Brain Scans & Personality

Physical differences in our brains indicate our personality type. That’s the finding of a study of brain scans by scientists at England’s University of Hull, Italy’s University of Parma and Washington University in St Louis. They say variations in the size of specific regions of the brain that appear to be linked with certain tendencies that have been a part of us since birth. The differences could explain why person grows up diligent and introspective while another is outgoing and impulsive.

The researches say the study suggests four personality types.

People with smaller amounts of tissue in the brain above the eye sockets (known as the orbito-frontal) had harm-avoidance personalities. They were more pessimist, shy and tended to find comfort in outside sources such as food or drugs.

Novelty seekers were more impulsive and were structurally bigger in the same area.

Reward-dependence personalities had smaller amounts of tissue in the fronto-striatal and limbic areas of the brain. These are more an addictive personalities.

And those labeled Persistence tended to be industrious, hard-working and perfectionist.

The scientists say the differences support the concept that different children will learn in different ways. An approach tailored to the personality of the individual could make all the difference as to whether they are able to grasp the lesson.

Details of the study will be published in the Brain Research Bulletin.