Many personality traits are thought to have a genetic component. If you're prone to worrying, you might have been told that your grandma or a great uncle had the same problem. If you're feisty, you may have heard that it's a common trait on your mom’s side of the family. At Dynamic DNA Labs, we offer genetic personality testing that can help you find out more about how your DNA affects your personality.
What Is a Personality DNA Test?
Personality is part nature, or DNA, and part nurture, or how your family life and experiences have molded you. The DNA component can tell you a lot about the parts of your personality that don't seem to make sense. Advanced genetic technology allows us to hone in on different genes that play a strong role in different parts of your personality, such as your desire to be the center of attention or your shyness.
How Personality DNA Tests Work
Personality DNA tests—just like our other tests—require only a simple cheek swab. We use the DNA from the cells in your saliva to score for Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (or SNPs, pronounced as “snips”).
According to a 2018 study, there is data to support that analysis of SNPs reveals the influence of DNA on intelligence, personality, and neuroticism, among other mental and behavioral traits.
Our testing kit looks for 30 of those genetic traits that help you gather insight into your unique personality, mood, information processing ability, behavior, propensity for addiction, and motivation levels.
The Behavioral Genetics Factor
Behavioral genetics is the study of environmental and genetic influences on a person's behavior. When we take a look at the genetics, we can often find some interesting information. Most behaviors and neurodivergencies that psychologists analyze have a foundation in your genes.
When you know more about your genes, you can figure out if certain negative aspects of your personality were inherited or if they resulted from your environment. You'll also learn if any children you have are likely to inherit the same personality traits.
Aspects of Behavior and Personality We Analyze
We use a five-factor model for analyzing the genetic components of your personality. These five factors are openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. This "Big Five" model is widely used and accepted for analyzing how personalities change over time and are affected by different variables.
