Four new personality types

Scientists have identified at least four new distinct personality types — average, reserved, self-centred and role model — after sifting through data from over 1.5 million people across the globe. The findings, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, could be of interest to hiring managers and mental health care providers.

 Average people are high in neuroticism and extraversion, while low in openness. “I would expect that the typical person would be in this cluster,” said Martin Gerlach, a postdoctoral fellow in Amaral’s lab.

 Females are more likely than males to fall into the average type. The reserved type is emotionally stable, but not open or neurotic. Role models score low in neuroticism and high in all the other traits. More women than men are likely to be role models,” said Amaral.

Self-centred people score very high in extraversion and below average in openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. There is a very dramatic decrease in the number of self-centred types as people age, both with women and men. — PTI