Personality reflection in the brain's intrinsic functional architecture remains elusive

PLoS One. 2020 Jun 2;15(6):e0232570. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232570. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

In the last years, there has been a considerable increase of research into the neuroimaging correlates of inter-individual temperament and character variability-an endeavour for which the term 'personality neuroscience' was coined. Among other neuroimaging modalities and approaches, substantial work focuses on functional connectivity in resting state (rs-FC) functional magnetic resonance imaging data. In the current paper, we set out to independently query the questions asked in a highly cited study that reported a range of functional connectivity correlates of personality dimensions assessed by the widely used 'Big Five' Personality Inventory. Using a larger sample (84 subjects) and an equivalent data analysis pipeline, we obtained widely disagreeing results compared to the original study. Overall, the results were in line with the hypotheses of no relation between functional connectivity and personality, when more precise permutation-based multiple testing procedures were applied. The results demonstrate that as with other neuroimaging studies, great caution should be applied when interpreting the findings, among other reasons due to multiple testing problem involved at several levels in many neuroimaging studies. Of course, the current study results can not ultimately disprove the existence of some link between personality and brain's intrinsic functional architecture, but clearly shows that its form is very likely different and much more subtle and elusive than was previously reported.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Brain Mapping
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Neural Pathways / diagnostic imaging
  • Neural Pathways / physiology
  • Personality / physiology*
  • Personality Tests
  • Rest

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (https://gacr.cz/en/) project No. 13-23940S (JHo, JL, JT, JHl) and project Nr. LO1611 with a financial support from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (http://www.msmt.cz/?lang=2) under the NPU I program, and by the long-term strategic development financing of the Institute of Psychology (RVO: 68081740) and Institute of Computer Science (RVO:67985807) of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.