title: Personality cannot be predicted from the power of resting state EEG.
abstract: In the present study we asked whether it is possible to decode personality traits from resting state EEG data. EEG was recorded from a large sample of subjects (n = 289) who had answered questionnaires measuring personality trait scores of the five dimensions as well as the 10 subordinate aspects of the Big Five. Machine learning algorithms were used to build a classifier to predict each personality trait from power spectra of the resting state EEG data. The results indicate that the five dimensions as well as their subordinate aspects could not be predicted from the resting state EEG data. Finally, to demonstrate that this result is not due to systematic algorithmic or implementation mistakes the same methods were used to successfully classify whether the subject had eyes open or closed. These results indicate that the extraction of personality traits from the power spectra of resting state EEG is extremely noisy, if possible at all.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Kristjan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Korjus
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Andero
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uusberg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu Tartu, Estonia ; Doctoral School of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, University of Tartu Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uusberg
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu Tartu, Estonia ; Doctoral School of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, University of Tartu Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Nele
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuldkepp
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Kairi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kreegipuu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu Tartu, Estonia ; Estonian Academy of Sciences Tallinn, Estonia.
authors.forename: Jüri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Allik
authors.affiliation: Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.affiliation: Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu Tartu, Estonia ; Institute of Public Law, University of Tartu Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Jaan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aru
keywords: EEG; machine learning; personality; prediction; resting state