Tag Archives: personality

Gentrification Changes the Personality Makeup of Cities in a Short Time

By Environment, , , , , , , ,

AUSTIN, Texas —A study of almost 2 million U.S. residents across 199 cities shows that rising housing costs may drive increases in “openness” of character among residents of a city — all in well under a decade. The findings, published in the journal American Psychologist, indicate that increasing affluence can rapidly change a city’s personality by attracting certain types of newcomers and by changing the environment around established residents. (more…)

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MU Study Finds Quitting Smoking Enhances Personality Change

By Health, , , , , , , , , ,

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri researchers have found evidence that shows those who quit smoking show improvements in their overall personality.

“The data indicate that for some young adults smoking is impulsive,” said Andrew Littlefield, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Science. “That means that 18-year-olds are acting without a lot of forethought and favor immediate rewards over long term negative consequences. They might say, ‘I know smoking is bad for me, but I’m going to do it anyway.’ However, we find individuals who show the most decreases in impulsivity also are more likely quit smoking. If we can target anti-smoking efforts at that impulsivity, it may help the young people stop smoking.” (more…)

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