René Mõttus Ph.D.

About

René Mõttus, Ph.D., is a Reader at the University of Edinburgh and the Editor of the European Journal of Personality. He studies, writes, and teaches about differences between people: where these come from, why they matter and how to best describe them.

Recent Posts

Why Other People Don't See Us the Same Way We Do

It's common that our reputation is often quite different from what we think of ourselves. Here's why, and what this means.

Why Personality Is Not Genetically Hardwired

Genes matter for our traits, but not in the way many people think. We develop by fitting our genes to our environments, but are not determined by either.

No, You're Probably Not Turning Into Your Mother

Parents give us genes but keep their personality traits—so don't expect to know someone just because you know their parents.

How Age Changes Your Personality

Some personality trait changes are more common than others, but not as much as you might think.

Is Education Written in Genes?

Does DNA say how much education someone is likely to get and why? A new study with 3 million people confirms what many already suspected.

How Alike Do You and Your Partner Need to Be?

Here’s what research says about partners’ similarity and whether it matters for relationship satisfaction.

How Do Major Life Events Change Your Personality?

Personality trait change is common. Can it be predicted from life events?

Why Almost No One Is 100 Percent Extraverted or Introverted

Most people are somewhere around the average in almost any trait. Here's why.

How Do Modern Personality Tests Work?

Personality tests work because test creators and takers trust each other. Here’s how they accomplish this.

Will Your Personality Change in the Next 6 Years?

Most people experience some personality trait change, regardless of their age.