Sources of openness/intellect: Cognitive and neuropsychological correlates of the fifth factor of personality
Abstract
We characterize Openness/Intellect as motivated cognitive flexibility, or cognitive exploration, and develop a neuropsychological model relating it to dopaminergic function and to the functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Evidence is reviewed for sources of Openness/Intellect shared with Extraversion and sources unique to Openness/Intellect. The hypothesis that the cognitive functions of the dorsolateral PFC are among the latter was tested using standard measures of cognitive ability and a battery of tasks associated with dorsolateral PFC function (N=175). Dorsolateral PFC function, as well as both fluid and crystallized cognitive ability, was positively related to Openness/Intellect but no other personality trait. Additionally, facet level analysis supported the characterization of Openness/Intellect as a primarily cognitive trait.
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Social neuroscience studies support that acceptance and openness to experience and related emotion regulation processes are bound to executive functioning.
“Other social neuroscience studies provide additional support for the notion that acceptance of and openness to experience, and related emotion regulation processes are bound to executive functioning (DeYoung, Peterson, & Higgins, 2005; Kalisch et al., 2005; Ochsner & Gross, 2008).”
From Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect of health (2010) · cites this paper as DeYoung, Peterson, & Higgins, 2005
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“Openness/Intellect has been shown to be more strongly associated with gC than gF (Ackerman & Heggestad, 1997; Ashton et al., 2000), but whether gF and gC contribute independently to Openness/Intellect has not previously been tested.”
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- Authors
- DeYoung, C. G., Peterson, J. B., & Higgins, D. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- DeYoung, Colin G.
- Peterson, Jordan B.
- Venue
- Journal of Personality
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2005-05-04
- Volume
- 73
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 825-858
- ISSN
- 0022-3506 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-6494
- OpenAlex
- W2100773499
- Cited by
- 557
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 79 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 21
- FWCI
- 10.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- openness to experience, Big Five personality traits, cognitive flexibility, dopaminergic activity, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, fluid intelligence, crystallized intelligence, extraversion
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Association Learning, Cognition, Dopamine, Extraversion, Psychological, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Humans, Intelligence, Intelligence Tests, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Personality, Personality Assessment, Psychological Tests, Self Disclosure, Prefrontal Cortex
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