New trends in research on personality traits: Contributions to economics and epidemiology

Abstract

Research has shown that personality traits have strong predictive validity for economic variables (e.g., income, work attainment) and epidemiological variables (e.g., longevity, physical health), as well as for psychological variables such as problem behaviors, and mental disorders. Importantly, personality traits are predictive even after controlling for socioeconomic status and cognitive abilities. The authors believe that current personality research in Japan almost completely overlooks this perspective. In this article, the authors review these new trends in personality psychological research. They propose a model for research involving A (accurate assessments), B (big samples), C (controlling for covariates and confounders), D (developmental trajectories), and E (economic and epidemiological variables). They outline three future directions to embody personality psychology for prediction, prevention, public wealth, and population health.