Personality Traits Are Contagious & Can Spread Like 'Disease' Among Peers: Study

Personality traits silently spread among school children. Even the co-workers at a company cannot escape getting affected from the prevailing behavior of peers. The pre-school children are found to be the most affected human group from their fellow kids, new research at Michigan State University reveals.

The environment loaded with a certain behavior of kids plays a key role in shaping up the personality of the entire class. While genetics still form the core of the human psyche, the research discovers that personality traits also have a stronger role as they are 'contagious' among children.

The new finding that personality traits are contagious is a solid fact in the face of the old assumption that personality cannot be changed; it is ingrained, says Dr. Jennifer Neal, associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University and co-author of the study. The new fin ding is highly important as the influence factor can be exploited to help the children succeed in life, reports Her.ie.

The study included two classes of pre-school kids and their personalities and social network was closely studied. Kids got a strong influence from hardworking kids and took their habit of diligence. The trait of hard work was more contagious than frustration and anxiety. The kids did not take on these traits from their peers, according to Daily Mail

Kids have a great effect on their peers but many people do not realize it, says study co-author and psychology expert Dr. Emily Dublin. Parents spend time and energy trying to teach their kids good listening skills and patience. But they actually learn it more efficiently from their peers. 3 to 4-years-old kids are quite strong change agents!

Behavior and actions of workers or a staff in a work place also spread fast without anyone noticing. A psychology study found in 2015 that rudeness at the workplace gets to everyone like a disease. Sweden's Lund University discovered researched and found that even small petty behaviors like leaving off some from an invite or spreading rumors can be highly contagious.

Dr. Eva Torkelson, a psychologist at Lund University says that people imitate others. This behavior has no status in legislation but if left unchecked can result in bullying and worse behavior. She believes companies must increase their awareness about the harm that rudeness in the workplace can do as it can spiral and damage the office. She added better training could help to combat the problem.