the students’ long-term trait changes. They analyzed the average of each student’s daily states and compared it to their broad personality scores at the end of the year. The researchers wanted to test the idea that repeated momentary experiences accumulate into permanent psychological shifts.
The data supported this bottom-up theory of personality development. A student’s average daily state consistently predicted their long-term growth. For example, students who repeatedly acted conscientious in their daily tasks saw their overall trait conscientiousness increase by the end of the academic year. The daily repetition of a behavior appeared to solidify it into a lasting trait.
The researchers also checked to see if extreme daily behavioral fluctuations influenced long-term traits, but the results were not statistically significant in most categories. Average daily behavior proved to be a much stronger indicator of future personality than unpredictable behavioral spikes.
The researchers also analyzed situation contingencies, which describe how a person’s behavior changes in response to a specific environmental trigger. They looked at whether reacting to a specific situation predicted long-term personality changes. In most cases, these momentary reactions did not translate into broad trait development.
There was one exception regarding the trait of openness. The researchers found that students generally acted more open when they felt familiar with their physical location. Students who showed a very strong momentary spike in openness when they felt familiar with their surroundings also experienced the greatest long-term growth in broad trait openness over the year.
Because the students chose whether to go abroad or stay home, the two groups differed before the study even began. The students who decided to travel already displayed lower levels of anxiety and neuroticism at the start of the academic year. This indicates a selection effect, meaning that certain types of people are more likely to pursue an international education.
The psychological growth seen in the traveling group might not be entirely caused by the foreign environment. These students might have been on a natural developmental path toward higher agreeableness and lower anxiety regardless of their location. Because the traveling students started with lower neuroticism, they might have been better equipped to handle the stress of moving, allowing them to focus on exploring their new environments.
The study also relied entirely on self-reported data. The results reflect how the students viewed themselves rather than how their friends, family, or teachers perceived them. Measuring personality through self-reflection can introduce bias, as individuals might not notice subtle changes in their own dispositions over an extended period.
Future research will need to track students before they leave for their trips to establish a more accurate baseline of their daily behaviors. Scientists can also use these findings to design psychological interventions that focus on small, manageable behavioral changes. By targeting daily actions, psychologists might help people slowly cultivate lasting improvements in their broader personalities.
The study, “Personality dynamics and trait change on the year abroad,” was authored by Ian Moore, Damian P. Birney, Akansha Singh, and Nadin Beckmann.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-a-year-abroad-shapes-student-personality/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #YearAbroad #PersonalityDevelopment #BigFive #Agreeableness #Curiosity #Openness #AnxietyReduction #DailyBehaviors #ExperienceSampling #PsychologyResearch
-
DATE: August 5, 2026 at 08:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How a year abroad shapes student personality
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-a-year-abroad-shapes-student-personality/
Spending a year studying abroad makes college students more agreeable, more curious, and less anxious, but it does not lead to a complete personality overhaul. By tracking daily behaviors alongside long-term changes, researchers discovered that how students act in the moment helps shape their broader psychological development over time. These findings were published in the Journal of Research in Personality.
Psychologists generally view personality through three different layers. Broad traits, often called the Big Five, represent general dispositions like extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Narrow traits focus on specific tendencies that fall under those broad categories, such as resilience or curiosity. Finally, personality states are the momentary thoughts, feelings, and behaviors a person experiences on a given day.
Researchers want to understand how life events shift these different layers of personality. Moving to a different country is a major life transition that requires individuals to adapt to new cultures, languages, and social norms. British university programs often mandate a year abroad for language students, providing a natural environment to observe human adaptability in young adults.
Psychology researchers Ian Moore, Akansha Singh, and Nadin Beckmann of Durham University partnered with Damian P. Birney of The University of Sydney to track these developmental changes. They designed a study to see if living abroad altered personality more than staying home. They also structured their project to test whether fleeting, everyday behaviors eventually add up to permanent personality changes.
