Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Genetic Overlap and Distinctiveness of Flourishing and the Big Five Personality Traits

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Happiness Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The growing evidence that subjective well-being (SWB) produces an array of beneficial outcomes has increased requests for recommendations on how to promote it. Evidence that all of SWB’s genetic variance overlaps with personality led to the strong claim that it is a ‘personality thing’ and that personality is the strongest predictor of SWB. However, studies do not include a comprehensive assessment that reflects eudaimonic as well as hedonic SWB. We revisit the question of SWB’s complete overlap with personality employing the tripartite model—emotional, psychological, and social—of SWB that, together, reflect Keyes’ (2002) model of flourishing. Data are from the Midlife in the United States national sample of 1,386 twins. Analyses were done using Mx to test Cholesky decomposition models and a two latent factor common pathway model. One-third of the total (72 %) heritability of flourishing and 40 % of its environmental variability are distinct from the big-five personality traits. We also find a low phenotypic association (mean r = .22) between the three dimensions of SWB and big-five personality traits despite substantial shared genetic etiology. In addition to non-trivial amounts of distinctive genetic and environmental variance and low phenotypic correlation, we point to limited investigation of reciprocal causation of SWB and personality. Psychologist should not yet conclude that SWB is a ‘personality thing’ anymore than personality might be a ‘well-being thing’.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akaike, H. (1987). Factor analysis and AIC. Psychometrika, 52, 317–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Archontaki, D., Lewis, G. J., & Bates, T. C. (2013). Genetic influences on psychological well-being: A nationally representative twin study. Journal of Personality, 81(2), 221–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartels, M., & Boomsma, D. I. (2009). Born to be happy? The etiology of subjective well-being. Behavior Genetics, 39(6), 605–615.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Briggs, S. R. (1992). Assessing the five-factor model of personality description. Journal of Personality, 60(2), 253–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carey, G. (Ed.). (2003). Human genetics for the social sciences (Vol. 4). Sage.

  • DeNeve, K. M., & Cooper, H. (1998). The happy personality: A meta-analysis of 137 personality traits and subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 124(2), 197–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 95, 542–575.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Beyond money toward an economy of well-being. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 5(1), 1–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L., Grewen, K. M., Coffey, K. A., Algoe, S. B., Firestine, A. M., Arevalo, J. M., et al. (2013). A functional genomic perspective on human well-being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(33), 13684–13689.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher, M. W., Lopez, S. J., & Preacher, K. J. (2009). The hierarchical structure of well-being. Journal of Personality, 77(4), 1025–1050.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, L. R. (1992). The development of markers for the Big-Five factor structure. Psychological Assessment, 4(1), 26–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helliwell, J., Layard, R., & Sachs, J. (2012). World happiness report. New York: Earth Institute, Columbia University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill, P. L., Turiano, N. A., Mroczek, D. K., & Roberts, B. W. (2012). Examining concurrent and longitudinal relations between personality traits and social well-being in adulthood. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3(6), 698–705.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jang, K. L., Livesley, W. J., & Vemon, P. A. (1996). Heritability of the big five personality dimensions and their facets: A twin study. Journal of Personality, 64(3), 577–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joshanloo, M., Wissing, M. P., Khumalo, I. P., &. Lamers, S. M. A. (2013). Measurement invariance of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) across three cultural groups. Personality and Individual Differences, 55(7), 755–759. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886913002456.

  • Kahneman, D., Diener, E., & Schwarz, N. (Eds.). (2003). Well-being: The foundations of hedonic psychology. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

  • Kendler, K. S., Myers, J. M., Maes, H. H., & Keyes, C. L. M. (2011). The relationship between the genetic and environmental influences on common internalizing psychiatric disorders and mental well-being. Behavior Genetics, 41(5), 641–650.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kendler, K. S., & Prescott, C. A. (2006). Genes, environment, and psychopathology: Understanding the causes of psychiatric and substance use disorders. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keyes, C. L. M. (1998). Social well-being. Social Psychology Quarterly, 61(2), 121–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keyes, C. L. (2002). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 207–222.

