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Smokers have been found to have distinctive personality profiles
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
Cigarette smokers, cigar smokers and non-smokers have different personality profiles, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE. The study was conducted by Dritjon Gruda of the Universidad Católica de Portugal and Jim McCleskey of Western Governors University in the US.
Tobacco use remains a major global public health problem, responsible for more than 8 million deaths annually, including those caused by exposure to second-hand smoke. New research highlights the important role of psychological factors, including personality traits, in shaping tobacco use patterns. In this study, Gruda and McCleskey examined the association between five core personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) and cigar or cigarette smoking in a sample of 9,918 older adults from 11 European countries.
Personality Traits and Smoking
Results showed that smoking was associated with lower scores on conscientiousness and agreeableness and higher scores on extroversion compared to nonsmokers. The researchers suggest that the relatively low conscientiousness among smokers may reflect a lack of self-discipline and disregard for long-term health risks that are characteristic of more impulsive behavior, while lower agreeableness may explain why smokers often continue to smoke despite social disapproval. Higher extroversion may indicate that these individuals enjoy the social nature of smoking.
Differences Between Cigar and Cigarette Smokers
The analysis also revealed personality differences between types of smokers. Cigar smokers tend to show lower levels of neuroticism and higher levels of openness compared to cigarette smokers and non-smokers. This highlights the diversity of motives and contexts for tobacco use.
These findings suggest that personality traits are predictors of smoking behavior, which has implications for targeted public health and social policies to combat the global tobacco epidemic. The study authors call for further research into these associations in younger cohorts, which could help develop early intervention strategies to prevent smoking initiation based on predisposition to certain personality types. Research should also be expanded to other forms of tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco, or modern smoking trends such as e-cigarettes and vaping.