Abstract Geographical personality differences robustly predict diverse consequential outcomes. However, comparatively little is known about the factors that create such differences, in particular the role of the built environment. To bridge the gap, the present study used a socioecological approach to examine the relationship between walkability and personality. Walkability reflects the degree to which urban areas are easily walkable and accessible for pedestrians. As such it is considered a defining feature of people's living environments. We utilized a large sample from the Data Sharing for Psychology in Japan (DSPJ) project, which assessed the Big Five personality traits of 5141 Japanese residents. Walkability estimates were extracted from Walk Score, an established online platform, based on individuals' place of living. Building on prior research, we hypothesized that walkability would be positively linked to Agreeableness and Extraversion due to increased opportunities for social interactions and selective migration. Multiple regression analyses showed that walkability was positively related to Extraversion (B = 0.033; 95%CI [0.019, 0.047]; β = 0.066), but not to Agreeableness. This pattern persisted in the presence of a conservative set of individual and socioecological controls. Taken together, our research suggests that walkable urban environments may be conducive to a more animated and lively social climate which is reflected in heightened extraversion among residents of such areas. As such it advances psych-geographical theory and our understanding of the role of the built environment in the emergence of geographical personality differences.

中文翻译：

---

步行性与个性之间的关联：来自日本一项大型社会生态学研究的证据

摘要 地理人格差异有力地预测了不同的后果。然而，人们对造成这种差异的因素知之甚少，尤其是建筑环境的作用。为了弥补差距，本研究使用社会生态学方法来研究步行性与个性之间的关系。可步行性反映了城市地区易于步行和行人可达的程度。因此，它被认为是人们生活环境的一个决定性特征。我们利用了日本心理学数据共享 (DSPJ) 项目的大量样本，该项目评估了 5141 名日本居民的大五人格特征。步行性评估是从步行评分中提取的，步行评分是一个建立的在线平台，基于个人的居住地。基于先前的研究，我们假设，由于社交互动和选择性迁移的机会增加，步行性将与宜人性和外向性呈正相关。多元回归分析表明，步行性与外向性呈正相关（B = 0.033；95%CI [0.019, 0.047]；β = 0.066），但与宜人性无关。这种模式在存在一组保守的个人和社会生态控制的情况下仍然存在。综上所述，我们的研究表明，适宜步行的城市环境可能有助于营造更加生动活泼的社会氛围，这反映在这些地区居民的外向性增强上。因此，它推进了心理地理理论和我们对建筑环境在地理个性差异出现中的作用的理解。我们假设，由于社交互动和选择性迁移的机会增加，步行性将与宜人性和外向性呈正相关。多元回归分析表明，步行性与外向性呈正相关（B = 0.033；95%CI [0.019, 0.047]；β = 0.066），但与宜人性无关。这种模式在存在一组保守的个人和社会生态控制的情况下仍然存在。综上所述，我们的研究表明，适宜步行的城市环境可能有助于营造更加生动活泼的社会氛围，这反映在这些地区居民的外向性增强上。因此，它推进了心理地理理论和我们对建筑环境在地理个性差异出现中的作用的理解。我们假设，由于社交互动和选择性迁移的机会增加，步行性将与宜人性和外向性呈正相关。多元回归分析表明，步行性与外向性呈正相关（B = 0.033；95%CI [0.019, 0.047]；β = 0.066），但与宜人性无关。这种模式在存在一组保守的个人和社会生态控制的情况下仍然存在。综上所述，我们的研究表明，适宜步行的城市环境可能有助于营造更加生动活泼的社会氛围，这反映在这些地区居民的外向性增强上。因此，它推进了心理地理理论和我们对建筑环境在地理个性差异出现中的作用的理解。