René Mõttus
@renemottus.bsky.social
Personality psychology professor.
Edinburgh. Tartu.
Current effort: https://whichjob.me
About psychology:
https://psychologytoday.com/us/blog/people-unexplained
https://personalitypsychologypodcast.com
Edinburgh. Tartu.
Current effort: https://whichjob.me
About psychology:
https://psychologytoday.com/us/blog/people-unexplained
https://personalitypsychologypodcast.com
Reposted by René Mõttus
New episode alert! 🚨 @renemottus.bsky.social spoke with Elliot Berkman, @kaitlynmwerner.bsky.social and @andero.bsky.social about self-regulation and affect regulation, and how each of the guests' research connects to personality psychology. Check it out!
December 30, 2025 at 12:10 AM
New episode alert! 🚨 @renemottus.bsky.social spoke with Elliot Berkman, @kaitlynmwerner.bsky.social and @andero.bsky.social about self-regulation and affect regulation, and how each of the guests' research connects to personality psychology. Check it out!
Reposted by René Mõttus
Two-year post-doc position in my department working on a cool project applying cognitive science (transmission chain experiments and natural language processing) to study cultural evolution: tinyurl.com/bdeju6kw
Post-Doctoral Research Associate
The Psychology Department in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences are seeking a full time, fixed term Post-Doctoral Research Associate. This post is available from 1st of Septemb...
tinyurl.com
December 15, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Two-year post-doc position in my department working on a cool project applying cognitive science (transmission chain experiments and natural language processing) to study cultural evolution: tinyurl.com/bdeju6kw
For those submitting a symposium to the ECP22 (deadline soon!): I added details to the submission instructions.
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
November 27, 2025 at 12:55 PM
For those submitting a symposium to the ECP22 (deadline soon!): I added details to the submission instructions.
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
For those coming to the ECP22 in Edinburgh, 2026:
You can now book more affordable Summer Stay rooms (75 rooms currently available at a cheaper price)
For details:
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/accommodation
You can now book more affordable Summer Stay rooms (75 rooms currently available at a cheaper price)
For details:
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/accommodation
November 22, 2025 at 10:15 AM
For those coming to the ECP22 in Edinburgh, 2026:
You can now book more affordable Summer Stay rooms (75 rooms currently available at a cheaper price)
For details:
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/accommodation
You can now book more affordable Summer Stay rooms (75 rooms currently available at a cheaper price)
For details:
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/accommodation
Reminder: The submission deadline for ECP22 is December 7th.
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
November 19, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Reminder: The submission deadline for ECP22 is December 7th.
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
🔔 Those coming to the ECP22 in Edinburgh: Consider booking accommodation early!
Edinburgh is a very popular place.
Here are accommodation tips for ECP folks:
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
📝 Submissions & registrations are also open:
ecp22edinburgh.org
#ecp22
Edinburgh is a very popular place.
Here are accommodation tips for ECP folks:
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
📝 Submissions & registrations are also open:
ecp22edinburgh.org
#ecp22
November 6, 2025 at 5:11 PM
🔔 Those coming to the ECP22 in Edinburgh: Consider booking accommodation early!
Edinburgh is a very popular place.
Here are accommodation tips for ECP folks:
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
📝 Submissions & registrations are also open:
ecp22edinburgh.org
#ecp22
Edinburgh is a very popular place.
Here are accommodation tips for ECP folks:
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
📝 Submissions & registrations are also open:
ecp22edinburgh.org
#ecp22
Why aren't some of the strongest personality neuroscience papers getting widely cited?
November 4, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Why aren't some of the strongest personality neuroscience papers getting widely cited?
ECP22 Registration is now open:
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/registration
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/registration
November 4, 2025 at 1:01 PM
ECP22 Registration is now open:
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/registration
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/registration
Reminder: the 22nd European Conference on Personality, ECP22, Edinburgh, July 2026, is accepting submissions until 07/12. Submit a symposium, talk, or poster! We promise you the best research, many smart discussions, social fun, and a fantastic historic city.
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
October 24, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Reminder: the 22nd European Conference on Personality, ECP22, Edinburgh, July 2026, is accepting submissions until 07/12. Submit a symposium, talk, or poster! We promise you the best research, many smart discussions, social fun, and a fantastic historic city.
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
Early career personality researchers coming to the Edinburgh ECP22: If you want to get a link to a slightly more affordable uni accommodation option later this year, leave your email here:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Advance Accommodation Information
Primarily for Early Career Researchers (PhD, post-doc):
If you would like to receive advance information about a limited number of more affordable accommodation options available for the 22nd Europea...
docs.google.com
September 30, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Early career personality researchers coming to the Edinburgh ECP22: If you want to get a link to a slightly more affordable uni accommodation option later this year, leave your email here:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Personality change people: does it make sense to think that to change a broader trait domain (neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness) one could consider starting with those facets/nuances that are furthest from the desired levels?
(Most room for change?)
(Most room for change?)
September 26, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Personality change people: does it make sense to think that to change a broader trait domain (neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness) one could consider starting with those facets/nuances that are furthest from the desired levels?
(Most room for change?)
(Most room for change?)
