Are our personalities and temperaments passed on from our parents?

On The Hard Shoulder today, a report by Newstalk’s Henry McKean discovered we actually inherit surprisingly little from those who brought us into the world.

A new study by the University of Edinburgh conducted on 1,000 pairs of relatives found that 60% of children are of a different personality type to their parents.

Mind Therapy Centre founder Katie Walker said our lived experiences are more influential than genetics.

“The impacts of what life has thrown at you have created you to become that person and each person is individual in that,” she said.

“That’s why we can say that siblings in the same household, who are completely different but brought up in the same way, will always have external interactions.

“That could be school, something that happens that didn’t when the first child was around that will impact on what we are.”

Passed on from our parents

Ms Walker said children can either reject or mirror the behaviour of their parents.

“For example, if you’re in a household where shouting happens a lot, you could potentially become someone who uses that as a conflict strategy,” she said.

“But you could also go the other way of being a very quiet person because maybe you didn’t like that about your parent.

“If you have a parent who is an alcoholic, you might use the same coping strategy they used or go the other way and say, ‘I never want to be around drink – that’s not something I want’.”

A mother and daughter on a picnic. Image: Image Source Limited / Alamy Stock Photo

Henry was told by one Dublin-based father that he believes lots of traits are passed on from parent to child.

“The kids are very similar, my daughter is very similar to me – she’s stubborn like myself,” he said.

“She’s always right, like me, and I can see that in my mother and father too.

“My brother is a lot like my father - a softy - whereas my mother is tough like myself.

“I think you definitely inherit personalities; you grow up with them - you don’t lick it off the ground.”

'Different generations'

Another man told Henry he doesn’t see many similarities between himself and his kids.

“We don’t particularly pick up personality traits, we pick up idiosyncrasies and mannerisms, not necessarily personalities,” he said.

“We’re different generations, we have different values and different influences.

“I’m very different to my parents, I have their values and work ethic – but not their personalities.

“My children are further removed again from me and my parents.”

You can listen back here:

Main image: A father and son playing checkers. Image: Tetra Images / Alamy Stock Photo