Study: Heartbeat Reflects Personality

German scientists have identified heartbeat as an indicator of personality traits. Based on the theory of neuroticism, people’s heartbeats are analyzed to know emotions, behaviours and tendency. This study states that wave patterns in the heart's electrical activity are the reflectors of personality.

Specific reactions were noted during the study, some subjects reflected positive emotions like happiness and cheerfulness, whereas other inclined more towards negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. Besides emotions, agreeableness can also be predicted by measure of electrical activity within the heart. This reveals another personality characteristic defining compassion of an individual.

The researchers are certain that identification of heartbeat signatures could be a major breakthrough to study personality traits. Although, there are some of the methods that have previously touched this subject of reading personality, but are too objective to reach at any conclusion.

Generally, one can identify personality by obtaining responses of a personality questionnaire. Owing to subject to biasing, wherein people dishonestly choose responses, people won’t be able to perceive their own traits correctly. This research study completed personality tests 425 university students belonging to the age group of 18 to 33, heart electrical activity of whom is measured using electrocardiography.

Stefan Koelsch, a researcher from the panel, believes that this method is more precise and relatable to personality traits. He further said that these could possibly reflect emotional disorders like depression or cardiovascular diseases and could also help in diagnosing these disorders. According to research panel, personality traits can influence heart either through direct nerve connections between the brain and heart, or through breathing or release of specific hormones.

In early researches, a link was identified between heart electrical activity and ‘cold’ personality individuals, who tend not to express. The latest study has also observed similar pattern, wherein there is a clear demarcation of individuals with high scores in neuroticism and low scores in positive emotion.