How DNA shapes who we are: More than 1,200 genetic variants help determine personality

Is a person’s character innate or acquired? Is biology or upbringing more important in shaping personality? For centuries, this debate has divided both the scientific community and society at large. Curiosity, ambition, conscientiousness and agreeableness all seem like traits that are shaped over the course of a lifetime. Yet science has long known that personality has a genetic component, thanks to a simple trick: comparing identical twins with fraternal twins. If identical twins resemble each other more closely in their personalities than fraternal twins do, then part of the explanation must lie in their DNA.

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