From the Guidelines
To improve agreeableness, practice multicomponent interventions that include mindfulness, meditation, and positive psychology interventions, such as gratitude journaling and random acts of kindness, as these have been shown to increase positive affect and life satisfaction in recent studies 1. When it comes to improving agreeableness, a personality trait that encompasses cooperation, empathy, and kindness, the most effective approach seems to be a multifaceted one.
- Multicomponent interventions, which combine various techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, and positive psychology interventions, have been found to be particularly effective in enhancing agreeableness.
- A study published in the Annual Review of Psychology in 2024 found that participants who used a smartphone app featuring daily mindfulness and meditation tasks, as well as directions to engage in other happiness interventions, reported higher positive affect at the end of the intervention period and even 3 months later 1.
- Another study found that adults who completed a program called ENHANCE, which involved learning about and completing a variety of positive psychology interventions, reported greater improvements in positive and negative affect and life satisfaction compared to a waitlist control group 1.
- In addition to these multicomponent interventions, practices such as active listening, empathy, and compassion can also help improve agreeableness.
- Meditation and mindfulness can help reduce reactivity and increase patience, while gratitude journaling and random acts of kindness can increase positive affect and life satisfaction.
- It's also important to note that while personality traits have genetic components, research shows that intentional practice can significantly shift behavioral patterns, and addressing underlying anxiety or stress with professional help may remove barriers to more agreeable behavior.
- Overall, the key to improving agreeableness is to find a combination of practices that work for you and to make them a consistent part of your daily life, as evidenced by recent studies in the field of positive psychology 1.
From the Research
Improving Agreeableness through Social Skills Training
- Social skills training is a common method for improving social functioning in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) 2, 3, 4.
- Studies have shown that targeted social skills training groups, such as the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) and Seaver-NETT, can improve social communication deficits in verbal, school-aged children with ASD 2, 4.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has also been found to be effective in improving social skills in children with ASD, with meta-analyses showing significant improvements in social skills compared to controls 3.
- However, some studies have suggested that social skills training curricula may have limited effectiveness in improving social interaction and may even increase stigma associated with ASD 5.
Key Components of Effective Social Skills Training
- Teaching social rules and skills thought to be necessary for social competence 2, 4.
- Focusing on social cognition, social motivation, and social awareness 2.
- Using cognitive-behavioral techniques to improve social skills and reduce anxiety symptoms 3, 6.
- Considering the individual's verbal IQ and other characteristics when designing and implementing social skills training 4.