Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41204763›Full record

ArticleScandinavian journal of psychology2026

Regional Personality Variation in Sweden: Trait Clusters, Links to Health and Well-Being, and Historical Context.

Martin Obschonka, Markus Grillitsch, Nicklas Guldåker, Daniel Rauhut, Peter Jason Rentfrow, Jeff Potter, Samuel D Gosling

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scandinavian journal of psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Martin ObschonkaAmsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0853-7166
Markus GrillitschDepartment of Human Geography, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Nicklas GuldåkerDepartment of Human Geography, CIRCLE - Centre for Innovation Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Daniel RauhutDepartment of Economic History, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9146-9984
Peter Jason RentfrowDepartment of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Jeff PotterAtof Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Samuel D GoslingDepartment of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8970-591X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Personality traits (e.g., the Big Five) shape human behavior, decision-making, and life outcomes. Evidence from various countries suggests that these traits are not randomly distributed but follow systematic regional patterns, fueling interest in their geographical variation. We analyze N = 22,225 geo-coded personality assessments, aggregated at regional levels. Using Hot Spot analysis (Getis-Ord Gi), we identify spatial clusters of personality traits and test their associations with health and well-being indicators at the regional level. Even though Sweden has a reputation for equality, our analysis reveals notable spatial differences in personality composition. The data reveal overlapping geographical clustering in Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Stability (i.e., low Neuroticism), traits that are established predictors of better psychological functioning. These traits co-occur at relatively higher levels in southern Sweden, particularly in the Scania region, whereas they co-occur at relatively lower levels in parts of central Sweden. These patterns are descriptively supported by municipal-level correlations with health and well-being variables, although the associations are not uniform across all measures. In view of these results, we reflect on how these clusters may connect to long-standing regional histories, including industrial legacies. Such interpretations remain speculative, and we outline a future research agenda to further investigate the causes and consequences of regional personality variation, as well as its possible societal implications.

Indexed as

Health StatusPersonalityPersonal SatisfactionAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSwedencultureeconomic historygeographypersonalityregionsSweden

Identifiers

PMID41204763
PMCPMC12984010

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.