Big Five Personality Traits and Locus of Control: Challenges and Uses in the Global South

Arnaud Natal and Christophe Nordman

Working Papers from HAL

Abstract: This paper examines the role of personality traits-specifically the Big Five and locus of control-in shaping economic outcomes in countries of the Global South. While such traits have been extensively studied in OECD contexts, they remain underexplored in Global South settings where most of the world's population resides. The article reviews how personality traits are measured in diverse cultural contexts, their associations with economic outcomes, and the structural and individual-level factors that shape them. It also evaluates evidence on the effectiveness of interventions aimed at altering personality traits. Findings suggest that traits like conscientiousness, emotional stability, and an internal locus of control are positively linked to improved economic performance and adaptive behaviours, and that these traits are malleable to varying degrees. The paper concludes by highlighting policy implications and research priorities, including the need for longitudinal studies, culturally valid measurement tools, and integrated development strategies that address both psychological and structural determinants of well-being.

Keywords: Personality traits; Human capital; Labour market; Programmes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-03
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05574564v1
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://hal.science/hal-05574564v1/document (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Big Five Personality Traits and Locus of Control: Challenges and Uses in the Global South (2026)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-05574564

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Working Papers from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().