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Use of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance in Biological Samples at Ambient Temperature and 77 K
Published on: January 11, 2019
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Regional ambient temperature is associated with human personality
Wenqi Wei1,2, Jackson G Lu3, Adam D Galinsky3
1School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory for Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Nature Human Behaviour
|April 27, 2019
Summary
Mild temperatures are linked to more agreeable and stable personalities. This study found that people in regions with moderate climates score higher on key personality traits, suggesting temperature influences human behavior.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Psychology
- Personality Science
- Climate Change Research
Background:
- Human personality traits exhibit geographical variations, but the underlying causes remain largely unknown.
- Ambient temperature is a pervasive environmental factor influencing human behavior and potentially shaping personality.
- Existing theories on geographical personality differences (e.g., subsistence style, selective migration, pathogen prevalence) do not fully explain observed patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between ambient temperature and human personality traits.
- To determine if temperature clemency (proximity to 22°C) is associated with specific personality dimensions.
- To provide a novel environmental perspective on the origins of geographical personality differences.
Main Methods:
- Conducted two large-scale studies in China (59 cities, N=5,587) and the United States (12,499 ZIP codes, N=1,660,638).
- Employed multilevel and machine learning analyses to examine the association between temperature clemency and personality factors.
- Utilized city-level and ZIP-code level data to ensure robust and geographically diverse findings.
Main Results:
- Individuals from regions with more clement temperatures (closer to 22°C) scored higher on socialization and stability traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability).
- Higher scores were also observed for personal growth and plasticity traits (extraversion, openness to experience) in clement temperature regions.
- The observed relationships between temperature clemency and personality factors were consistently replicated across both China and the United States datasets.
Conclusions:
- Ambient temperature, specifically its clemency, is a significant environmental factor associated with geographical variations in human personality.
- Findings offer a new perspective on personality development, complementing existing theories and highlighting the role of climate.
- Projected climate change may lead to subsequent shifts in population-level personality traits globally.
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