Comparing phenotypic, genetic, and environmental associations between personality and loneliness

Colin D. Freilich; Frank D. Mann; Susan C. South; Robert F. Krueger

doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104314

Comparing phenotypic, genetic, and environmental associations between personality and loneliness

Colin D. Freilich, Frank D. Mann, Susan C. South, Robert F. Krueger

Psychology (Twin Cities)

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

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

As a strong risk factor for mortality, individual differences in loneliness are of clear public health significance. Four of the Big Five traits have emerged as cross-sectional correlates, but the etiology of these links is unclear, as are relations with more specific personality facets. Thus, we estimated phenotypic, genetic, and environmental associations between loneliness and both broader and narrower personality dimensions. Traits that indexed Negative Emotionality (e.g., Neuroticism, Stress Reactivity, Alienation) and low Positive Emotionality (e.g., low Extraversion, low Well-Being) had the strongest associations with loneliness, though low Conscientiousness, low Agreeableness, and high Aggression were also implicated. These associations were explained by both genetic (0.30 < |r_g| < 0.80) and unique environmental (0.10 < |r_e| < 0.35) influences, consistent with an etiology of loneliness involving several personality domains.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	104314
Journal	Journal of Research in Personality
Volume	101
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104314
State	Published - Dec 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We have no known conflict of interest to disclose. Since 1995 the MIDUS study has been funded by the following: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network; National Institute on Aging (P01-AG020166); National Institute on Aging (U19-AG051426). R.F. Krueger is partly supported by the US National Institutes of Health, NIH (R01-AG053217, U19-AG051426). F.D.M. is supported by the US National Institutes of Health (L60AG074424) and the National Institute on Aging (R21AG074705). Data from the MIDUS study is available to the public through the Colectica portal at: https://midus.colectica.org/ . Code is available at: https://osf.io/h5c7r/ . This study was not preregistered. Colin Freilich was responsible for data analysis and initial report writing. Frank Mann was responsible for methodological conceptualization, analysis planning, and manuscript revision and editing. Susan South was responsible for discussion conceptualization, and manuscript revision and editing. Robert Krueger was responsible for supervision, project administration, and manuscript revision and editing. Correspondence concerning this article can be sent to Colin Freilich at [email protected] .

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Keywords

ACE model
Big Five
Environmental correlation
Genetic correlation
Loneliness
MPQ
Personality

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10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104314

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title = "Comparing phenotypic, genetic, and environmental associations between personality and loneliness",

abstract = "As a strong risk factor for mortality, individual differences in loneliness are of clear public health significance. Four of the Big Five traits have emerged as cross-sectional correlates, but the etiology of these links is unclear, as are relations with more specific personality facets. Thus, we estimated phenotypic, genetic, and environmental associations between loneliness and both broader and narrower personality dimensions. Traits that indexed Negative Emotionality (e.g., Neuroticism, Stress Reactivity, Alienation) and low Positive Emotionality (e.g., low Extraversion, low Well-Being) had the strongest associations with loneliness, though low Conscientiousness, low Agreeableness, and high Aggression were also implicated. These associations were explained by both genetic (0.30 < |rg| < 0.80) and unique environmental (0.10 < |re| < 0.35) influences, consistent with an etiology of loneliness involving several personality domains.",

keywords = "ACE model, Big Five, Environmental correlation, Genetic correlation, Loneliness, MPQ, Personality",

author = "Freilich, {Colin D.} and Mann, {Frank D.} and South, {Susan C.} and Krueger, {Robert F.}",

note = "Funding Information: We have no known conflict of interest to disclose. Since 1995 the MIDUS study has been funded by the following: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network; National Institute on Aging (P01-AG020166); National Institute on Aging (U19-AG051426). R.F. Krueger is partly supported by the US National Institutes of Health, NIH (R01-AG053217, U19-AG051426). F.D.M. is supported by the US National Institutes of Health (L60AG074424) and the National Institute on Aging (R21AG074705). Data from the MIDUS study is available to the public through the Colectica portal at: https://midus.colectica.org/ . Code is available at: https://osf.io/h5c7r/ . This study was not preregistered. Colin Freilich was responsible for data analysis and initial report writing. Frank Mann was responsible for methodological conceptualization, analysis planning, and manuscript revision and editing. Susan South was responsible for discussion conceptualization, and manuscript revision and editing. Robert Krueger was responsible for supervision, project administration, and manuscript revision and editing. Correspondence concerning this article can be sent to Colin Freilich at [email protected] . Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Inc.",

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AU - Krueger, Robert F.

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N2 - As a strong risk factor for mortality, individual differences in loneliness are of clear public health significance. Four of the Big Five traits have emerged as cross-sectional correlates, but the etiology of these links is unclear, as are relations with more specific personality facets. Thus, we estimated phenotypic, genetic, and environmental associations between loneliness and both broader and narrower personality dimensions. Traits that indexed Negative Emotionality (e.g., Neuroticism, Stress Reactivity, Alienation) and low Positive Emotionality (e.g., low Extraversion, low Well-Being) had the strongest associations with loneliness, though low Conscientiousness, low Agreeableness, and high Aggression were also implicated. These associations were explained by both genetic (0.30 < |rg| < 0.80) and unique environmental (0.10 < |re| < 0.35) influences, consistent with an etiology of loneliness involving several personality domains.

AB - As a strong risk factor for mortality, individual differences in loneliness are of clear public health significance. Four of the Big Five traits have emerged as cross-sectional correlates, but the etiology of these links is unclear, as are relations with more specific personality facets. Thus, we estimated phenotypic, genetic, and environmental associations between loneliness and both broader and narrower personality dimensions. Traits that indexed Negative Emotionality (e.g., Neuroticism, Stress Reactivity, Alienation) and low Positive Emotionality (e.g., low Extraversion, low Well-Being) had the strongest associations with loneliness, though low Conscientiousness, low Agreeableness, and high Aggression were also implicated. These associations were explained by both genetic (0.30 < |rg| < 0.80) and unique environmental (0.10 < |re| < 0.35) influences, consistent with an etiology of loneliness involving several personality domains.

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KW - MPQ

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ER -

Comparing phenotypic, genetic, and environmental associations between personality and loneliness

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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