Shifting Social Dispositions, Stable Prosocial Traits: A Global Age-Period-Cohort Analysis of Human Personality

Paul X. McCarthy, Xian Gong, John A. Johnson, Marian-Andrei Rizoiu, Margaret L. Kern and Jean M. Twenge

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Abstract: Generational stereotypes are widespread, but they often rely on anecdotes, and it remains challenging to disentangle true birth-cohort differences from the universal effects of ageing and historical periods. Using a statistical approach that separates effects of age, calendar time, and cohort, we analyzed Big Five personality data (five broad dimensions of personality) from N=773,714 individuals assessed across 30 years. Traits that shape social interaction diverged between generations, whereas a prosocial core comprising morality, discipline, and emotional awareness was stable across cohorts. Generation Z (born between 1995 and 2012) showed lower excitement seeking and gregariousness alongside higher self-consciousness and anxiety. These findings suggest that cohort change is selective rather than global: the dispositions through which people engage with the social world may be adapting to contemporary cultural conditions, while core prosocial tendencies remain stable across generations.

Date: 2026-07
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