The team recruited 180 undergraduate students from 12 universities in the United Kingdom. Within this group, 110 students moved abroad for an academic year, while 70 remained at their home institutions. The traveling students went to 32 different countries, with a majority staying in European nations like France, Spain, and Germany. While abroad, the students engaged in various activities, including attending classes, working at internships, or teaching.
The researchers assessed the students’ broad Big Five traits four times over the 14-month study period using standardized questionnaires. They also measured narrow traits, specifically anxiety, curiosity, and resilience, 11 times to capture monthly development. This schedule allowed the team to track steady psychological maturation across the entire academic cycle.
The results did not show a widespread personality transformation among the traveling students. Four of the Big Five traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism) remained relatively stable regardless of where the students lived. The students’ broad personality rankings stayed mostly the same from the beginning of the year to the end, contradicting popular ideas about the completely life-altering nature of travel.
The new environment did appear to influence specific areas of psychological growth. As the year progressed, students living abroad became more agreeable and more curious than their peers at home. The traveling students also reported a steady decrease in overall anxiety, suggesting the international experience helped them manage stress and approach novel situations more effectively over time.
To capture daily personality states, the researchers used a technique called experience sampling. During three separate weeks scattered throughout the academic year, the students received phone prompts four times a day. Each prompt asked them to rate how they were feeling, thinking, and behaving in that exact moment, as well as how they perceived their immediate situation.
This intense measurement schedule allowed the researchers to compare how much personality varies across different timeframes. They calculated the ratio of within-person variability compared to between-person variability. Within-person variability refers to how much a single individual’s behavior fluctuates, while between-person variability describes how much people differ from one another.
The analysis revealed a distinct pattern across the personality hierarchy. Broad traits were the most rigid, showing high between-person variability but very little within-person change. Narrow traits showed a more balanced ratio of flexibility. Daily states fluctuated the most, meaning that students varied more in their own day-to-day behaviors than they differed from the rest of the study participants.
Finally, the team used statistical models to link these daily fluctuations to the students’ long-term trait changes. They analyzed the average of each student’s daily states and compared it to their broad personality scores at the end of the year. The researchers wanted to test the idea that repeated momentary experiences accumulate into permanent psychological shifts.
The data supported this bottom-up theory of personality development. A student’s average daily state consistently predicted their long-term growth. For example, students who repeatedly acted conscientious in their daily tasks saw their overall trait conscientiousness increase by the end of the academic year. The daily repetition of a behavior appeared to solidify it into a lasting trait.
The researchers also checked to see if extreme daily behavioral fluctuations influenced long-term traits, but the results were not statistically significant in most categories. Average daily behavior proved to be a much stronger indicator of future personality than unpredictable behavioral spikes.
The researchers also analyzed situation contingencies, which describe how a person’s behavior changes in response to a specific environmental trigger. They looked at whether reacting to a specific situation predicted long-term personality changes. In most cases, these momentary reactions did not translate into broad trait development.
There was one exception regarding the trait of openness. The researchers found that students generally acted more open when they felt familiar with their physical location. Students who showed a very strong momentary spike in openness when they felt familiar with their surroundings also experienced the greatest long-term growth in broad trait openness over the year.
Because the students chose whether to go abroad or stay home, the two groups differed before the study even began. The students who decided to travel already displayed lower levels of anxiety and neuroticism at the start of the academic year. This indicates a selection effect, meaning that certain types of people are more likely to pursue an international education.
The psychological growth seen in the traveling group might not be entirely caused by the foreign environment. These students might have been on a natural developmental path toward higher agreeableness and lower anxiety regardless of their location. Because the traveling students started with lower neuroticism, they might have been better equipped to handle the stress of moving, allowing them to focus on exploring their new environments.
The study also relied entirely on self-reported data. The results reflect how the students viewed themselves rather than how their friends, family, or teachers perceived them. Measuring personality through self-reflection can introduce bias, as individuals might not notice subtle changes in their own dispositions over an extended period.
