HOW TO BE HAPPY
Experts say certain personality traits contribute to a positive outlook
Personality theory has changed hugely since the 1930s, when Harvard psychologist Gordon Allport proposed some 4,000 traits. Two decades later, Raymond Cattell, also at Harvard, used statistical analysis to whittle that figure down to 16; in 1990, Baltimore-based psychologists Robert Mccrae and Paul Costa cut that down by two-thirds, leaving extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience.
Today, their “Big Five” model is the basis of most personality research.
But are these traits down to nature or nurture? One 2011 study put the genetic contribution at about 35 per cent, while in 2015, Robert Power at London’s Institute of Psychiatry and Michael Pluess at Queen Mary University of London examined the personality profiles of more than 5,000 European adults, concluding that heritability accounts for somewhere between 40 and 60 per cent of the variance.
If genetics account for around half of our personality profile, that means environmental or learned factors are at least as important. You can, therefore, alter your character considerably if you wish — so if you harbour ambitions of becoming a happier person, what are the qualities on which to focus?
A number of studies suggest the three characteristics most strongly associated with a positive outlook are high levels of extroversion and conscientiousness and low levels of neuroticism (stability of mood).
However, a recent and more detailed study led by Jessie Sun and Scott Kaufman at the University of Melbourne provides a clearer picture.
They subdivided each of the traits into two parts and the resulting 10 traits can help you choose your target behaviours:
Conscientiousness consists of industriousness (a self-disciplined and efficient attitude) and orderliness (tidiness and a routine-based lifestyle).
Enthusiasm and assertiveness, an ambitious and socially dominant attitude, are the two aspects of extroversion.
Agreeableness divides into compassion and politeness.
Openness to experience is made up of intellect and general openness (a creative, imaginative and reflective outlook).
Neuroticism consists of withdrawal (feeling discouraged and self-conscious) and volatility of mood.
Enthusiasm and positive thinking were the key factors for happiness as the traits most strongly linked to numerous measures of well-being, including life satisfaction, self-acceptance and sense of mastery and direction in life. Orderliness showed no relation to well-being.
It looks like the recipe for greatest life satisfaction is to offer warmth to others and show them genuine interest, to embrace new experiences and to find positive ways to think about what’s happening, however dull things may appear at first glance. As a bonus, you can overlook the need to keep everything tidy. Linda Blair is a clinical psychologist and author of Siblings: How to Handle Rivalry and Create Lifelong Loving Bonds.