Personality linked to birth rates

RESEARCHERS from Sheffield University have discovered that neurotic women and extrovert men are increasingly likely to have more children, in societies with traditionally high birth rates.

By The Newsroom

Published 8th Jun 2010, 00:56 BST

Updated 8th Jun 2010, 00:56 BST

The study, published today, found that women who are prone to be anxious, depressive, and moody had 12 per cent more children than those with below average neuroticism levels.

Meanwhile, men prone to be sociable and outgoing had 14 per cent more children than men who were less extrovert.

The study also found women with higher neuroticism levels were more likely to give birth to smaller children.

The data came from four villages in rural Senegal, West Africa.

Researcher Dr Virpi Lummaa said: "Gaining understanding of such individual-level determinants of reproductive decisions helps in the current debate on the role of individual versus social factors in explaining recent fertility changes around the world."