Future research will need to track students before they leave for their trips to establish a more accurate baseline of their daily behaviors. Scientists can also use these findings to design psychological interventions that focus on small, manageable behavioral changes. By targeting daily actions, psychologists might help people slowly cultivate lasting improvements in their broader personalities.
The study, “Personality dynamics and trait change on the year abroad,” was authored by Ian Moore, Damian P. Birney, Akansha Singh, and Nadin Beckmann.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-a-year-abroad-shapes-student-personality/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #YearAbroad #PersonalityDevelopment #BigFive #Agreeableness #Curiosity #Openness #AnxietyReduction #DailyBehaviors #ExperienceSampling #PsychologyResearch
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DATE: August 2, 2026 at 07:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Left-handed university students show higher neuroticism compared to their right-handed peers
A study of university students from the University of Vienna, Austria found that right-handed students tended to be somewhat more extraverted, conscientious, and emotionally stable compared to their left-handed peers. Females tended to have higher depression scores than males. The paper was published in Brain and Cognition.
The human brain is structurally divided into two hemispheres that exhibit some functional differences. This is referred to as hemispheric specialization or brain lateralization. Although the two hemispheres work together continuously, some abilities are more strongly represented in one hemisphere than the other.
Language is often more left-lateralized, while aspects of spatial attention, face processing, and emotional communication are frequently associated more strongly with the right hemisphere. Brain asymmetry also includes structural differences, such as variations in the size, shape, or cortical thickness of corresponding regions on the two sides. These patterns are not identical in everyone and can vary with handedness, development, experience, and neurological conditions.
Study author Sonja Kuderer and her colleagues note that left- or right-handedness—i.e., which hand a person uses as the dominant one—has to do with how functions are divided between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. They point out that existing evidence suggests that non-right-handedness is linked with increased interhemispheric communication.
Left-handers also seem to exhibit reduced lateralization, a trait that is hypothesized to confer different evolutionary advantages. These advantages might have contributed to the preservation of left-handedness in the population. The authors of this study set out to explore the relationship between handedness, sex, personality, and depression.
Study participants were 198 students at the University of Vienna in Austria. Nearly 92% of them were Austrian or German nationals. 105 participants were women. Participants’ average age was 24 years.
Study participants completed assessments of personality (the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, NEO-FFI), depression (the Beck Depression Inventory – II), and handedness (the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory).
Results showed that right-handed students tended to score higher on conscientiousness and extraversion, while scoring lower on neuroticism compared to left-handed students. In other words, right-handed students tended to be somewhat more extraverted, conscientious, and emotionally stable compared to left-handed students. Female students tended to score higher on the depression assessment.
Further analyses revealed that consistently left-handed male and consistently right-handed female students tended to have the highest depression scores, whereas inconsistent right-handed female and consistent right-handed male students tended to have the lowest scores.
“These findings suggest that handedness and sex independently and interactively shape personality and depressive symptoms, emphasizing the role of lateralization and sex-specific neurobiological mechanisms in affective functioning,” the study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific knowledge about links between personality and handedness. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on a sample of German-speaking university students. Results in other demographic and cultural groups might differ.
The paper, “Sex and handedness differences in Big Five personality traits and depression: Investigating the role of cerebral lateralization,” was authored by Sonja Kuderer, Christoph Rotter, and Sylvia Kirchengast.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #LeftHanded #Handedness #PersonalityTraits #BigFive #Neuroticism #Extraversion #Conscientiousness #Depression #BrainLateralization #HemisphericDifferences
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DATE: August 2, 2026 at 07:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Left-handed university students show higher neuroticism compared to their right-handed peers
A study of university students from the University of Vienna, Austria found that right-handed students tended to be somewhat more extraverted, conscientious, and emotionally stable compared to their left-handed peers. Females tended to have higher depression scores than males. The paper was published in Brain and Cognition.
The human brain is structurally divided into two hemispheres that exhibit some functional differences. This is referred to as hemispheric specialization or brain lateralization. Although the two hemispheres work together continuously, some abilities are more strongly represented in one hemisphere than the other.
