Study debunks regional myths, finds Estonians' personalities mostly alike
Stereotypes about groups like arrogant Mulks and jokester Hiiu islanders don't hold up: a unique study of 80,000 Estonians found personalities remarkably similar nationwide.
The study, published in the Journal of Personality, analyzed nearly 80,000 Estonians using biobank data.
"The big takeaway is that Estonians are basically the same everywhere," said Rene Mõttus, professor of personality and social psychology at the University of Tartu.
When mapped, he explained, the results of the study created a flat, "boring" picture nationwide.
Generally speaking, this means people from Saaremaa and Hiiumaa are no different from Mulks, Võros or Viru residents. Folklore may give different regions of the country a distinct flavor, like the lighthearted ongoing rivalry between Saare and Hiiu islanders, but the data show that on average, people are actually very similar.
Regional differences emerged only under a statistical microscope and are tied to socioeconomic factors and even voting patterns, such as right- or left-leaning preferences.
"In other words, you can't tell anything about someone's personality based on where they were born or where they live," he added.
Entrepreneurship also reflected subtle personality differences; Mõttus noted that more entrepreneurial people tend to be extraverted. The study supported the hypothesis, finding that regions with slightly more extraverted residents had higher business formation and turnover.
Promising possibilities
The dataset covers roughly 7 percent of Estonia's adult population, making it unique in scale. Researchers are also using it to predict mental health risks.
Mõttus described ongoing work aiming to identify people likely to seek help for mental health issues even if they haven't seen a doctor in over 15 years, and the results so far are promising.
"We can actually forecast with surprising accuracy who may develop mental health issues and seek help," he said, noting that in the future, such predictions could guide prevention and early intervention before problems escalate.
Ultimately, the research reinforces a simple truth: people should be treated as individuals, since regional labels and cliches actually reveal little about them.
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Editor: Jaan-Juhan Oidermaa, Aili Vahtla
