From the Guidelines
Increasing trait agreeableness can be achieved through a combination of empathy development, perspective-taking, and prosocial behavior, as supported by recent studies on personality change and social behavior 1. To develop trait agreeableness, it is essential to focus on building empathy and cooperation in daily interactions. This can be achieved by:
- Practicing active listening and perspective-taking exercises to improve emotional awareness and understanding of others' viewpoints
- Engaging in regular mindfulness meditation to reduce reactivity and increase emotional awareness
- Using "I" statements instead of accusatory language in conflicts to promote effective communication
- Volunteering regularly for causes that promote social connection and prosocial behavior
- Keeping a gratitude journal to appreciate and acknowledge the positive qualities of others These approaches can help strengthen neural pathways associated with empathy and prosocial behavior, leading to increased trait agreeableness over time through neuroplasticity. While some studies have reported inconsistent results on the effects of psychedelics on personality traits, including agreeableness 1, the most recent and highest-quality study suggests that increases in agreeableness can be achieved through intentional behavior changes and consistent practice, rather than relying on any specific medication or intervention. Key findings from recent studies highlight the importance of interpersonal feelings, attitudes, and behaviors in promoting sociability and social connection, which are closely related to trait agreeableness 1. By incorporating these evidence-based strategies into daily life, individuals can work towards increasing their trait agreeableness and improving their overall social connections and relationships.
From the Research
Effects of Increasing Trait Agreeableness
- Increasing trait agreeableness can lead to a reduction in the dark triad traits, including Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy 2
- People tend to perceive agreeableness as a changeable trait, and implicit theories about changeability can vary across different personality traits, with agreeableness being linked to specific factors such as volitional control, context, and age 3
- Higher levels of agreeableness are associated with more favorable outcomes in mental health treatment, including a stronger therapeutic alliance and higher conscientiousness 4
- Trait agreeableness can moderate behavioral responsiveness to communal behavior, with high agreeableness individuals being less responsive to disagreeable behavior from others, but more responsive when in a high-status role 5
- Agreeableness has a positive impact on various variables, including self-transcendence, contentment, relational investment, teamworking, and social integration, with a grand mean correlation of ρ¯M=.16 across 275 variables 6
Associations with Mental Health Treatment Outcomes
- Agreeableness is positively associated with therapeutic alliance and conscientiousness, which can lead to more favorable treatment outcomes 4
- Higher levels of agreeableness can aid in case conceptualization by suggesting potential strengths and barriers to treatment 4
Social Interactions and Relationships
- High agreeableness individuals tend to manifest greater interpersonal correspondence when in a high-status role, apparently by increasing responsiveness to disagreeable behavior from others 5
- Agreeableness is related to social norm orientation and social integration, which can have a positive impact on social interactions and relationships 6