Language is often more left-lateralized, while aspects of spatial attention, face processing, and emotional communication are frequently associated more strongly with the right hemisphere. Brain asymmetry also includes structural differences, such as variations in the size, shape, or cortical thickness of corresponding regions on the two sides. These patterns are not identical in everyone and can vary with handedness, development, experience, and neurological conditions.
Study author Sonja Kuderer and her colleagues note that left- or right-handedness—i.e., which hand a person uses as the dominant one—has to do with how functions are divided between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. They point out that existing evidence suggests that non-right-handedness is linked with increased interhemispheric communication.
Left-handers also seem to exhibit reduced lateralization, a trait that is hypothesized to confer different evolutionary advantages. These advantages might have contributed to the preservation of left-handedness in the population. The authors of this study set out to explore the relationship between handedness, sex, personality, and depression.
Study participants were 198 students at the University of Vienna in Austria. Nearly 92% of them were Austrian or German nationals. 105 participants were women. Participants’ average age was 24 years.
Study participants completed assessments of personality (the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, NEO-FFI), depression (the Beck Depression Inventory – II), and handedness (the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory).
Results showed that right-handed students tended to score higher on conscientiousness and extraversion, while scoring lower on neuroticism compared to left-handed students. In other words, right-handed students tended to be somewhat more extraverted, conscientious, and emotionally stable compared to left-handed students. Female students tended to score higher on the depression assessment.
Further analyses revealed that consistently left-handed male and consistently right-handed female students tended to have the highest depression scores, whereas inconsistent right-handed female and consistent right-handed male students tended to have the lowest scores.
“These findings suggest that handedness and sex independently and interactively shape personality and depressive symptoms, emphasizing the role of lateralization and sex-specific neurobiological mechanisms in affective functioning,” the study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific knowledge about links between personality and handedness. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on a sample of German-speaking university students. Results in other demographic and cultural groups might differ.
The paper, “Sex and handedness differences in Big Five personality traits and depression: Investigating the role of cerebral lateralization,” was authored by Sonja Kuderer, Christoph Rotter, and Sylvia Kirchengast.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #LeftHanded #Handedness #PersonalityTraits #BigFive #Neuroticism #Extraversion #Conscientiousness #Depression #BrainLateralization #HemisphericDifferences
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DATE: August 2, 2026 at 07:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Left-handed university students show higher neuroticism compared to their right-handed peers
A study of university students from the University of Vienna, Austria found that right-handed students tended to be somewhat more extraverted, conscientious, and emotionally stable compared to their left-handed peers. Females tended to have higher depression scores than males. The paper was published in Brain and Cognition.
The human brain is structurally divided into two hemispheres that exhibit some functional differences. This is referred to as hemispheric specialization or brain lateralization. Although the two hemispheres work together continuously, some abilities are more strongly represented in one hemisphere than the other.
Language is often more left-lateralized, while aspects of spatial attention, face processing, and emotional communication are frequently associated more strongly with the right hemisphere. Brain asymmetry also includes structural differences, such as variations in the size, shape, or cortical thickness of corresponding regions on the two sides. These patterns are not identical in everyone and can vary with handedness, development, experience, and neurological conditions.
Study author Sonja Kuderer and her colleagues note that left- or right-handedness—i.e., which hand a person uses as the dominant one—has to do with how functions are divided between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. They point out that existing evidence suggests that non-right-handedness is linked with increased interhemispheric communication.
Left-handers also seem to exhibit reduced lateralization, a trait that is hypothesized to confer different evolutionary advantages. These advantages might have contributed to the preservation of left-handedness in the population. The authors of this study set out to explore the relationship between handedness, sex, personality, and depression.
Study participants were 198 students at the University of Vienna in Austria. Nearly 92% of them were Austrian or German nationals. 105 participants were women. Participants’ average age was 24 years.
Study participants completed assessments of personality (the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, NEO-FFI), depression (the Beck Depression Inventory – II), and handedness (the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory).
