Study shows: personality traits influence social commitment
A study by the University of Zurich sheds light on how personality traits such as extraversion and agreeableness are linked to volunteering and willingness to donate. The results offer new perspectives for the promotion of volunteering and donation culture.
In a comprehensive analysis of 29 international studies with over 90,000 participants, researchers from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Zurich investigated how the five basic personality traits - openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and emotion control - correlate with social engagement.
The results show that extraversion and agreeableness in particular are associated with a higher level of commitment to volunteering and a greater willingness to donate money to charity. People who are extraverted are more likely to volunteer, while helpful and empathetic people are more likely to donate.
In contrast, other personality traits such as conscientiousness or openness had less influence on social engagement. The study therefore offers valuable insights for organizations and decision-makers who want to develop targeted strategies to promote volunteering. "Our results confirm that individual differences in personality play a role in whether and to what extent people are socially engaged," explains Wiebke Bleidorn, Professor of Psychology at the University of Zurich. According to the lead author, a better understanding of these relationships could help to encourage people to work for the common good based on their individual strengths and motivations.
The study by Bleidorn et al. was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
