Innate personality traits exist and are measurable by psychological tests
Extensive behavioral genetic and psychological research demonstrates that innate personality traits exist and are consistently measurable, with twin and molecular studies revealing substantial heritability across the lifespan.
The retrieved literature robustly supports the claim that personality traits are innate (heritable) and measurable by psychological tests (such as the Big Five and various psychometric scales). Multiple twin and genomic studies (e.g., [0], [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [7], [8]) consistently show significant genetic contributions to personality traits and their stability or development. No papers refute the core claim.
Marina A. Bornovalova, Brian M. Hicks, William G. Iacono, Matt McGue. Stability, change, and heritability of borderline personality disorder traits from adolescence to adulthood: A longitudinal twin study. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579409990186
This longitudinal twin study demonstrates that borderline personality disorder traits are moderately heritable and stable from adolescence to adulthood.
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R A Power, M Pluess. Heritability estimates of the Big Five personality traits based on common genetic variants. 2015. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2015.96
This study estimates significant heritability estimates for the Big Five personality traits using genomic data.
Jing Luo, J. Derringer, D. Briley, B. Roberts. Genetic and Environmental Pathways Underlying Personality Traits and Perceived Stress: Concurrent and Longitudinal Twin Studies. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2127
This twin study shows that the associations between the Big Five personality traits and perceived stress are largely driven by genetic factors.
C. Kandler, D. Bratko, A. Butković, T. V. Hlupić, J. Tybur, L. Wesseldijk, Reinout E. de Vries, P. Jern, G. J. Lewis. How genetic and environmental variance in personality traits shift across the life span: Evidence from a cross-national twin study.. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000366
This cross-national twin study confirms that about half of individual differences in personality traits are heritable across the life span.
Maciej Stolarski, B. Zawadzki, G. Matthews, Dominika Pruszczak, Jerzy Wojciechowski. Behavioral genetics of temporal framing: Heritability of time perspective and its common genetic bases with major personality traits.. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12870
This behavioral genetic analysis establishes that time perspectives have a substantial genetic basis and correlate strongly with major heritable personality traits.
René Mõttus, C. Kandler, Michelle Luciano, T. Esko, U. Vainik. Familial similarity and heritability of personality traits and life satisfaction are higher than shown in typical single-method studies.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000550
This multimethod study finds that ordinary relative comparisons indicate substantial heritability of personality traits.
T. Kawamoto, T. Endo. Sources of variances in personality change during adolescence. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PAID.2019.01.018
This twin study reveals that genetic and environmental effects contribute significantly to intra-individual personality changes during adolescence.
Marco Deppe, Charlotte K. L. Dißelkamp, C. Maj, R. Aldisi, M. Nöthen, Martin Diewald, F. Spinath, A. Forstner, C. Kandler. Personality and well-being are genetically associated: Extending previous twin and molecular genetic studies. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1177/08902070251412958
This twin and molecular genetic study demonstrates that genetic factors underlying personality traits significantly explain subjective well-being.
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