Abstract
The influence of genetic factors for two personality dimensions was analyzed using data from 12,898 unselected twin pairs of the Swedish Twin Registry. The heritability index was 0.50 (men) and 0.58 (women) for psychosocial instability. Corresponding figures for psychosocial extraversion were 0.54 and 0.66. Thus, about half the phenotypic variation may be attributed to genetic factors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cederlöf, R., and Lorich, U. (1978). The Swedish Twin Registry. InTwin Research: Biology and Epidemiology, Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York, pp. 189–195.
Cederlöf, R., Friberg, L., Jonsson, E., and Kaij, L. (1961). Studies on similarity diagnosis in twins with the aid of mailed questionnaires.Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. 11:338–362.
Cederlöf, R., Friberg, L., and Lundman, T. (1977). The interactions of smoking, environment and heredity, and their implications for disease etiology: A report of epidemiological studies on the Swedish Twin Registries.Acta Med. Scand., Suppl. No. 612.
Eaves, L. J. (1973). The structure of genotypic and environmental covariation for personality measurements: An analysis of the PEN.Br. J. Soc. Clin. Psychol. 12:275–282.
Eaves, L. J., and Eysenck, H. J. (1974). Genetics and the development of social attitudes.Nature 249:288–289.
Eaves, L. J., and Eysenck, H. J. (1975). The nature of extraversion: A genetical analysis.J. Personal. Soc. Psychol. 32:102–112.
Eaves, L., and Eysenck, H. (1976). Genetic and environmental components of inconsistency and unrepeatability in twins' responses to a neuroticism questionnaire.Behav. Genet. 6:145–160.
Eysenck, H. J. (1956). The inheritance of extraversion-introversion.Acta Psychol. 12:95–110.
Eysenck, H. J., and Prell, D. (1951). The inheritance of neuroticism: An experimental study.J. Ment. Sci. 97:441–465.
Falconer, D. S. (1960).Introduction to Quantitative Genetics, Ronald Press, New York.
Floderus, B. (1974). Psycho-social factors in relation to coronary heart disease and associated risk factors.Nord. Hyg. Tidskr., Suppl. No. 6.
Gottesman, I. I. (1966). Genetic variance in adaptive personality traits.J. Child Psychol. Psychiat. 7:199–208.
Loehlin, J. C. (1976). Psychological genetics, from the study of human behavior. In Cattell, R. B., and Dreger, R. M. (eds.),Handbook of Modern Personality Theory, Aldine, New York, pp. 329–347.
Loehlin, J. C., and Nichols, R. C. (1976).Heredity, Environment, and Personality, University of Texas Press, Austin, Tex.
Lundman, T. (1966). Smoking in relation to coronary heart disease and lung function in twins: A co-twin control study.Acta Med. Scand., Suppl. No. 455.
McClearn, G. E., and De Fries, J. C. (1973).Introduction to Behavioral Genetics, Freeman, San Francisco.
Medlund, P., Cederlöf, R., Floderus-Myrhed, B., Friberg, L., and Sörensen, S. (1976). A new Swedish twin registry.Acta Med. Scand., Suppl. No. 600.
Myrhed, M. (1974). Alcohol consumption in relation to factors associated with ischemic heart disease: A co-twin control study.Acta Med. Scand., Suppl. No. 567.
Plomin, R., Willerman, L., and Loehlin, J. C. (1976). Resemblance in appearance and the equal environments assumption in twin studies of personality traits.Behav. Genet. 6:43–52.
Sarna, S. (1977).Zygosity Diagnosis in Epidemiological Twin Studies: By Blood Markers and by Questionnaire, University of Helsinki Press, 23, Helsinki.
Shields, J. (1962).Monozygotic Twins Brought up Apart and Brought up Together, Oxford University Press, London.
Vandenberg, S. G. (1976). Twin studies In Kaplan, A. R. (ed.),Human Behavior Genetics, Thomas, Springfield, Ill., pp. 90–146.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Floderus-Myrhed, B., Pedersen, N. & Rasmuson, I. Assessment of heritability for personality, based on a short-form of the Eysenck personality inventory: A study of 12,898 twin pairs. Behav Genet 10, 153–162 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01066265
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01066265