Personality Traits Associated with Brain Structure - Article Example

? Personality traits association with brain structure Psychologists Colin, Jacob, Matthew, Xenophon, Nallakkandi and Jeremyconducted a research to test predictions from personality neuroscience. These psychologists sub divided personality traits in five categories. The sub divisions are extraversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism, intellect and agreeableness. They named the five factors the big five. Extraversion refers to trait where one is energetic, outgoing, talkative, enthusiastic and assertive. Neuroticism is a trait defined as sensitivity and nervousness. In this case, a person has a tendency to have unpleasing emotions. These emotions include anxiety, anger, depression and vulnerability. A person with this trait has positive emotions and looks for motivation in the company of others. Agreeableness is a trait associated with friendship and compassion. A person with this trait cooperates with others. Conscientiousness is a trait associated with the organization and efficiency. A person who posses this trait is self disciplined aims for achievement and acts dutifully. Openness as a trait involves invention and curiosity. An open person has an appreciation for adventure art and unusual ideas. This research sought to find out the correlation between the big five and the size of the brain structures. Questionnaires got issued to 116 volunteers, who answered questions to describe their personality. Each brain got warped by a computer program so that the volunteers’ brain sizes would be compared with their personality traits. Several associations were found between personality and sizes of certain regions of the brain. This research has expanded the area of research by incorporating the structural and functional neuro imaging research .if the results of this research were to accumulate then, broader theoretical frameworks would be needed to organize the results and come up with predictions. A framework of this kind can be built using big five model which offers promising taxonomy of characteristics. According to Ozer and Benet-Martinez, the big five are crucial predictors of results in physical and mental health, education, wellbeing, relationships and work. This research supports the theory of biological roots as well as advancing the awareness of human psychology. Findings The results of this research got listed relating to the big five traits. The clusters indicate which groups reached the cluster size threshold of importance so as to be considered ROIs. These researchers got evidence to support their hypothesis on the big five traits. Extraversion traits: there was a prominent positive volume association in medial orbit frontal cortex. Neuroticism: the right dorso-medial PFC and some portions of left medial temporal lobe were the two largest regions whose association was negative. These regions were inclusive of basal ganglia, mid brain and posterior hippocampus. The areas whose association with neuroticism was positive were mid-cingulate cortex, which extends into cingulate gyrus (white), and the caudate in the left hemisphere. The researchers had not hypothesized the cerebellum, and middle temporal gyrus to be associated with neuroticism. They found out that these areas had a positive association. The hypothesis did not include the right precentral gyrus which had a negative association. However, this does not invalidate their theory. For the agreeableness trait, Colin and his colleagues found out that there was immense significant association in retrospelenial part of posterior cingulate cortex. They also found out a massive association in the superior temporal sulcus and superior temporal gyrus that is adjacent. Unexpected positive association with agreeableness trait was found in the fusiform gyrus. Conscientiousness trait got positive association in the volume area of lateral PFC which extends across significant part of left, middle frontal gyrus. Unexpected negative association relating to conscientiousness also got found in the posterior fusiform gyrus. Openness trait did not show any significant association with the local brain volume. It was found to be associated only with the right parietal cortex, however, this association was not significant the threshold. Colin and his colleagues argued that although this association got predicted, it could have occurred due to chance. Discussion of the findings The researchers examined the association between the relative brain volume and the big five traits to test their hypothesis. The hypothesis got based on individual trait association with at least one of the brain areas was known to the functions relating to that trait. The findings of the research supported the hypothesis apart from one trait, which is openness. Extraversion got associated with the medial orbitofrontal cortex. The in-coding of reward values of stimulus is associated with this area. The associations with the neuroticism (reduced volume of dorsomedial PFC, posterior hippocampus and left medial temporal lobe together with mid cingulate increased volume) were consistent representing primary manifestation of sensitivity to punishment and threat in personality. Reduced volume in the left superior temporal sulcus and increased volume of posterior cingulate cortex got associated with agreeableness. The interpretation of an individual’s intentions and actions involves superior temporal sulcus. This makes a person to be cooperative with others. Posterior cingulate is involved in understanding ones beliefs. The unpredicted association with agreeableness (fusiform gyrus) was accredited to its nearness to fusiform area responsible for perceiving faces. The positive association of middle frontal gyrus and conscientiousness can be attributed