Regional differences in personality types not only exist but are becoming amplified, as people move to areas of the United Kingdom where they feel most comfortable, according to new findings of researchers at Cambridge University. London emerges with markedly higher levels of creativity, intellect, open-mindedness and extroversion in comparison with the rest of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the research suggests.
Those in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the East Midlands were, however, far more agreeable than Londoners. According to the research, people in Wales are less extrovert, less conscientious and more anxious. People in Devon, Cornwall, Northumberland and Tyneside are the least outgoing and the most neurotic. Researcher Jason Rentfrow, who led the project, said the findings indicated people's choice of place to live was now as important as choosing a career or spouse, and that where personality types would once have been distributed randomly across the United Kingdom, increased mobility had led to clusters.
London more efficient He found that more intelligent people with extrovert, open personalities would gravitate to cities while the more introverted and relaxed would head for rural areas or small towns. "Our findings suggest they are happiest where their personalities most closely resemble that of the other people in that area," Mr Rentfrow told The Sunday Times.
"London is becoming psychologically separate from the rest of the nation. People there tend to be, on average, more analytical, assertive, dominant, efficient and creative. People in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are less openminded and less tolerant of differences." The data behind the study was taken from profiles of 11,088 people collected between 2002 and 2006.
