Personality and social attention: Trait-driven differences in neural engagement

Personality significantly influences social behaviour and cognitive processes, yet its role in modulating neural mechanisms during social attention remains underexplored. This study examined the associations between Big Five personality traits and event-related potentials (ERPs) during a joint Flanker task simulating shared attention in a controlled environment. Conscientiousness was consistently associated with increased P3 amplitudes, particularly during inhibitory control tasks, while Neuroticism was related with variations in N2 amplitudes. At the facet level, Responsibility and Depression demonstrated distinct associations with neural activity across frontal, frontocentral, and central brain regions. These findings advance personality neuroscience by elucidating how domain- and facet-level traits relate to neural dynamics, shedding light on the cognitive and neural underpinnings of social attention.