Super-Men and Wonder-Women: the Relationship Between the Acceptance of Self-enhancement, Personality, and Values

Abstract

Due to ongoing technological innovations, self-enhancement methods are publicly discussed, researched from different perspectives, and part of ethical debates. However, only few studies investigated the acceptance of these methods and its relationship with personality traits and values. The present study investigated to what extent people accept different enhancement methods and whether acceptance can be predicted by Big Five and Dark Triad traits, vulnerable narcissism, and values. In an online survey (N = 450), we measured personality traits and values. Additionally, participants read scenarios about enhancement methods and answered questions about their acceptance of these scenarios. Factor analysis indicated a general factor of acceptance across scenarios. Correlation analyses showed that high agreeableness, agreeableness-compassion, conscientiousness, conscientiousness-industriousness, and conservation- and self-transcendence values are related to less acceptance of self-enhancement. Moreover, individuals high on Dark Triad traits, vulnerable narcissism, and self-enhancement values exhibit more acceptance. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that said values and Big Five traits explained unique variance in the acceptance of self-enhancement. These findings highlight the importance of considering personality and values when investigating self-enhancement—a topic that is receiving increasing attention by the public, politicians, and scientists.

Personality and willingness towards performance enhancement and body modification: A cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of Norwegians

“…This finding is reasonable given the aforementioned nomenclature (e.g., creativity, culture, fantasy, intellect), facets (aesthetic, emotional, intellectual and practical aptitude) and definition of openness in terms of appreciation of and interest in art and beauty, unusual ideas and values, new and diverse experiences, and intellectual curiosity ( 16 , 19 ). Additionally, our finding that lower agreeableness predicted higher willingness towards performance enhancement and body modification is consistent with recent evidence from an Austrian survey indicating that agreeableness correlates negatively with acceptance of human enhancement ( 23 ). It also mirrors findings from a comparison of body-modified (tattoos and piercings) and non-modified persons ( 34 , 37 ) and body piercing contemplators ( 40 ).…”

“…Additionally, it was found that attitudes towards human enhancement and body modification seems to differ by type with more negative attitudes towards pharmacological and genetic enhancement than current-based enhancement and mind uploading ( 22 ). In a similar study ( 23 ), agreeableness and conscientiousness correlated negatively with acceptance of human enhancement and body modification. Agreeableness and conscientiousness in particular correlated negatively with acceptance of genetic enhancement with conscientiousness having an additional negative correlation with deep brain stimulation.…”

Boosting human capacities: How vaccination behavior and intention relates to attitudes toward vaccination, Human Enhancement, and naturalness

“…Shared motifs seem to be associated with evaluating the species (vaccination) and its genus (Human Enhancement), which do not require explicit linkage and academic classi cation. This is consistent with the observation that one general factor can explain over half of the variance in the personal willingness to use various and differing Human Enhancement associated means [27]. Perceived naturalness and perceived invasiveness seem to be good starting points for further evaluation of the characteristics of such factor.…”

“…Measuring the willingness to use an enhancement is common when assessing attitudes toward Human Enhancement and was employed in various other studies [cf. 27,40,[50][51][52]. Models employed willingness to use as outcome and, among others, perceived naturalness and perceived invasiveness as predictors.…”

“…Although vaccination is not usually explicitly referred to as "Human Enhancement," motifs that drive opposing both phenomena may be very similar. For instance, some consider the technological process of introducing synthetic biology in vaccination development as an act of "playing God" [6], an all too familiar accusation raised when discussing speci c Human Enhancements and their biotechnological realization [23][24][25][26][27].…”