# Are personality types genetic?



## bizarreusername (Apr 22, 2011)

Or are they molded by the person's environment? Or a combination of the two? I have always wondered why I am an INTP.

My family: ESFJ mom + ENTJ dad = INTP me & ISTJ brother. I'm not entirely sure about my brother, though; he has severe autism that limits his communication, which is a major piece of the personality type puzzle. I know he's introverted (I), more logical than emotional (T), and very organized and routined (J), and I _think_ that he's more practical than conceptual (S).


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## skycloud86 (Jul 15, 2009)

I would say that a person's personality type is more influenced by their environment, their upbringing and their culture than their genetics.


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## Siggy (May 25, 2009)

I started off as an INTP. Once I left home and went to college out of state , I developed into an ENTJ. The college environment was very loose and unstructured. No societal and cultural norms to play lip service to. I think that had a lot to do with it. Basically giving me the freedom to be me.


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## dagnytaggart (Jun 6, 2010)

I don't think it's genetic, nor is it upbringing. My whole family is full of feelers (feeling-dom at that), and I turned out ENTP. No amount of their mushiness, sentimentality or crying was able to make me a true F.

I'm still working on my Fe (that's why I typed myself ENFJ, to try to become one). People in general seem to get off on Fe for some reason, and people can be key resources/networks for career success.



Dear Sigmund said:


> I started off as an INTP. Once I left home and went to college out of state , I developed into an ENTJ. The college environment was very loose and unstructured. No societal and cultural norms to play lip service to. I think that had a lot to do with it. Basically giving me the freedom to be me.


That seems like an impossible change...because all the functions would be turned inside-out.

Do you think it's because you didn't need to use Fe any more?


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## Siggy (May 25, 2009)

Possibly, just shutting it off, and allowing the Te to step in. It could also be organic. The brain changes that naturally occur when transitioning from childhood to adulthood. None of my childhood friends would recognize me today, and that's no exaggeration.


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## Metis (Nov 26, 2009)

I personally think that environment, while having a small measure of influence, isn't the main cause. I have five siblings, and there's at least one representing each temperament. ISFJ and ENTJ (low N, though) parents. Children's types are INFP, ESFJ, INTJ (me), ESFJ, ESFP, and INFP. The INFPs only have F in common with the ESFJs, and obviously me and the ESFP are complete opposites. Oh, and I'm the only T. So I grew up surrounded by Fs and still managed to remain an INTJ.

As far as genetics, I have no idea. I suppose it's possible, but I have some doubt considering that, with two J parents, half my siblings are Ps. I do have at least one P grandparent, so if traits can skip generations that could be an explanation. However, all four of my grandparents are obvious sensors, which leads me to ask where the intuition came from.


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## nevermore (Oct 1, 2010)

My cousins on my Dad's side (including myself and my brothers). We did not grow up near each other or see each other often, but enough to know them well, especially as I saw most of them grow up:

INTJ
INTJ
INTJ
INTJ
INTP
INTP
INTP
ISTJ
ESTP
ESFP

*7 out of 10 are INTx!* Keep in mind those are pretty rare types. Of the last three, two are Thinkers. Type seems to have a pretty strong genetic component if you ask me.


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## Zdorobot (Dec 19, 2010)

Genetics seem to have the most influence, I'd say.
My mom is an ENTJ and my dad is an INTP, so my being an ENTP makes sense either way. 
My sister, though, is an ENFP and our home environment is definitely not very conducive to the development of feeling functions because everyone (except her) seems to be concerned mainly with logic and knowledge. Also, both of my parents tend to be very critical of most people, while my sister thinks everyone is a better person than they really are. There's no way environment influenced her as much as the random combination of my dad's Ne/Si and my mom's Fi/Te.


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## affezwilling (Feb 1, 2011)

I would suspect that genetics is a key factor, but in my case I'm not sure where it came from. I pretty sure that my dad is a fairly emotionally collected and adaptive ESFJ. My mom, I think, is a fairly imaginative and emotionally calm ESFP. I would guess my older brother to be an adaptable ESTJ, my younger brother seems like an ESTP who can never admit that he's wrong, and my younger sister is probably an ESFJ. If I were to guess I would say my dad's dad was an ESTP and my dad's mom is an ESFJ with major hoarding problems, my mom's dad I'm pretty sure was a very hot headed ESTJ and my mom's mom was most likely an INFP. If it is hereditary at all then it makes sense that I'm an extrovert as that's the trend in my family, I must have gotten my intuition from my maternal grandma since there seems to be few intuitives on my dad's side, I must have gotten my thinking side from my grandfathers since both my parents lean ever so slightly towards the feeling side of the scale and both my grandmothers are definitely feelers, it does make sense for me to be a perceiver though since the only really strict judger in my family was my maternal grandpa.

