Relationship between personality and positive activities for well-being among Japanese adults

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between individual personality traits and preferences for positive activities, drawing on trait theory and typology perspectives. An online survey was conducted by a Japanese market research company, with Japanese participants (N=934, 508 men, 426 women) ranging in age from 15 to 91 years. Participants completed the Japanese version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-J) and the Person-Activity Fit Diagnostic. Multiple regression analysis revealed that agreeableness was the strongest predictor of preferences for all positive activities. In addition, a cluster analysis identified four prototypes of Big Five personality traits: Not Identifiables, Undercontrollers, Resilients, and Overcontrollers. An analysis of variance demonstrated that Resilients exhibited the highest preferences for positive activities. These findings indicate that agreeableness plays a significant and consistent role in preferences for positive activities, as supported by both trait theory and typology perspectives.