The conclusions of a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology have been making their way around the World Wide Echo Chamber the last couple days. Researchers surveyed thousands of Americans in each state about their levels of openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, neuroticism, and agreeableness, and lumped regions of the country together into one of three personality types: friendly & conventional, relaxed & creative, or temperamental & uninhibited.
Look at Time Magazine‘s version of the map (above). Notice that Texas looks like a bit of an outlier. We’re temperamental & uninhibited, and we don’t match up with our neighbors. Only Virginia and North Carolina can say the same, but at least they have one another to cling to. So how’d we get to be so much like the Northeast? All those Yankees invading our turf the last few decades?
We’re only a light shade of blue on that map though, which suggests we might easily tip into one of the other directions, what with all the newcomers who keep traveling our way.
Also, be sure to take Time’s test to determine which state best suits your personality.