Thinking about it though it makes sense why I always felt like an outsider my entire childhood, except with a couple of my closest friends, since even in my extended family of 60+ relatives there are only a few NT's and I'm not even sure that I even have any ENTP relatives.


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## 18211 (Jan 30, 2011)

Well my family tree goes like this. 

Grandparents: ESTJ, ESFJ (I dont know my two other grandparents' types, but I know they're S)
Parents: ESTJ, ISTJ
Uncles: INTP, ESTP
Cousins: ESFJ, ISTP
Siblings: ISTJ, ESTJ
Me: INFJ

If it genetic I don't know where the N in me came from. I have no N grandparents or parents. But then again, feeling seems to be rare in my family tree so who knows?


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## Harley (Jul 5, 2009)

I think it's safe to say environment and genetics play a good mix, nearly evening out to half and half but I think these percentages fluctuate over a person's lifetime and vary from individual to individual. I also think some personality traits are more malleable to environmental influences while others are more hard-wired and less susceptible to change. For instance in one individual introversion may be more hard-wired so that regardless of social conditioning they may have a hard time being around people, and may feel like a black sheep in a family of extroverts. For another individual introversion may be less hard-wired so that they can be molded to act more extroverted than they really are, and may indeed come across as extroverted when first meeting people and only reveal their introverted selves afterwards.


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## affezwilling (Feb 1, 2011)

Harley said:


> I think it's safe to say environment and genetics play a good mix, nearly evening out to half and half but I think these percentages fluctuate over a person's lifetime and vary from individual to individual. I also think some personality traits are more malleable to environmental influences while others are more hard-wired and less susceptible to change. For instance in one individual introversion may be more hard-wired so that regardless of social conditioning they may have a hard time being around people, and may feel like a black sheep in a family of extroverts. For another individual introversion may be less hard-wired so that they can be molded to act more extroverted than they really are, and may indeed come across as extroverted when first meeting people and only reveal their introverted selves afterwards.


I pretty much agree with you. I would think that your type probably has to do with genetics and is hardwired in, but your development of that type would be environmental. For instance I have an uncle that I strongly suspect to be an NT, but my grandfather continuously told him how stupid his ideas were and if he didn't start acting, basically more like an SJ, that he'd never amount to anything. He's now in his 60's and still hasn't amounted to anything because he was never allowed to develop his intuitive side. Also along the lines of genetics vs environment I can easily come across as an ENFJ because of behaviors I've learned from my ESFJ father and reinforced when I went into the military, but ultimately I'm an ENTP. I think it's easy for me to act like an ESFJ though since I was encouraged to develop my natural cognitive functions even though more emphases was placed on my tertiary function, and less on my auxiliary, growing up.

Genetics is kind of a funny thing. Every once in a while you could have both parents with brown hair and blue eyes and have a child with blond hair and green eyes. Likewise I think you could have 2 SJ parents and end up with an NT child. Difference is a blond trying to act like a brunette isn't as psychologically scarring as someone with extroverted intuition being forced to act like someone with introverted sensing or an introvert being forced into being an extrovert.


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## Zic (Dec 30, 2009)

My psychology textbook says that personality is developed both by genetics and the environment. However, it also notes that "identical twins that grew up in different environments are closer in personality traits than fraternal twins that grew up in an identical environment." It also mentions a 60:40 genetics:environment ratio.


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## plausible (Jan 20, 2011)

ESTP mother + ISTJ father = ENFP younger brother and myself INTP

What everyone else has already said about how the environment you are brought up in shapes who you are more then your actual genetics. The environment you grow up in though will be different depending on your parents tendencies and how their functions carry over in how they raise children.


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## TickTalk (Apr 20, 2011)

I think it's all about your relationship with your parents vs their types. + How you develop.

My dad is an INTJ and I respect his thoughts a lot. However I've always wanted to get along with people so I only took the parts I liked of him into my personality as I grew up (NT)

My mom however is an ESFJ and I dislike her method of living a lot. She's too obsessed with perfection. With everything being in the right place. She's too emotional about things. She can't really deal with her life well etc. I despise those things about my mother. (Though I do love my mom ) So I avoided those aspects in myself (heavy P) As for extroversion. I just was taught from a young age to be social. Then in high school I found being social quite enjoyable.

