title: Personality Polygenes, Positive Affect, and Life Satisfaction.
abstract: Approximately half of the variation in wellbeing measures overlaps with variation in personality traits. Studies of non-human primate pedigrees and human twins suggest that this is due to common genetic influences. We tested whether personality polygenic scores for the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) domains and for item response theory (IRT) derived extraversion and neuroticism scores predict variance in wellbeing measures. Polygenic scores were based on published genome-wide association (GWA) results in over 17,000 individuals for the NEO-FFI and in over 63,000 for the IRT extraversion and neuroticism traits. The NEO-FFI polygenic scores were used to predict life satisfaction in 7 cohorts, positive affect in 12 cohorts, and general wellbeing in 1 cohort (maximal N = 46,508). Meta-analysis of these results showed no significant association between NEO-FFI personality polygenic scores and the wellbeing measures. IRT extraversion and neuroticism polygenic scores were used to predict life satisfaction and positive affect in almost 37,000 individuals from UK Biobank. Significant positive associations (effect sizes <0.05%) were observed between the extraversion polygenic score and wellbeing measures, and a negative association was observed between the polygenic neuroticism score and life satisfaction. Furthermore, using GWA data, genetic correlations of -0.49 and -0.55 were estimated between neuroticism with life satisfaction and positive affect, respectively. The moderate genetic correlation between neuroticism and wellbeing is in line with twin research showing that genetic influences on wellbeing are also shared with other independent personality domains.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology,Department of Psychology,School of Philosophy,Psychology and Language Sciences,The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology,Netherlands Twin Register,VU University Amsterdam,Amsterdam,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bart M L
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Baselmans
authors.affiliation: Clinical Division of Neurogeriatrics,Department of Neurology,Medical University Graz,Austria.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hofer
authors.affiliation: Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center,Rush University Medical Center,Chicago,IL,USA.
authors.forename: Jingyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Economics,Erasmus School of Economics,Erasmus University Rotterdam,Rotterdam,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aysu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okbay
authors.affiliation: Quantitative Genetics,QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research,Brisbane,Queensland,Australia.
authors.forename: Penelope A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,University of Minnesota,USA.
authors.forename: Mike B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology,University of Groningen,Groningen,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ilja M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Nolte
authors.affiliation: Survey Research Center,Institute for Social Research,University of Michigan,Ann Arbor,MI,USA.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology,Department of Psychology,School of Philosophy,Psychology and Language Sciences,The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK.
authors.forename: Saskia P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hagenaars
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology,Netherlands Twin Register,VU University Amsterdam,Amsterdam,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jouke-Jan
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hottenga
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,University of Minnesota,USA.
authors.forename: Lindsay K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Matteson
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology,University of Groningen,Groningen,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Snieder
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology,School of Public Health,University of Michigan,Ann Arbor,MI,USA.
authors.forename: Jessica D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Faul
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation,University Medical Center,University of Groningen,Groningen,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Catharina A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.affiliation: Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center,Rush University Medical Center,Chicago,IL,USA.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology,Erasmus Medical Center,Rotterdam,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tiemeier
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience,Karolinska Institutet,Stockholm,Sweden.
authors.forename: Miriam A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mosing
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology,Department of Psychology,School of Philosophy,Psychology and Language Sciences,The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pattie
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology,Department of Psychology,School of Philosophy,Psychology and Language Sciences,The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK.
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology,Department of Psychology,School of Philosophy,Psychology and Language Sciences,The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Liewald
authors.affiliation: Clinical Division of Neurogeriatrics,Department of Neurology,Medical University Graz,Austria.
authors.forename: Reinhold
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Program in Translational NeuroPsychiatric Genomics,Institute for the Neurosciences,Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry,Brigham and Women's Hospital,Boston,MA,USA.
authors.forename: Philip L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: De Jager
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences,Washington University,MO,USA.
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences,University of Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jokela
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Medicine Unit,Western General Hospital,Edinburgh,and Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology,University of Edinburgh,UK.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Starr
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation,University Medical Center,University of Groningen,Groningen,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Albertine J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Oldehinkel
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics,Stockholm School of Economics,Stockholm,Sweden.
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johannesson
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics,New York University,New York,USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cesarini
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology,Erasmus Medical Center,Rotterdam,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology,Department of Psychology,School of Philosophy,Psychology and Language Sciences,The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Survey Research Center,Institute for Social Research,University of Michigan,Ann Arbor,MI,USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: IBS,Unit of Personality,Work and Health,Institute of Behavioural Sciences,University of Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Keltikangas-Järvinen
authors.affiliation: IBS,Unit of Personality,Work and Health,Institute of Behavioural Sciences,University of Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pulkki-Råback
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology,Medical University Graz,Austria.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,University of Michigan,Ann Arbor,MI,USA.
authors.forename: Jacqui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,University of Minnesota,USA.
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Iacono
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology,University of Minnesota,USA.
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McGue
authors.affiliation: Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center,Rush University Medical Center,Chicago,IL,USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics,Karolinska Institutet,Stockholm,Sweden.
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics,Karolinska Institutet,Stockholm,Sweden.
authors.forename: Patrik K E
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology,Department of Psychology,School of Philosophy,Psychology and Language Sciences,The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK.
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Deary
authors.affiliation: Quantitative Genetics,QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research,Brisbane,Queensland,Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology,Netherlands Twin Register,VU University Amsterdam,Amsterdam,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dorret I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Boomsma
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology,Netherlands Twin Register,VU University Amsterdam,Amsterdam,the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Meike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bartels
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology,Department of Psychology,School of Philosophy,Psychology and Language Sciences,The University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luciano
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D020412:Multifactorial Inheritance; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010553:Personality Development; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: genetic correlation; genetics; happiness; polygenic prediction; wellbeing