Heritability of facet-level traits in a cross-cultural twin sample: support for a hierarchical model of personality.
The common variance among personality traits can be summarized in the factors of the five-factor model, which are known to be heritable. This study examined heritability of the residual specific variance in facet-level traits from the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. Analyses of raw and residual facet scales across Canadian (183 monozygotic [MZ] and 175 dizogotic [DZ] pairs) and German (435 MZ and 205 DZ pairs) twin samples showed genetic and environmental influences of the same type and magnitude across the 2 samples for most facets. Additive genetic effects accounted for 25% to 65% of the reliable specific variance. Results provide strong support for hierarchical models of personality that posit a large number of narrow traits in addition to a few broader trait factors or domains. Facet-level traits are not simply exemplars of the broad factors they define; they are discrete constructs with their own heritable and thus biological basis.
Jang
K L
KL
Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. kjang@unixg.ubc.ca
McCrae
R R
RR
Angleitner
A
A
Riemann
R
R
Livesley
W J
WJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D014427:Twins / Q000523:psychology*