From the Guidelines
To significantly improve agreeableness, focus on multicomponent interventions that include mindfulness, meditation, gratitude journaling, and practicing random acts of kindness, as these approaches have been shown to increase positive affect and life satisfaction in recent studies 1. When it comes to improving agreeableness, it's essential to consider the most recent and highest quality studies. A 2024 study published in the Annual Review of Psychology found that multicomponent interventions, which include a combination of positive psychology interventions, can be effective in improving happiness and well-being 1. Some key strategies for improving agreeableness include:
- Practicing mindfulness and meditation to increase empathy and cooperation
- Keeping a daily gratitude journal to focus on positive interactions with others
- Engaging in random acts of kindness to cultivate altruism
- Using cognitive behavioral techniques to reframe negative thoughts about others These approaches can help strengthen neural pathways associated with empathy and cooperation, reducing automatic defensive responses and leading to significant improvements in interpersonal relationships and overall agreeableness. It's also important to note that multicomponent interventions can be more effective than single-component interventions, as they offer a range of activities that can be tailored to an individual's needs and preferences 1. Overall, by incorporating these strategies into daily life, individuals can experience significant improvements in their agreeableness and overall well-being.
From the Research
Improving Agreeableness through Therapy
There are no direct research papers provided that specifically focus on improving agreeableness as a personality trait. However, the studies provided do discuss the effectiveness of various therapies, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), in treating anxiety and depressive disorders, which may have some indirect relevance to improving agreeableness.
Types of Therapy
Some of the studies mention the following types of therapy:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Psychodynamic psychotherapy 3, 4
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) 5
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) 5
Effectiveness of Therapy
The studies suggest that:
- CBT is effective in treating anxiety and depressive disorders 2, 4, 5, 6
- CBT may be superior to psychodynamic therapy in treating anxiety and depressive disorders 4
- CBT can be effectively delivered through traditional face-to-face therapy or digital treatment approaches 5
- The evidence base for CBT is strong, but additional research is needed to examine its efficacy in specific subgroups 6
Potential for Improving Agreeableness
While the studies do not directly address improving agreeableness, they do suggest that therapies like CBT can be effective in treating disorders that may be related to low agreeableness, such as anxiety and depression. Therefore, it is possible that these therapies may have some indirect benefit for improving agreeableness, but more research would be needed to confirm this.