Results showed that right-handed students tended to score higher on conscientiousness and extraversion, while scoring lower on neuroticism compared to left-handed students. In other words, right-handed students tended to be somewhat more extraverted, conscientious, and emotionally stable compared to left-handed students. Female students tended to score higher on the depression assessment.
Further analyses revealed that consistently left-handed male and consistently right-handed female students tended to have the highest depression scores, whereas inconsistent right-handed female and consistent right-handed male students tended to have the lowest scores.
“These findings suggest that handedness and sex independently and interactively shape personality and depressive symptoms, emphasizing the role of lateralization and sex-specific neurobiological mechanisms in affective functioning,” the study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific knowledge about links between personality and handedness. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on a sample of German-speaking university students. Results in other demographic and cultural groups might differ.
The paper, “Sex and handedness differences in Big Five personality traits and depression: Investigating the role of cerebral lateralization,” was authored by Sonja Kuderer, Christoph Rotter, and Sylvia Kirchengast.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #LeftHanded #Handedness #PersonalityTraits #BigFive #Neuroticism #Extraversion #Conscientiousness #Depression #BrainLateralization #HemisphericDifferences
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The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage:
Ecological Imbalance:Unnatural Densities: To guarantee tourist sightings, parks often artificially manage waterholes and supply extra feed, keeping predator and prey numbers artificially high.
#bigfive #nature #biodiversity #socialmedia -
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage:
Ecological Imbalance:Unnatural Densities: To guarantee tourist sightings, parks often artificially manage waterholes and supply extra feed, keeping predator and prey numbers artificially high.
#bigfive #nature #biodiversity #socialmedia -
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage:
Ecological Imbalance:Unnatural Densities: To guarantee tourist sightings, parks often artificially manage waterholes and supply extra feed, keeping predator and prey numbers artificially high.
#bigfive #nature #biodiversity #socialmedia -
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage:
Ecological Imbalance:Unnatural Densities: To guarantee tourist sightings, parks often artificially manage waterholes and supply extra feed, keeping predator and prey numbers artificially high.
#bigfive #nature #biodiversity #socialmedia -
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage:
Ecological Imbalance:Unnatural Densities: To guarantee tourist sightings, parks often artificially manage waterholes and supply extra feed, keeping predator and prey numbers artificially high.
#bigfive #nature #biodiversity #socialmedia -
Maasai Mara Safari Guide 2026: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
The Maasai Mara has earned its reputation through decades of incredible wildlife encounters. Home to the Big Five and the world-famous Great Migration, it delivers exceptional game viewing whether you visit during the dry season or the lush green months. From budget-friendly camping safaris to luxury tented camps, there's a Maasai Mara safari experience for every traveler. This guide covers everything you need to know before booking your trip, including the best time to visit, safari costs, accommodation options, wildlife, packing tips, and suggested itineraries. -
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage:
Overcrowded Veld:
Many smaller or newly minted commercial reserves squeeze apex predators and mega-herbivores onto restricted land, leading to severe overgrazing and the stripping of local tree bark and vegetation.
#ecology #nature #bigfive #biodiversity -
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage:
Overcrowded Veld:
Many smaller or newly minted commercial reserves squeeze apex predators and mega-herbivores onto restricted land, leading to severe overgrazing and the stripping of local tree bark and vegetation.
#ecology #nature #bigfive #biodiversity -
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage:
Overcrowded Veld:
Many smaller or newly minted commercial reserves squeeze apex predators and mega-herbivores onto restricted land, leading to severe overgrazing and the stripping of local tree bark and vegetation.
#ecology #nature #bigfive #biodiversity -
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage:
Overcrowded Veld:
Many smaller or newly minted commercial reserves squeeze apex predators and mega-herbivores onto restricted land, leading to severe overgrazing and the stripping of local tree bark and vegetation.
#ecology #nature #bigfive #biodiversity -
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage:
Overcrowded Veld:
Many smaller or newly minted commercial reserves squeeze apex predators and mega-herbivores onto restricted land, leading to severe overgrazing and the stripping of local tree bark and vegetation.
