Helen Fisher, PhD, has spent the last several years trying to uncover how the human personality works on a neurological basis. She’s a researcher at Rutgers University, a senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, and chief science adviser for Match.com.
Dr. Fisher spent years combing through all the medical literature, noting any correlations between biology and personality.She recently verified her findings by giving 28,000 people her questionnaire and then sticking them into an FMRI. The results were, everyone expresses at least one of four personality constellations, which are activated by one of four brain circuits, either the dopamine, serotonin, testosterone, or estrogen system.
Each particular brain circuit corresponds with what she calls a trait of temperament. Keep in mind that any of these can be for a man or a woman. Those who express the dopamine system are known as explorers. They’re driven by the happiness neurotransmitter. Dopamine gives us the feeling of exhilaration, reward, or accomplishment.
Explorers tend to be intellectual, creative, and open-minded. They are easily bored and are forever seeking something that holds their interest or makes their pulse race. Explorers may not be so in touch with their feelings. These are outward-looking people. They’re spontaneous and less likely to plan.
Those who express the serotonin system are called builders. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that gives us a sense of wellbeing.
These people are prudent, conventional, detail-oriented, socialable, and law-abiding. They’re conscientious and often good with numbers. These are creatures of habit. These are planners, but not risk takers. They’re cautious. Though not very creative, innovative, or spontaneous, they are dependable.
Directors express the testosterone system. They received testosterone in the womb during an important stage of development. As a result, they’re competitive, confident, analytical, and assertive. They tend to be good at systems-based enterprises such as chess, music, or math. They’re goal driven and detail-oriented. Directors may not be so introspective or too cognizant of others feelings. And they may have trouble interpreting their own.
Lastly, there are negotiators. This group received estrogen in the womb rather than testosterone. They are social, nurturing, trusting, and empathetic. Negotiators also tend to be social. They’re great at bringing up the ideas of others or supporting them. But they may not speak up for their own ideas.
“We’re all a combination of these four systems,” Dr. Fisher told me, in a recent phone interview. But some we tend to express some far more than others. Besides validating her research, she found that many of us display two of these systems prominently and even, certain subsets of traits within each. You can have any combination of traits from the systems…
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