1,260 DNA Variants Linked to Personality—But No ‘Personality Gene’

The largest genetic study of personality to date found a genuine DNA signal across the Big Five traits—extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience. Its central conclusion is also its most important limitation: personality is influenced by many genetic differences with individually minuscule effects, not by a single gene or a usable DNA-based personality test. 212

What the study found

Researchers combined questionnaire and genetic data from 46 cohorts, with sample sizes reaching 1.14 million participants depending on the trait. They identified 1,260 genetic variants associated with the Big Five, including 824 associations not previously reported. 612

That large count should not be mistaken for a discovery of genes that determine character. The variants are distributed across the genome, and the evidence points to a highly polygenic architecture: very many common genetic differences contribute small statistical associations rather than any one variant deciding whether someone is outgoing, anxious, conscientious or curious. 712

How much of personality do these variants explain?

The answer is: a modest share of variation across people, not a personal genetic blueprint. An earlier version of the research estimated that common variants explained 4.8% to 9.3% of measured variation in each Big Five trait; after accounting for unreliability in questionnaire measures, the estimates were 10.5% to 16.2%. 1

The published reporting uses slightly updated discovery totals—1,260 variants and 824 newly identified ones—rather than the earlier preprint’s 1,257 and 823. The difference is small, but it is a useful reminder that estimates can change as analyses are finalized. 112

Either way, the practical takeaway is unchanged: DNA contributes to population-level differences in personality, but the effects are far too diffuse and limited to provide a reliable assessment of a particular person. A polygenic score summarizes many small associations; it is not a diagnosis, a ranking of someone’s character or a forecast of their future.

Environment is not a footnote

Genetic influence is not genetic destiny. The study’s findings leave substantial variation unexplained by the measured common variants, and personality develops in interaction with experiences, relationships, culture, social conditions and other environmental factors. Nature’s summary of the work likewise emphasizes that the identified variants account for only a small portion of variation in Big Five traits. 212

This distinction matters because a genetic association answers a narrow question: whether a DNA difference is statistically related to a trait in the studied populations. It does not establish that the variant fixes a person’s behavior or that a trait cannot change over time.

Why the sibling analysis matters

A common concern in genetic studies is that apparent DNA effects may partly reflect family circumstances or population patterns—for example, parents’ education, neighborhood, ancestry or other environments shared within families.

To address this, the researchers also used within-sibship analyses involving about 51,000 participants. Comparing siblings helps reduce confounding from family-level background because siblings share much of their upbringing while inheriting different combinations of parental DNA. 1

The sibling-based evidence supports the interpretation that the findings are not explained only by shared upbringing. But it does not eliminate environmental influence or show that genes act independently of environments. It is a stronger method for isolating direct genetic contributions, not a claim that home, culture and life events no longer matter. 15

Links to health, education and where people live

The study also reported broad genetic correlations between personality-related genetic patterns and a range of later-life outcomes, including physical and mental health, longevity-related outcomes, education, employment and career measures, and residential choices. 115

Some reported examples received particular attention: genetic liability related to extraversion was associated with early-pandemic COVID-19 infection risk, and genetic liability related to openness was associated with moving to more cosmopolitan neighborhoods. 715

These results should be read carefully. A genetic correlation means that genetic influences connected with one trait overlap statistically with genetic influences connected with another outcome. It does not show a simple chain in which “personality genes” directly cause illness, educational attainment, a job outcome or a move to a particular kind of neighborhood. The pathways can include behavior, opportunity, health, social environment and many other linked factors. 12

The bottom line

This study greatly expands the map of genetic associations with personality. It provides evidence that the Big Five have broad, replicable and highly polygenic genetic components—and that those components overlap with many aspects of life. 212

It does not identify a personality gene, justify judging individuals by their DNA or replace psychological and social explanations of human behavior. Its value is in explaining population-level patterns and guiding further research, not in assigning anyone a genetically predetermined identity.