Polygenic Influences on Personality Traits and Everyday Decision Making in Relation to Self-Regulation and Risk Behavior

Abstract

Personality traits show moderate to high heritability and play a central role in shaping everyday decision making, particularly in domains involving self-regulation and risk behavior. Advances in genomic research indicate that these traits are influenced by a highly polygenic architecture, with numerous common genetic variants contributing small additive effects. This review examines how polygenic influences on personality traits relate to individual differences in self-regulation, impulsivity, sensation seeking, and real-world risk-taking behaviors. Drawing on evidence from twin studies, genome-wide association studies, and polygenic score analyses, it highlights genetic correlations between personality dimensions and self-regulatory processes that guide decision making across contexts and developmental stages. Mechanistic pathways linking polygenic variation to cognition, affect, and motivational control are discussed, alongside the moderating role of environmental context and gene–environment interplay. Understanding these pathways provides insight into the biological and contextual foundations of decision making and has implications for translational research, prevention strategies, and ethical considerations surrounding genetic information.