That's my theory on why I'm an ENTP. Although it's a flimsy one at best. I think it's nurture not nature in this case.


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## Tootsie (Mar 15, 2011)

It's the nature vs. nurture arguement.

I personally think it is a combonation of the two. I think we a most likely born with specific traits but how those traits develop is mostly nurture.


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## Pillow (Apr 17, 2011)

Seeing as our personality types don't fully develop until adulthood, maybe our friends, schools etc. play a part too? Just a thought.


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## ContextSensitive (Apr 13, 2011)

I think our personality type is genetic. our temperament is the inherent factor of our personality. but our complete character is built of our temperament and the social experiences we made. If a person acts like an infp but is actually an infj, then maybe his intuitive function was underdevelopped, but it doesn't mean he was an infp and is an infj now. He's always been an INFJ but the social factors of his environment might got him to live a life without his full potential. I'm actually quite sure that our temperament can't be acquired. Our brain isn't without a shape. We need this shape to have some kind of personality. The social factors just form this personality in a good or a bad way. If it wasn't there, there would be nothing to form as well.


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## Monkey King (Nov 16, 2010)

Mom: ESTJ 
Dad: ISTP 
Sis: ENFJ

I had actually taken a test earlier for MBTI before the most recent one (Amazing what you find in old laptops.) Anyways, the print-screen of the results were taken during early college only months after moving out of the house. I scored ISTJ.

Fast forward 4 years.

I had retested (my boss had us take a test) again after I broke up with my unhealthy relationship of 7 years. My tests were coming out as ENTJ. I think breaking up with the 7 year relationship I had was a pivotal moment in my life of rediscovery. It was also around the same time that I had negotiated with my mom to finally let me make decisions for myself. Honestly, after the break up--- It was as though I could finally be me and not be bound to some expectations he had on what a good gf was. With the thought that I shouldn't live my life based on the expectations of others---- I decided to break free from my mother. 

The change was drastic and it was obvious. It took 1 week for others to see it--- 

I think the core personality might be masked by upbringing. But I think when a person is allowed to make decisions and finally take control of their lives--- the true self comes out.


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## Paragon (Mar 15, 2011)

I think that personality is more or less in-born. The environment you live in and the culture that surrounds you can bring out other cognitive functions that are normally alien to you, but I'm not sure if you can control what functions come naturally to you.

My family has a pretty diverse typing:

INFP (Me)
ESTP
INFJ
ISTP
ESTJ
ISTJ
ENTJ
ESFP
INTJ
INTJ
ENFJ
ISFP
ISTP
ESFP
ESTP
INTJ


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## Naama (Dec 5, 2010)

here is your answer about how much personality is about nature and nurture:
The Vega Science Trust - Predicting Personality


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## Innovatrix (Mar 16, 2011)

I can't say that genetics has a lot to do with personality type. I'd say we take after one parent until we realize that we are independent people. I really took after my mom (which helped me develop my Fe) until I realized that I really don't care about social graces or harmony. I'm all about the ideas. I've been a P since day one, and both my parents are Extroverted. However, my parents are both such Sensors that we can barely see eye to eye. 

I just don't think ESFJ + ESTP = ENTP.


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## Emerson (Mar 13, 2011)

Mothers parents- INTJ>>ENTP
Aunt- ENTP
Cousins- INTP
-ENFP
Mother- INTJ
Myself- INTJ
Sister- ENTP

Fathers parents- ISTJ>> ESFJ
Fathers siblings- ESTJ>> INFP
Father- ESTJ

Genetetically everyone on the mothers side is an NT. Odd.


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## dagnytaggart (Jun 6, 2010)

I'm thinking that *functions*...and not simple letters - are what's genetic.

Hence, an ESFJ definitely CAN push out an INTP.


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## Scarecrow793 (May 8, 2011)

I think it's like any nature vs. nurture debate; it's a little of both. My Father is a strong ENFJ (ex-military translator, salesman/ teacher), and my Mother probably an INTP (former graphic designer, craft store owner). Obviously I got "two letters" from each, but I think that's better summed up by saying that I inherited my Dad's brazen self-confidence and my Mom's knack for tinkering and observation. But my brother's an ISTP, and we both grew up playing in the woods, playing with legos, making weapons and musical instruments out of junk, etc. But I was always more literate, athletic, and fantasy-prone, where he was more interested in collecting strange things. Now that we're both on the verge of adulthood, this shows in our career goals; I'd like to study geology or ecology, and he wants to be a mechanical engineer. So while we were both influenced by our parent's creativity and love of intellectual inquiry (and interestingly, none of their religiosity), my temperament was always more confident and articulate than his, and his more detail-oriented and meticulous than mine.


