New research suggests that the relationship between personality and political beliefs in the United States varies significantly by age, with higher levels of neuroticism associated with liberal ideology among younger Americans but not among older generations.
The findings come as neuroticism, a personality trait linked to anxiety, sadness, and irritability, appears to be on the rise.
The research, published in the International Social Science Journal, indicates a generational divide that may reflect the differing social and economic environments experienced by Americans who came of age in different historical periods.
Social scientists have long observed that political polarization in the United States increasingly follows generational lines.
Older cohorts have trended toward conservatism in recent decades, while younger cohorts have shifted decisively toward liberal positions.
However, relatively little research has examined the psychological factors that might help explain this divergence among younger Americans.
The new study was conducted by Dr. Francesco Rigoli.
Rigoli, a social scientist at City St Georges, University of London, examined whether neuroticism could help account for the shift.
“The study was motivated by the observation that, while in recent years old Americans have moved to the conservative camp, young Americans have become progressively more liberal,” Rigoli said.
“Why this has occurred remains poorly understood, and my article aimed at shedding light on this question.”
Rigoli’s analysis draws on what he calls the “Generational Hypothesis,” which argues that Americans who grew up after the 1970s entered adulthood during a period marked by heightened competition, declining social capital, rising education costs, and labor-market insecurity.
The researcher suggests these pressures may increase the likelihood of developing neurotic traits, which in turn may incline younger individuals toward liberal ideologies that critique competition and support stronger social safety nets.
Three Studies Examine Age, Personality, and Politics
To test the hypothesis, Rigoli conducted three studies.
The first analyzed data from the 2022 General Social Survey, using a sample of 1,644 participants who self-identified their political ideology on a seven-point scale from “extremely liberal” to “extremely conservative.”
Neuroticism was measured through questions about nervousness and inability to control worrying.
Results showed a significant interaction between age and neuroticism.
Among younger adults, particularly around ages 29 and 43, higher neuroticism predicted more liberal ideology.
For participants aged 57 and older, the association disappeared, with the link fading around age 47.
A second study of 600 U.S. participants used the Big Five Inventory, a more comprehensive personality measure.
The findings replicated the earlier pattern: neuroticism predicted liberal ideology among younger participants, but not among an older cohort with an average age of 59.
Statistical analysis found the relationship significant only for individuals younger than 54.
Additional testing showed the interaction was not explained by gender, ethnicity, income, or education.
International Data Shows U.S. Pattern Is Not Universal
A third study analyzed World Value Survey data from 23,368 participants across 20 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.
Unlike the U.S. findings, the international sample showed no consistent interaction between age and neuroticism, suggesting the American pattern reflects specific generational experiences rather than a universal biological process tied to aging.
“The article hypothesizes that, compared to older American cohorts, younger ones have grown up during a more competitive historical period that has led many to become more neurotic (i.e. to be more predisposed to low mood, anxiety, and irritability) and, in turn, to become more liberal,” the researchers note.
“This predicts that, in the United States, neuroticism is linked with liberal ideology in young, but not old, people.
“This prediction is supported in two studies.”
“These studies show that young American liberals are more neurotic than young American conservatives,” the study’s paper adds.
“Meanwhile, among older Americans, liberals and conservatives have the same level of neuroticism.
“A third study found no such pattern outside the United States, suggesting that the effect observed in the United States is not due to aging but to generational experiences.
“Overall, these findings highlight a potential role for neuroticism in explaining why young Americans have become more liberal.”
Limits and Future Research
Rigoli cautioned that the research is correlational and cannot establish causation.
Higher neuroticism could influence political ideology, political beliefs could contribute to anxiety, or both could stem from an unmeasured third factor.
“The next step is to investigate empirically why neuroticism is linked with ideology among young, but not old Americans,” Rigoli said.
“Is it because young Americans have grown up in a more competitive age, as hypothesized in the paper?
“This remains to be explored empirically.”
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