Edinburgh is home to the world's largest group dedicated to studying individual differences, from ageing to personality research Edinburgh is home to a leading research group dedicated to studying individual differences in personality, wellbeing, development, and ageing and health. We use behavioural variation as a window onto psychological mechanisms, investigating the genetic and environmental origins of the traits in which people differ. Drawing on diverse resources—from large-scale surveys and massive twin registries to epidemiological, genomic, and biological datasets—we deliver world-leading research on development, longevity, health outcomes, and psychometrics. Our work also explores how individuals change over time and across situations, and how personality assessments can foster self-understanding and inform effective interventionsPeopleStaff working in this area include: Research interestsProfessor Rene MottusProgramme DirectorPersonality development in childhood and later life, computational modelling of person-environment transactions, within-individual variability of personality and its associations with situational circumstances and specific behaviours, and psychometrics.Dr Chloe Fawns-RitchieCognitive decline; bidirectional relationship between cognitive function and health across the lifespan; functional consequences of cognitive decline.Professor Michelle LucianoEnvironmental and genetic factors contributing to cognition, personality and mood.Professor Aja MurrayDevelopmental aspects of mental health phenotypes and their comorbidity: in particular, ADHD, autism, and conduct problems; quantitative methodology. Postgraduate studyMSc Psychology of Individual DifferencesPhD and MSc by Research programmes This article was published on Monday 14 October 2024