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## Scarecrow793 (May 8, 2011)

Oh, and we have a sister who's an ESTJ, inheriting all of the religiosity, competence, and community-mindedness that my brother and I missed out on, haha.


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## Waveshine (Mar 18, 2011)

Hmmm...

Mom (ESFJ) + Dad (ESTP) = Sister (INxP), Brother (ISTP), and I (IxTP).

If it's really genetic, then I don't get how my siblings and I are all introverts and perceivers. Not only that but it doesn't really make sense on how my sister is an intuitive and how I'm not sure whether I prefer sensing or intuition. I think we're different from our parents because we don't really spend a lot of time with them anymore (which is an environmental factor).


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## LeafStew (Oct 17, 2009)

I'm quite similar with my parents but not literally.

I'll use the supposed function:

INFJ (me): *Ni - Fe - Ti - Se*
ISTP (dad): *Ti - Se - Ni - Fe*
ISFJ (mom): Si - *Fe - Ti *- Ne

brothers:
ENTJ: Te - *Ni - Se* - Fi
ISFP: Fi - *Se - Ni* - Te
ISTJ: Si - Te - Fi - Ne


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## nevermore (Oct 1, 2010)

Mojo Jojo said:


> I'm thinking that *functions*...and not simple letters - are what's genetic.
> 
> Hence, an ESFJ definitely CAN push out an INTP.


Maybe partly. All of my siblings and male cousins are TP's on my mothers side. But all four types of TP's, so there are some functions we don't share. Perhaps there was a tendency to be right brained and logical that we inherited, which pushed us in that direction.

Remember genetics isn't a simple "this gene does this" thing. So nothing is directly heritable, but I think both functions, brain hemispheres (J/P...I subscribe to Thomson theory), and even general letter preferences (systematizing vs. empathizing has been shown to be genetic, and that's T/F in general for instance) play a part. Again, most people in my immediate family are introverts, but our functions are very different.

It doesn't seem to make sense by the rules of the theory, but remember the theory is just the best language we have to describe a more complicated reality.


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## Naama (Dec 5, 2010)

maybe someone might find this interesting:



> Psychological Type: Nature or Nurture
> There is a question as to whether psychological type is genetic or environmental. Carl Jung believed, and based his personality theory on the premise that psychological type began so early in life that it was likely innate (Jung, 1990). One of the few available twin studies suggests a significant genetic link. In a study by Bouchard & Hur (1998), 61 monozygotic and 49 dizygotic twins reared apart and 92 individuals, primarily spouses of the twins, who have been part of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart (MISTRA) from 1979-1995, participated. The participants were all over the age of 17. The participants were given Form F (166 items) of the MBTI. The areas of extraversion/introversion and thinking/feeling for monozygotic twins were found to have heritiabilities of .60. Sensing/intuition and judging/perceiving showed heritabilities of .40. These results suggest a considerable amount of genetic influence. The correlations for the spouses and dyzygotic twins were close to zero on all scales except sensing/intuition where the correlations were .23 and .34 respectively. The sensing/intuition correlations of the dizygotic twins and the spouses are moderately positive and are statistically significant.


source:
http://minds.wisconsin.edu/bitstream/handle/1793/40261/2001woosleye.pdf

ps. for example heritiabilities of .60 on I/E = 60% of twins have the same type letter for I/E


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## LeafStew (Oct 17, 2009)

Mestarious said:


> I'm quite similar with my parents but not literally.
> 
> I'll use the supposed function:
> 
> ...


I don't know if it has anything to do with the fact that my father and I are in the same _cognitive function family_ (made that up) as INFJ/ISTP:









My two oldest brother are in the same "family" as well ENTJ/ISFP.


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## goodgracesbadinfluence (Feb 28, 2011)

My parents are both SJs. I'm an INTP. I really don't think genetics have anything to do with it. What I do think happened is that being around my grandpa a lot developed my N, being homeschooled made me an introvert, and the overwhelming desire to not be a stereotype and the lack of emotional support/guidance made me a T. And... no idea about why I'm a perceiver.


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## Pillow (Apr 17, 2011)

Mestarious said:


> I don't know if it has anything to do with the fact that my father and I are in the same _cognitive function family_ (made that up) as INFJ/ISTP:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That table is quite interesting - my sister and I have always seemed completely different but it turns out we have the same cognitive functions, though in a completely different order.


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