21 to 24 July 2026
September 19, 2025 at 8:43 AM
21 to 24 July 2026
Keynote speakers: @tuckerdrob.bsky.social @foswald.bsky.social Ellen Hamaker
Hands-on workshops by:
@tedmond.bsky.social & @ukuvainik.bsky.social (genomic analyses)
@dirkwulff.bsky.social (LLMs in personality research)
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/programme
Hands-on workshops by:
@tedmond.bsky.social & @ukuvainik.bsky.social (genomic analyses)
@dirkwulff.bsky.social (LLMs in personality research)
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/programme
September 18, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Keynote speakers: @tuckerdrob.bsky.social @foswald.bsky.social Ellen Hamaker
Hands-on workshops by:
@tedmond.bsky.social & @ukuvainik.bsky.social (genomic analyses)
@dirkwulff.bsky.social (LLMs in personality research)
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/programme
Hands-on workshops by:
@tedmond.bsky.social & @ukuvainik.bsky.social (genomic analyses)
@dirkwulff.bsky.social (LLMs in personality research)
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/programme
Submissions are now open for 22nd European Conference on Personality (Edinburgh, 2026); deadline 7/12/25.
Keynote speakers and pre-conference workshops have also been confirmed.
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
Keynote speakers and pre-conference workshops have also been confirmed.
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
September 18, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Submissions are now open for 22nd European Conference on Personality (Edinburgh, 2026); deadline 7/12/25.
Keynote speakers and pre-conference workshops have also been confirmed.
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
Keynote speakers and pre-conference workshops have also been confirmed.
www.ecp22edinburgh.org/submission
Reposted by René Mõttus
New paper out with @boryslaw.bsky.social 🥳 In which we sketch out how to rethink measurement invariance causally for applied researchers. And provide a causal definition of measurement invariance!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
September 11, 2025 at 9:11 AM
New paper out with @boryslaw.bsky.social 🥳 In which we sketch out how to rethink measurement invariance causally for applied researchers. And provide a causal definition of measurement invariance!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I once proposed a simple tool to understand and visualise correlations, TACT.
doi.org/10.5964/ps.7...
This app makes it even easier to use: apps.psych.ut.ee/TACT/
doi.org/10.5964/ps.7...
This app makes it even easier to use: apps.psych.ut.ee/TACT/
TACT: Trisect And Cross-Tabulate to understand and visualise correlations
apps.psych.ut.ee
September 5, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I once proposed a simple tool to understand and visualise correlations, TACT.
doi.org/10.5964/ps.7...
This app makes it even easier to use: apps.psych.ut.ee/TACT/
doi.org/10.5964/ps.7...
This app makes it even easier to use: apps.psych.ut.ee/TACT/
Since otherwise the stability is confounded with test-specific variance (e.g., facets/nuances, stable item interpretations etc).
It's like people define latent traits as the shared variance of multiple indicators cross-sectionally -- here we extend to longitudinal data.
It's like people define latent traits as the shared variance of multiple indicators cross-sectionally -- here we extend to longitudinal data.
July 11, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Since otherwise the stability is confounded with test-specific variance (e.g., facets/nuances, stable item interpretations etc).
It's like people define latent traits as the shared variance of multiple indicators cross-sectionally -- here we extend to longitudinal data.
It's like people define latent traits as the shared variance of multiple indicators cross-sectionally -- here we extend to longitudinal data.
I suppose yes, this makes them real in some sense.
My follow-up question is: if these "real" Big Five exist independently of their tests, then to study the "real" rank-order stability of the Big Five, we should assess them with different tests at different time-points.
My follow-up question is: if these "real" Big Five exist independently of their tests, then to study the "real" rank-order stability of the Big Five, we should assess them with different tests at different time-points.
July 11, 2025 at 2:15 PM
I suppose yes, this makes them real in some sense.
My follow-up question is: if these "real" Big Five exist independently of their tests, then to study the "real" rank-order stability of the Big Five, we should assess them with different tests at different time-points.
My follow-up question is: if these "real" Big Five exist independently of their tests, then to study the "real" rank-order stability of the Big Five, we should assess them with different tests at different time-points.
Personality folks, is there an argument to be made for latent Big Five traits that exist independently of the particular test we happen to use to assess them?
(If yes, I will have a follow-up question)
(If yes, I will have a follow-up question)
July 10, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Personality folks, is there an argument to be made for latent Big Five traits that exist independently of the particular test we happen to use to assess them?
(If yes, I will have a follow-up question)
(If yes, I will have a follow-up question)
Now published in Current Opinion, we show why personality research should embrace multi-rater studies and how this can be achieved in practice, even at scale. Often, this is the most realistic way to avoid (reliably) invalid conclusions.
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
June 30, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Now published in Current Opinion, we show why personality research should embrace multi-rater studies and how this can be achieved in practice, even at scale. Often, this is the most realistic way to avoid (reliably) invalid conclusions.
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
doi.org/10.1016/j.co...
Reposted by René Mõttus
What I really enjoy about Bluesky is how you can serendipitously learn so much stuff. You’ve probably heard of Dunbar’s number — the idea that humans can only maintain X stable social relationships, because *gestures vaguely* brain? Here’s a deconstruction of it.>
Taking the chance to boost the antidote, for what good it will do
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
‘Dunbar's number’ deconstructed | Biology Letters
A widespread and popular belief posits that humans possess a cognitive capacity that
is limited to keeping track of and maintaining stable relationships with approximately
150 people. This influential...
royalsocietypublishing.org
June 14, 2025 at 6:48 AM
What I really enjoy about Bluesky is how you can serendipitously learn so much stuff. You’ve probably heard of Dunbar’s number — the idea that humans can only maintain X stable social relationships, because *gestures vaguely* brain? Here’s a deconstruction of it.>
Good thing there is a reference for why this (or any such) number makes no sense.
June 14, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Good thing there is a reference for why this (or any such) number makes no sense.
Reposted by René Mõttus
Folks, it's time to submit your papers to PCI Psychology. Here is our invitation to you, taken from our editorial osf.io/preprints/ps...
June 12, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Folks, it's time to submit your papers to PCI Psychology. Here is our invitation to you, taken from our editorial osf.io/preprints/ps...