#ecology #nature #bigfive #biodiversity -
"Forced Boundaries: To market a "Big Five" experience, reserves must erect sturdy, expensive perimeter fences. This stops natural ancient migration routes, trapping animals in spaces too small for their natural roaming needs." And as per my articles few read, a MAJOR problem will killing tortoises!
#bigfive #conservation #nature #biodiversity -
"Forced Boundaries: To market a "Big Five" experience, reserves must erect sturdy, expensive perimeter fences. This stops natural ancient migration routes, trapping animals in spaces too small for their natural roaming needs." And as per my articles few read, a MAJOR problem will killing tortoises!
#bigfive #conservation #nature #biodiversity -
"Forced Boundaries: To market a "Big Five" experience, reserves must erect sturdy, expensive perimeter fences. This stops natural ancient migration routes, trapping animals in spaces too small for their natural roaming needs." And as per my articles few read, a MAJOR problem will killing tortoises!
#bigfive #conservation #nature #biodiversity -
"Forced Boundaries: To market a "Big Five" experience, reserves must erect sturdy, expensive perimeter fences. This stops natural ancient migration routes, trapping animals in spaces too small for their natural roaming needs." And as per my articles few read, a MAJOR problem will killing tortoises!
#bigfive #conservation #nature #biodiversity -
"Forced Boundaries: To market a "Big Five" experience, reserves must erect sturdy, expensive perimeter fences. This stops natural ancient migration routes, trapping animals in spaces too small for their natural roaming needs." And as per my articles few read, a MAJOR problem will killing tortoises!
#bigfive #conservation #nature #biodiversity -
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage, primarily through overstocking unnatural species mixes, severe habitat fragmentation from fences, and soil and water degradation.
-
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage, primarily through overstocking unnatural species mixes, severe habitat fragmentation from fences, and soil and water degradation.
-
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage, primarily through overstocking unnatural species mixes, severe habitat fragmentation from fences, and soil and water degradation.
-
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage, primarily through overstocking unnatural species mixes, severe habitat fragmentation from fences, and soil and water degradation.
-
The obsession with turning game parks into "Big Five" tourist attractions causes significant ecosystem damage, primarily through overstocking unnatural species mixes, severe habitat fragmentation from fences, and soil and water degradation.
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From Small Press to Big Five: Indie Press Authors Who Broke Through
This listicle features five authors who published with indie presses with their earlier books and then later published with big five publishers.
The post From Small Press to Big Five: Indie Press Authors Who Broke Through appeared first on Independent Book Review.
https://independentbookreview.com/2026/07/23/from-small-press-to-big-five-indie-press-authors-who-broke-through/ -
From Small Press to Big Five: Indie Press Authors Who Broke Through
This listicle features five authors who published with indie presses with their earlier books and then later published with big five publishers.
The post From Small Press to Big Five: Indie Press Authors Who Broke Through appeared first on Independent Book Review.
https://independentbookreview.com/2026/07/23/from-small-press-to-big-five-indie-press-authors-who-broke-through/ -
From Small Press to Big Five: Indie Press Authors Who Broke Through
This listicle features five authors who published with indie presses with their earlier books and then later published with big five publishers.
The post From Small Press to Big Five: Indie Press Authors Who Broke Through appeared first on Independent Book Review.
https://independentbookreview.com/2026/07/23/from-small-press-to-big-five-indie-press-authors-who-broke-through/ -
From Small Press to Big Five: Indie Press Authors Who Broke Through
This listicle features five authors who published with indie presses with their earlier books and then later published with big five publishers.
The post From Small Press to Big Five: Indie Press Authors Who Broke Through appeared first on Independent Book Review.
https://independentbookreview.com/2026/07/23/from-small-press-to-big-five-indie-press-authors-who-broke-through/ -
🦩 Did you know?
