Agreeable Smellers and Sensitive Neurotics – Correlations among Personality Traits and Sensory Thresholds

Abstract

Correlations between personality traits and a wide range of sensory thresholds were examined. Participants (N = 124) completed a personality inventory (NEO-FFI) and underwent assessment of olfactory, trigeminal, tactile and gustatory detection thresholds, as well as examination of trigeminal and tactile pain thresholds. Significantly enhanced odor sensitivity in socially agreeable people, significantly enhanced trigeminal sensitivity in neurotic subjects, and a tendency for enhanced pain tolerance in highly conscientious participants was revealed. It is postulated that varied sensory processing may influence an individual's perception of the environment; particularly their perception of socially relevant or potentially dangerous stimuli and thus, varied with personality.

Genome-wide association study of the five-factor model of personality in young Korean women

“…These data are consistent with reports that relate enhanced sensitivity in sensory systems that detect danger to increased neuroticism. 33 Our replication study confirmed this result, providing further evidence for an association between OR1A2 and Neuroticism (P ¼ 0.05). We also uncovered an association with glypican 6 (GPC6) (Supplementary Tables S1 and S2), which has also been linked with Eysenk Personality QuestionnaireNeuroticism.…”

“…Little research has explored the influence of genetic variation in sensory sensitivity on personality traits, although studies have reported personality differences in visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile and gustatory capacities. 33,[46][47][48] Mettina et al 49 reported a significant positive relationship between olfactory sensitivity and neuroticism. Another study proposed that people scoring high in emotionality display had higher activation of the limbic system.…”

On the relationship between olfactory sensitivity and personality in HIV-seropositive and healthy men

“…Individuals with more sensitive olfactory systems were found to be, on one hand, more sociable, empathic, out-going, agreeable and, on the other hand, more emotional, self-conscious, and anxious. Such a personality pattern might develop, in line with the model of Croy et al (2011), as an effect of the reception of rich olfactory input, possibly containing information relevant to social cognition. As such, individuals with sensitive olfaction receive more sociochemosensory stimuli, which allows them to unconsciously infer accurate information about people they interact with.…”

“…While no relationship was observed between olfactory sensitivity and agency, those with higher scores on communion had significantly better score in olfactory sensitivity task. This effect can be explained with sensory filter theory (Croy et al 2011), according to which the number of social odors processed by an individual is determined by the capacity of the olfactory system. A large amount of socially relevant information contained in the received odors makes an individual more aware of their social environment, in turn, enhancing the development of communal personality traits.…”

“…Recently, Croy et al (2011) proposed an interesting model to explain how environmental stimuli, including odors, stimulate the development of personality characteristics depending on the capacity of the sensory system. According to their hypothesis, sensory thresholds work as filters modulating the amount of received stimuli and the influence they have on personality development.…”