to middle frontal gyrus involvement in keeping information, working memory and planned action execution. There is appearance to increase complexity and abstraction caused by moving form posterior to anterior areas of lateral PFC. There was no significant association with openness in the brain regions. DeYoung argues that the results of openness were not conclusive but forms foundation for advanced research. The results of this research were significantly consistent with the hypothesis. For instance, there was a positive association of the area of cingulate which is associated with response to pain and detection of error. These two increase with neuroticism. The negative association with the area of PFC is attributed to emotional regulation, which in turn decreases, with neuroticism. Implications of this research for an everyday life situation in your recent or distant past This research had several implications to my everyday life. One predominant situation that occurred recently was at the shopping mall. At a check-out line of the grocery store, a couple with their ten year old son joined me. When I unloaded some bottles of popular soft drink onto the counter, the boy looked at them longingly. Slowly, he tried to reach out for one of the soft drinks. Before the boy could grasp, his mother slapped his hand. The boy shamefully pulled away the arm. After a few moments, he tried to reach for the soft drinks again; at this point his father slapped his hand and shouted sternly, “No!” This time the little boy was nervous, anxious and angered to my surprise. Instead of the little boy learning not to take other persons items, and use this to correct his behavior, she felt angered by his parents actions. According to my inferences, the little boy might have thought that the parents wished for him to suffer. These types of feelings the boy had are associated with neuroticism trait. The boy should have been motivated to have altruistic feelings and avoid unpleasant feelings. The boy’s actions increased his unpleasant feelings by being angered by the situation. The neuroticism trait in the boy might be developed if the boy continues with this trait at home. Another incidence I experienced in the past was regarding a colleague at work. One Monday morning, the colleague asked me how my weekend was. Immediately after, I had stated the word fine, my colleague could not stop talking giving me details of how his was. I had always known this colleague to be energetic, outgoing and assertive. It had never closed my mind that he was talkative. This research has opened my eyes in that I am now able to understand this colleague whom I have to work with every day. Extraversion is a trait that this colleague possesses. Apply the findings to social policy Social policy refers to the principles, guidelines, activities and legislation that affect living conditions to make them conducive to people. Social policy is an essential part of the public policy that deals with social issues. Social policy affects the well being of people in the society. This research can be used in developing social policies. One main policy that this research can be applied in is the policy about underage drinking. This research can be used to analyze complex behaviors. Individuals can be asked to analyze themselves then the results of their analysis compared to brain imaging computer program. The results can be further compared to the findings of this research for confirmation. In cases, where results are found to be alarming such as in the case of neuroticism then the necessary measures can be undertaken. The reason why this research is noteworthy is when one has a trait such as neuroticism and starts drinking at a young age. It increases the chances of developing anxiety and depression disorders. Persons found to posses agreeableness and openness trait can be further analyzed since they are also at risk of starting drinking when underage. Personality characteristics can be best used to predict this behavior especially in schools and the community. If this research is used well, the social policy makers can infer the best time to deliver interventions. Conclusion There are different types of personalities. Psychologists De Young and his colleagues have conducted a research for better understanding of association of personality traits and size of brain regions. They have divided the personality traits in their research to the Big Five. They inferred that the greater the association the more the personality trait will be expressed. DeYoung also indicates that personality traits are not fixed from when one is born. Instead, as the brain regions develops, so does the personality traits. Although this research does not answer chicken and egg question, it has developed or added to the world of research. People can now know the personality traits by taking brain imaging results and comparing them to the findings. This research can be used to come up with several interventions to better human. These interventions may be coming up with public policies such as social policies or medical interventions. This article is relevant in that it will improve the lives of people. For instance, parent who does not understand their child can take them for brain imaging. The results of different brain regions can be analyzed with the findings of this research. This will, therefore, lead to understanding the personality trait the child. After this, the parent will be advised how on to deal with the child. This research will be of substantial help to the parent as the dilemma about the child will be solved. References DeYoung, C.G., Hirsh, J.B., Shane, M.S., Papademetris, X., Rajeevan, N. and Gray, J. R. (2010). Testing Predictions From Personality Neuroscience: Brain Structure and the Big Five, 21, 820-828. Read More