Temperament vs personality: key differences
Learn how temperament and personality overlap, how genes and experience contribute, and what these concepts can and cannot tell you about yourself.
By Charles · Published · Updated
Temperament usually describes patterns such as emotional reactions, activity and attention. Personality is a broader description that can include traits, values and self-concept; the concepts overlap, and researchers do not all draw the boundary in the same place.
Our guide to how accurate personality tests are explains why the evidence for a particular test matters. You can also take the free PersonalityPro test as a prompt for self-reflection, not as a temperament assessment or diagnosis.
Key facts
- MedlinePlus includes sociability, emotionality, activity, attention and persistence among temperament characteristics. Updated 12 July 2022.
- The American Psychological Association describes personality as a dynamic configuration that includes traits, interests, values and emotional patterns. Accessed 12 November 2026.
- MedlinePlus says both genetic and environmental factors contribute to temperament. Its account does not support treating a person's genes as a fixed script.
How do temperament and personality compare?
Temperament focuses on recurring behavioral and emotional tendencies; personality can cover a wider set of characteristics.
| Question | Temperament | Personality |
|---|---|---|
| What might it describe? | Activity level, emotional reactions or persistence | Traits, interests, values, self-concept and emotional patterns |
| What shapes it? | Genetic and environmental influences | Many forces, including inherited tendencies, experiences and relationships |
| Does it stay identical? | MedlinePlus describes it as fairly consistent, especially in adulthood | The APA describes it as dynamic as well as relatively enduring |
| Can it predict one person's future? | A description alone cannot establish an individual outcome | A description alone cannot establish an individual outcome |
These are working distinctions, not separate compartments. MedlinePlus includes sociability and emotionality in temperament, while the APA includes emotional patterns in personality. A researcher may define or measure either term differently, so check the definition used in the study or questionnaire.
What does temperament look like in everyday life?
Temperament can describe how someone tends to respond, pay attention or keep going when a task is difficult.
For example, imagine two people entering a busy room. One starts conversations immediately; the other takes time to settle in. That observation may prompt questions about sociability, but one occasion cannot establish either person's temperament. Familiarity, tiredness and the situation may also matter. MedlinePlus presents its examples as a spectrum and notes that a characteristic can be useful in some circumstances.
What does personality add to the picture?
Personality can describe a wider pattern, including interests and values as well as emotional tendencies.
The APA's definition includes experiences, relationships, cultural roles and inherited tendencies among the forces that shape personality. Someone may value quiet time and also enjoy a crowded celebration. A single label cannot tell you which choice they will make in every situation.
Are temperament and personality determined by genes?
No. Genetic influences matter, but they do not determine a person's complete pattern of behavior.
MedlinePlus describes a complex genetic contribution to temperament and says environment also plays a role. Similarity within a family can reflect shared environments as well as genetics. A finding about genetic influence in a group does not tell an individual how much of their own temperament came from genes, or predict what they will do.
Can these patterns change?
Patterns can be relatively consistent without being unchangeable.
MedlinePlus describes temperament as fairly consistent, particularly in adulthood. The APA describes personality as a dynamic integration shaped by many forces. Neither statement means a person's reaction today is their only possible reaction later. If you notice a change, consider the context before drawing a conclusion from a label or a single questionnaire result.
Our articles on why personality test results change and how to use personality test results offer ways to think about a result without treating it as a verdict.
Frequently asked questions
Are temperament and personality the same thing?
They overlap, but temperament usually refers to patterns such as emotional reactions and activity, while personality is a broader description that can include traits, values and self-concept. Definitions vary. MedlinePlus; APA.
Is temperament inherited?
Genes contribute to temperament, but so does environment. There is no simple inheritance pattern that determines an individual's temperament. MedlinePlus.
Can temperament or personality change?
Both can show continuity without being fixed. MedlinePlus describes temperament as fairly consistent, especially in adulthood, while the APA describes personality as dynamic and shaped by many forces. MedlinePlus; APA.
Can a personality test identify my temperament?
That depends on what the particular test measures and the evidence for it. PersonalityPro is a self-reflection prompt, not a temperament assessment or diagnosis. See how accurate personality tests are for questions to ask about a test.
For a prompt to reflect on your own patterns, take the free PersonalityPro test.