Does where we live determine our temperament…or does our temperament determine where we live? There is some fascinating new research that may show us a thing or two about what makes up our national personality.
We all get caught making broad generalities about people from certain parts of the country, but where do these stereotypes come from? It turns out, there is truth to “personality clustering” by state. There is in fact, a pattern to our personality that can be seen in the places we choose to live.
A new study published in the “Journal of Personality and Social Psychology” found that people with similar personalities tend to cluster and live in the same areas of the country, reinforcing the beliefs that some parts of the country are friendlier or more creative than others.In analyzing the personality traits of more than 1.5 million Americans over 12 years, researchers showed you can neatly slice up the nation into three distinct regions based on personality and temperament.
Can you identify with any of these?
In the North Central Great Plains and the South, residents are more likely to be friendly and conventional. Those living along the East and West coasts are more likely to be relaxed and creative.And those in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions are more temperamental and uninhibited than those in the rest of the country.The researchers say these clusters of personality also define much more in a person’s life than just their temperament, and found the results also translated into real cultural differences between the regions in areas like politics, health, educational achievement, economics, and religion.