  • Keyes, C. L. M. (2005). Mental illness and/or mental health? Investigating axioms of the complete state model of health. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73(3), 539–548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keyes, C. L. M., & Annas, J. (2009). Feeling good and functioning well: Distinctive concepts in ancient philosophy and contemporary science. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(3), 197–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keyes, C. L. M., Myers, J. M., & Kendler, K. S. (2010). The structure of the genetic and environmental influences on mental well-being. American Journal of Public Health, 100(12), 2379–2384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keyes, C. L. M., Shmotkin, D., & Ryff, C. D. (2002). Optimizing well-being: The empirical encounter of two traditions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(6), 1007–1022.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keyes, C. L. M., & Simoes, E. J. (2012). To flourish or not: Positive mental health and all-cause mortality. American Journal of Public Health, 102(11), 2164–2172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lamers, S., Westerhof, G. J., Bohlmeijer, E. T., ten Klooster, P. M., & Keyes, C. L. M. (2011). Evaluating the psychometric properties of the mental health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67(1), 99–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Layard, R. (2005). Happiness: Lesson from a new science. London: Allen Lane.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loehlin, J. C., McCrae, R. R., Costa, P. T., Jr., & John, O. P. (1998). Heritabilities of common and measure-specific components of the Big Five personality factors. Journal of Research in Personality, 32(4), 431–453.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lykken, D. T., McGue, M., Jr., Bouchard, T. J., & Tellegen, A. (1990). Does contact lead to similarity or similarity to contact? Behavior Genetics, 20, 547–561.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131(6), 803–855.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., & John, O. P. (1992). An introduction to the five-factor model and its applications. Journal of Personality, 60(2), 175–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neale, M. C., Boker, S. M., Xie, G., & Maes, H. H. (2003). Mx: Statistical modeling (6th edition). Dept. of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical School: Box 980126, Richmond VA 23298.

  • Prescott, C. A., & Gottesman, I. I. (1993). Genetically mediated vulnerability to schizophrenia. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 16, 245–267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riemann, R., Angleitner, A., & Strelau, J. (1997). Genetic and environmental influences on personality: A study of twins reared together using the self- and peer-report NEO-FFI scales. Journal of Personality, 65(3), 449–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Røysamb, E., Harris, J. R., Magnus, P., Vittersø, J., & Tambs, K. (2002). Subjective well-being: Sex-specific effects of genetic and environmental factors. Personality and Individual Differences, 32(2), 211–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1069–1081.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. D., & Keyes, C. L. M. (1995). The structure of psychological well-being revisited. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(4), 719–727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmutte, P. S., & Ryff, C. D. (1997). Personality and well-being: Reexamining methods and meanings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(3), 549.

    Google Scholar 

  • Specht, J., Egloff, B., & Schmukle, S. C. (2013). Examining mechanisms of personality maturation: The impact of life satisfaction on the development of the Big Five personality traits. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 4(2), 181–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., & Clark, L. A. (1992). On traits and temperament: General and specific factors of emotional experience and their relation to the five-factor model. Journal of Personality, 60(2), 441–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, A., Bates, T. C., & Luciano, M. (2008). Happiness is a personal(ity) thing: The genetics of personality and well-being in a representative sample. Psychological Science, 19(3), 205–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development (MIDMAC Director, Dr. Orville Gilbert Brim).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Corey L. M. Keyes & Chris C. Martin

  2. The Virginia Institute of Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics and Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia, USA

    Kenneth S. Kendler

  3. The Virginia Institute of Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia, USA

    John M. Myers

Authors
  1. Corey L. M. Keyes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kenneth S. Kendler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John M. Myers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chris C. Martin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Corey L. M. Keyes.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Keyes, C.L.M., Kendler, K.S., Myers, J.M. et al. The Genetic Overlap and Distinctiveness of Flourishing and the Big Five Personality Traits. J Happiness Stud 16, 655–668 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9527-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9527-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation