Genetics and Personality Temperament: or Complexity?

The role of simplifying assumptions for genetic models of personality was examined for three traits measured by the Differential Personality Questionnaire-Social Potency (dominance), Social Closeness, and Impulsivity. A new path model, the THETA model, is introduced and applied to summary correlations. Results suggest that assumptions about assortative mating, genetic dominance variance, equal environmental variance for identical twins, and sex differences were crucial for achieving sarisfactory fits. Moreover, the assumptions important for one trait were not always important for another trait. I f sampling bias in the correlations is minimal, then the genetic and environmental architecture of personality traits may be complex and trait specific.