Is the genetic structure of human personality universal? A cross-cultural twin study from North America, Europe, and Asia

Shinji Yamagata; Atsunobu Suzuki; Juko Ando; Yutaka Ono; Nobuhiko Kijima; Kimio Yoshimura; Fritz Ostendorf; Alois Angleitner; Rainer Riemann; Frank M. Spinath; W. John Livesley; Kerry L. Jang

doi:10.1037/0022-3514.90.6.987

Is the genetic structure of human personality universal? A cross-cultural twin study from North America, Europe, and Asia

Shinji Yamagata, Atsunobu Suzuki, Juko Ando, Yutaka Ono, Nobuhiko Kijima, Kimio Yoshimura, Fritz Ostendorf, Alois Angleitner, Rainer Riemann, Frank M. Spinath, W. John Livesley, Kerry L. Jang

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

182 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study examined whether universality of the 5-factor model (FFM) of personality operationalized by the Revised NEO Personality Inventory is due to genetic influences that are invariant across diverse nations. Factor analyses were conducted on matrices of phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlations estimated in a sample of 1,209 monozygotic and 701 dizygotic twin pairs from Canada, Germany, and Japan. Five genetic and environmental factors were extracted for each sample. High congruence coefficients were observed when phenotypic, genetic, and environmental factors were compared in each sample as well as when each factor was compared across samples. These results suggest that the FFM has a solid biological basis and may represent a common heritage of the human species.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	987-998
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Volume	90
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.90.6.987
Publication status	Published - 2006 Jun

Keywords

Behavioral genetics
Five-factor model
Revised NEO Personality Inventory
Twin study
Universality

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Social Psychology
Sociology and Political Science

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10.1037/0022-3514.90.6.987

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Yamagata, S., Suzuki, A., Ando, J., Ono, Y., Kijima, N., Yoshimura, K., Ostendorf, F., Angleitner, A., Riemann, R., Spinath, F. M., Livesley, W. J., & Jang, K. L. (2006). Is the genetic structure of human personality universal? A cross-cultural twin study from North America, Europe, and Asia. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(6), 987-998. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.90.6.987

Yamagata, S, Suzuki, A, Ando, J, Ono, Y, Kijima, N , Yoshimura, K, Ostendorf, F, Angleitner, A, Riemann, R, Spinath, FM, Livesley, WJ & Jang, KL 2006, 'Is the genetic structure of human personality universal? A cross-cultural twin study from North America, Europe, and Asia', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 90, no. 6, pp. 987-998. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.90.6.987

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AU - Kijima, Nobuhiko

AU - Yoshimura, Kimio

AU - Ostendorf, Fritz

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Is the genetic structure of human personality universal? A cross-cultural twin study from North America, Europe, and Asia

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