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Big Five personality traits and voting: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and mega-analysis
Alexander Georg Stahlmann1, Christopher J Hopwood1, Ulrich Orth2
1Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Swizerland.
European Journal of Personality
|April 20, 2026
Summary
Personality traits like low neuroticism are linked to voting behavior. The Big Five personality traits show modest, consistent associations with voting intentions and actions, particularly in non-U.S. populations.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Political Science
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Voting is crucial for democratic societies.
- Personality traits influence civic engagement, but prior research has yielded mixed results.
- Existing studies often lack statistical power and consistent methodologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize evidence on the association between the Big Five personality traits and voting.
- To estimate the strength and consistency of these relationships using meta-analysis and mega-analysis.
- To explore potential moderators of these associations.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a systematic review of studies examining personality and voting.
- Performed a meta-analysis of 17 studies (65,036 participants) and a mega-analysis of 13 studies (44,206 participants).
- Calculated zero-order correlations and examined moderating effects of various factors.
Main Results:
- Modest but robust correlations (effect sizes .05–.10) were found between the Big Five personality traits and voting intentions.
- Higher intentions to vote were associated with lower neuroticism and higher extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.
- Only low neuroticism significantly predicted actual voting behavior, with effects more pronounced in non-U.S. samples.
Conclusions:
- The Big Five personality traits are consistent, albeit modest, predictors of voting intentions and behavior.
- Low neuroticism emerges as a key personality factor associated with voting.
- Findings have implications for understanding and potentially fostering civic participation.
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