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0Does where you grow up shape your personality?
Would you be the same person if you'd grown up in different surroundings? How might you be different if you'd grown up in an urban versus a rural environment, or in a different country altogether?
This is the age-old, nature-nurture debate that has had people pondering for many years. Is your personality written in your genes or shaped by your experience? Most experts agree that it is a combination of both. Let's hear about ways this can be put to the test.
A common way is to study twin pairs, because if personality came only from genes, you might expect identical twins to have the same, or a very similar, personality. Research called 'Meta-analysis of the heritability of human traits based on fifty years of twin studies' looked at 14 million twin pairs in 39 countries.
Do identical twins, who share almost identical DNA, have more similar personalities than non-identical twins, who share about half? By comparing the two, the authors concluded that about 50% of the differences between people can be explained by genetic factors, meaning that our genes play a significant role in shaping who we are, but our environment and experiences are just as important.
Other studies looked to see whether personality traits were more prevalent in certain geographical regions than in others. For example, in a 2015 study called 'Regional Personality Differences in Great Britain', researchers investigated how the 'Big Five' personality traits, which include extraversion, openness and agreeableness, were geographically distributed.
They found there were areas where each trait was more prevalent. For example, agreeableness, which is about friendliness and trust, was more prevalent in the Scottish Highlands and Northern England – more rural areas with lower population densities.
Whereas openness, which is associated with curiosity and intellect, was more prevalent in urban, densely populated areas like London, Manchester and Brighton, suggesting that a person's environment can help to foster various traits.
While our DNA provides a starting point, it is only part of the jigsaw puzzle that makes our personality. As we go through life, we encounter obstacles, we make mistakes, and we learn what we enjoy through experience – all of which can change how we interact with the world.
词汇表
age-old adj. 古老的，由来已久的
nature-nurture debate [ˈnɜːtʃə] 先天与后天之争
ponder [ˈpɒndə] v. 沉思，琢磨，仔细考虑
gene [dʒiːn] n. 基因，遗传因子
identical twins [aɪˈdentɪkl twɪnz] 同卵双胞胎
meta-analysis [ˌmetə əˈnæləsɪs] n. 元分析，统合分析（对多项研究结果的统计分析）
heritability [ˌherɪtəˈbɪlɪti] n. 遗传可能性，遗传性，遗传力
non-identical twins [ˌnɒn aɪˈdentɪkl twɪnz] 异卵双胞胎
genetic [dʒəˈnetɪk] adj. 基因的，遗传的
prevalent [ˈprevələnt] adj. 普遍的，流行的，盛行的
geographical regions [ˌdʒiːəˈɡræfɪkl ˈriːdʒənz] 地理区域
'Big Five' personality traits 大五人格特质
extraversion [ˌekstrəˈvɜːʃn] n. 外向性，外倾性
agreeableness [əˈɡriːəblnəs] n. 宜人性，亲和力
population density [ˈdensɪti] 人口密度
densely populated [ˈdensli ˈpɒpjʊleɪtɪd] 人口密集的
foster [ˈfɒstə] vt. 培养，促进
jigsaw puzzle [ˈdʒɪɡsɔː] 拼图（游戏）
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