Psychology Today

Are people really "pure dispositionalists" who underestimate the "power of the situation" to influence behavior? A closer look at the evidence suggests these claims are overhyped.

Criminals are usually lower than normal people in conscientiousness, yet a new study finds that prisoners are higher in this trait. What can explain this apparent paradox?

Research suggests a seemingly paradoxical link between antisocial behavior and heroism. Psychopathy has been suggested as a linking factor, but this seems unlikely.

A recent podcast on the "myth" of personality trots out long discredited arguments against the reality of personality. Why do these ideas keep returning like a restless ghost?

Life History Theory views long-term and short-term mating strategies as polar opposites. However, some people, particularly extraverts, may pursue both, others neither.

A recent study found increases in openness to experience following a dose of LSD. More detailed studies on psychedelics may lead to a deeper understanding of personality change.

Can Richard Lynn's use of dodgy data on race differences in penis size be defended with crude statistics? The answer is no. Plus, Neanderthal DNA and why it hardly matters either.

A study finds that presidential greatness is associated with a mix of bright and dark traits. Great presidents have been compassionate yet also knew how to manipulate people.

People who are open to experience are more prone to experiencing awe. Is it possible that profound experiences of awe could also induce greater open-mindedness? Mystical experiences under the influence of psychedelics can increase openness to experience. Perhaps such experiences are so awe-inspiring that create a deeper and lasting appreciation for the mystery of life.

A recent study found that LSD increases suggestibility. Research suggests that psychedelic drug use can increase openness to unusual ideas, such as spiritual and paranormal beliefs, in the long-term. Could this be be due to a long-lasting increase in suggestibility and related personality traits?

Individual personality traits and the geographic region where one lives are correlated with important social outcomes. Research has found that personality traits are also geographically clustered in ways correlated with these same outcomes. Some of the results are surprising as the individual level and societal level correlates of personality can differ strikingly.

Women readers of the Fifty Shades trilogy have higher rates of risky behavior So do women who get tattoos. Both of these may be outward signs of a predisposition to take risk rather than a cause of such behavior.

A recent study provides some new insights into the personality traits of dominant and submissive BDSM practitioners. Dominant practitioners seem to be more calm and have a greater desire for control, while submissive ones may be more emotional and introverted. Some questions remain about how these findings compare to previous studies into this fascinating world.

Personality psychologists are currently attempting to create more comprehensive theories that integrate many different components of personality. According to Life History Theory there is a general factor of personality that combines all personality traits in a specific way. However, attempting to integrate personal values with traits poses problems for this model.