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world and can run at speeds of up to 70 km/h! Although it cannot fly, its powerful legs help it escape predators and thrive across the African savannah.
https://africanholidaysafari.com/five-days-migrational-safari.htmlVisit Tanzania and experience these amazing birds in their natural habitat! 🌿🐾
#TanzaniaSafari #Wildlife #Ostrich #AfricanHolidaySafari
#bigfive #TheBigFive #serengeti #africansafari #tanzaniasafari #africanholidaysafari #thismightbeyoursafari #Travel -
🦩 Did you know?
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world and can run at speeds of up to 70 km/h! Although it cannot fly, its powerful legs help it escape predators and thrive across the African savannah.
https://africanholidaysafari.com/five-days-migrational-safari.htmlVisit Tanzania and experience these amazing birds in their natural habitat! 🌿🐾
#TanzaniaSafari #Wildlife #Ostrich #AfricanHolidaySafari
#bigfive #TheBigFive #serengeti #africansafari #tanzaniasafari #africanholidaysafari #thismightbeyoursafari #Travel -
🦩 Did you know?
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world and can run at speeds of up to 70 km/h! Although it cannot fly, its powerful legs help it escape predators and thrive across the African savannah.
https://africanholidaysafari.com/five-days-migrational-safari.htmlVisit Tanzania and experience these amazing birds in their natural habitat! 🌿🐾
#TanzaniaSafari #Wildlife #Ostrich #AfricanHolidaySafari
#bigfive #TheBigFive #serengeti #africansafari #tanzaniasafari #africanholidaysafari #thismightbeyoursafari #Travel -
🦩 Did you know?
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world and can run at speeds of up to 70 km/h! Although it cannot fly, its powerful legs help it escape predators and thrive across the African savannah.
https://africanholidaysafari.com/five-days-migrational-safari.htmlVisit Tanzania and experience these amazing birds in their natural habitat! 🌿🐾
#TanzaniaSafari #Wildlife #Ostrich #AfricanHolidaySafari
#bigfive #TheBigFive #serengeti #africansafari #tanzaniasafari #africanholidaysafari #thismightbeyoursafari #Travel -
AFRICAN SAFARI ADVENTURE
From the endless plains of Serengeti National Park to the majestic elephants of Tarangire National Park, Tanzania offers some of the most spectacular wildlife experiences📲 WhatsApp: wa.me/255628099448
#Safari #VisitAfrica #TravelTheWorld #SafariExperience #AfricanAdventure #BigFiveSafari #bigfive #TravelAddict #AdventureAwaits #ExploreAfrica #TravelInspiration
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AFRICAN SAFARI ADVENTURE
From the endless plains of Serengeti National Park to the majestic elephants of Tarangire National Park, Tanzania offers some of the most spectacular wildlife experiences📲 WhatsApp: wa.me/255628099448
#Safari #VisitAfrica #TravelTheWorld #SafariExperience #AfricanAdventure #BigFiveSafari #bigfive #TravelAddict #AdventureAwaits #ExploreAfrica #TravelInspiration
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AFRICAN SAFARI ADVENTURE
From the endless plains of Serengeti National Park to the majestic elephants of Tarangire National Park, Tanzania offers some of the most spectacular wildlife experiences📲 WhatsApp: wa.me/255628099448
#Safari #VisitAfrica #TravelTheWorld #SafariExperience #AfricanAdventure #BigFiveSafari #bigfive #TravelAddict #AdventureAwaits #ExploreAfrica #TravelInspiration
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AFRICAN SAFARI ADVENTURE
From the endless plains of Serengeti National Park to the majestic elephants of Tarangire National Park, Tanzania offers some of the most spectacular wildlife experiences📲 WhatsApp: wa.me/255628099448
#Safari #VisitAfrica #TravelTheWorld #SafariExperience #AfricanAdventure #BigFiveSafari #bigfive #TravelAddict #AdventureAwaits #ExploreAfrica #TravelInspiration
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https://www.europesays.com/africa/280525/ Nine white rhinos arrive in Mozambique #aim #anac #AntonioAbacar #BigFive #ConservationOperation #ExxaroResources #GreatLimpopoTransfrontierConservationArea #InhambaneProvince #Kenya #KidepoValleyNationalPark #MozambiqueMozambique #NationalAdministrationOfConservationAreas #PeaceParksFoundation #PejulCalenga #Rhinos #RtNews #SaveRiver #SouthAfrica #TsavoWestNationalPark #Uganda #UgandaWildlifeAuthority #zimbabwe #zinave #ZinaveNationalPark #ZiwaRhinoSanctuary
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Wasserbüffel im Kruger-Nationalpark. Dieser PRACHTKERL lässt sich die Hörner pflegen, Südafrika
#wildlifephotography #nature #krugernationalpark #sudafrica #sudafrika #bigfive #travel #travelphotography #photography #panasoniclumix
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Wasserbüffel im Kruger-Nationalpark. Dieser PRACHTKERL lässt sich die Hörner pflegen, Südafrika
#wildlifephotography #nature #krugernationalpark #sudafrica #sudafrika #bigfive #travel #travelphotography #photography #panasoniclumix
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Wasserbüffel im Kruger-Nationalpark. Dieser PRACHTKERL lässt sich die Hörner pflegen, Südafrika
#wildlifephotography #nature #krugernationalpark #sudafrica #sudafrika #bigfive #travel #travelphotography #photography #panasoniclumix
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Wasserbüffel im Kruger-Nationalpark. Dieser PRACHTKERL lässt sich die Hörner pflegen, Südafrika
#wildlifephotography #nature #krugernationalpark #sudafrica #sudafrika #bigfive #travel #travelphotography #photography #panasoniclumix
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Wasserbüffel im Kruger-Nationalpark. Dieser PRACHTKERL lässt sich die Hörner pflegen, Südafrika
#wildlifephotography #nature #krugernationalpark #sudafrica #sudafrika #bigfive #travel #travelphotography #photography #panasoniclumix
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Wer zahlt, steht im Finale – egal wie gut der Song ist. Das ist das Big-Five-Prinzip beim ESC. 🎤💰 Und dieses Jahr fehlt Spanien – das spürt der ganze Wettbewerb. Ist das fair? #ESC2026 #BigFive #Eurovision
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Discover the magic of Serengeti National Park. 🦓
#Serengeti #SafariExperience #NatureTravel #BigFive #TravelAfrica -
Discover the magic of Serengeti National Park. 🦓
#Serengeti #SafariExperience #NatureTravel #BigFive #TravelAfrica -
https://www.europesays.com/be-fr/99571/ L’IA prédit les traits de personnalité à partir de conversations sur ChatGPT – Business AM #BE #BEFr #Belgique #Belgium #BigFive #ChatGPT #étude #ia #Science #ScienceAndTechnology #Sciences #SciencesEtTechnologies #Technologies #Technology #TraitsDePersonnalité
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Big five: "I get a bar graph, and I don't remember what those numbers were."
Myers-Briggs (type indicator): "I get ENFJ" or "I get INTP".
Don't know about you, but it seems like Myers-Briggs, when administered, empowers people to share insights about who they are better than the big five.
I mean, don't get me wrong, if you roughly remember your big five score, I'd prefer that, but the Myers-Briggs at least is correlated with the big five, and that's good enough 🤷♂️
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Big five: "I get a bar graph, and I don't remember what those numbers were."
Myers-Briggs (type indicator): "I get ENFJ" or "I get INTP".
Don't know about you, but it seems like Myers-Briggs, when administered, empowers people to share insights about who they are better than the big five.
I mean, don't get me wrong, if you roughly remember your big five score, I'd prefer that, but the Myers-Briggs at least is correlated with the big five, and that's good enough 🤷♂️
-
Big five: "I get a bar graph, and I don't remember what those numbers were."
Myers-Briggs (type indicator): "I get ENFJ" or "I get INTP".
Don't know about you, but it seems like Myers-Briggs, when administered, empowers people to share insights about who they are better than the big five.
I mean, don't get me wrong, if you roughly remember your big five score, I'd prefer that, but the Myers-Briggs at least is correlated with the big five, and that's good enough 🤷♂️
