Snežana Smederevac

While trait adjectives may be regarded as convenient summary labels for varieties of behavioral expressions with common themes and outcomes, in turn, behaviors typical of a person may be considered as expressions of personality dispositions. In fact, in daily life, behavioral descriptions are way more frequent than the more abstract adjectival descriptors. For the present study, behavioral, verb-based data sets collected in four languages were used for comparison. The data sets each consisted of ratings from 400 participants on 543 Dutch personality verbs, 1,247 participants on 414 Polish personality verbs, 951 participants on 289 Czech personality verbs, and 512 participants on 319 Serbian personality verbs. Principal component analysis-based structures (of different dimensionalities) were compared pairwise across the languages, making use of congruence coefficients. Moreover, using simultaneous component analysis, the verb-based structure common to the four languages, based on a shared data set with ratings from 3,110 participants on 324 personality verbs, was analyzed. Three- and six-component structures based on the common set are discussed in some detail, both showing portions of the Big Five but with no reference to the Intellect-Imagination factor. It is concluded that verb-based behavioral items, in comparison to adjective- and noun-based items, give rise to a diluted and reduced trait-semantic space. To arrive at a full trait-semantic representation, all linguistic categories should be exploited in a joint operation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

The Serbian Twin Advanced Registry (STAR), established in 2014, is a multigenerational resource for studying genetic, environmental, and epigenetic influences on behavior and development. STAR currently includes more than 9000 participants, extending the classical twin design to parents and siblings and enabling fine-grained modeling of genetic inheritance, cultural transmission, and shared environments. Methodological innovations include experimental procedures, virtual reality paradigms, and longitudinal, multi-informant assessments from childhood to adulthood, combined with molecular data collection. Published findings highlight heritable structures in executive functions, personality, and psychopathology, alongside environmentally shaped differences in behaviors such as aggression. Epigenetic studies have demonstrated associations between COMT promoter methylation and impulsivity-related traits, while ongoing genomewide analyses aim to identify environmentally mediated methylation variability. By integrating advanced methodologies with open science practices, STAR provides a sustainable platform for behavioral genetics in Serbia and contributes to international research on adaptation and psychopathology across the lifespan.

Every social situation that people encounter in their daily lives comes with a set of unwritten rules about what behavior is considered appropriate or inappropriate. These everyday norms can vary across societies: some societies may have more permissive norms in general or for certain behaviors, or for certain behaviors in specific situations. In a preregistered survey of 25,422 participants across 90 societies, we map societal differences in 150 everyday norms and show that they can be explained by how societies prioritize individualizing moral foundations such as care and liberty versus binding moral foundations such as purity. Specifically, societies with more individualistic morality tend to have more permissive norms in general (greater liberty) and especially for behaviors deemed vulgar (less purity), but they exhibit less permissive norms for behaviors perceived to have negative consequences in specific situations (greater care). By comparing our data with available data collected twenty years ago, we find a global pattern of change toward more permissive norms overall but less permissive norms for the most vulgar and inconsiderate behaviors. This study explains how social norms vary across behaviors, situations, societies, and time.

This study investigates the relationship between MB-COMT DNA methylation (DNAm) and the personality traits outlined in the NEO-PI-R model through an epigenetic study of monozygotic twins. DNAm, a critical epigenetic mechanism, regulates gene expression and has been linked to various biological processes and disorders. By leveraging the genetic similarities of monozygotic twins, this research explores how epigenetic variations influenced by environmental factors correlate with personality differences. The study utilized the Five-Factor Model (FFM) to categorize personality traits into five domains: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness to Experience. Each domain comprises six facets, providing a granular view of personality. The research centered on the catechol-O-methyltransferase ( COMT ) gene, focusing on its role in dopamine metabolism, which is hypothesized to influence personality traits through the dopaminergic system. DNAm status in the promoter region of the MB-COMT gene, was examined to determine its association with personality facets. Preliminary findings suggest a complex interaction between MB-COMT DNAm patterns and personality traits. Specific methylation patterns at different CpG sites were linked to varying expressions of traits such as impulsivity and aggression, highlighting the nuanced impact of epigenetics on personality. This study underscores the potential of integrating genetic, epigenetic, and environmental data to enhance our understanding of personality formation. The results contribute to a broader understanding of how genetic predispositions shaped by environmental factors manifest in complex trait differences, paving the way for future research in genetic psychiatry and personalized medicine.

This comprehensive review explores the landscape of open science in the Western Balkan Countries (WBCs), offering insights into existing policies, infrastructure, and practices. The analysis spans a spectrum of stakeholders, encompassing decision-makers, research funds, institutions, and individual researchers. The review is structured into four sections, each shedding light on crucial aspects of open science. The initial section investigates Open Science /Open Access (OS/OA) policies in WBCs, providing a foundation for understanding the regulatory landscape. The second section delves into OS/OA repositories within the region, emphasizing the significance of digital platforms for research dissemination. The third section focuses on OA practices, elucidating the prevalence of national OA scientific journal in Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Additionally, a bibliometric analysis of OA publishing in the WBCs, based on Scopus-indexed articles since 2012, offers valuable insights into disciplinary representation in OA practices. The final section examines the intersection of OS/OA and public engagement, particularly within the realm of psychology. Highlighting examples from the STAR Center, this section showcases initiatives that contribute to the development of OS/OA policies, infrastructure, and practices in Serbia, underscoring the Center's dedication to citizen science.

Objective: This study examined whether phenotypic correlations between psychopathological dimensions and personality traits of different hierarchical levels originate from common genetic and environmental sources of variance.Method: Participants were 386 monozygotic and 204 dizygotic twins. The Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ) was applied along with the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R). The results of the CFA confirmed the hypothesis of the internalizing and externalizing dimensions underlying PDSQ scales.Results: The results indicated a significantly greater role of genetic compared to environmental factors in the relationship between internalizing psychopathology and personality traits. Facets of neuroticism showed positive genetic links with internalizing disorders, while negative genetic links were shown for all facets of extraversion except excitement-seeking, competence, self-discipline, achievement striving, actions, and trust. Lower-order personality traits were shown to be associated with internalizing disorders more intensively than the broader domains to which they belong, both at the phenotypic and genetic levels.Conclusions: High neuroticism, together with several facets from the domain of extraversion and conscientiousness seems to represent an increased genetic susceptibility to the disorders from the internalizing spectrum. Results also suggest that specific environmental factors which are not shared with personality traits contribute to the internalizing symptoms.

Epigenetic modifications of the membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase (MB-COMT) gene may affect the enzymatic degradation of dopamine, and consequently, human behavior. This study investigated the association between membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNA methylation (DNAm) differences in 92 monozygotic (MZ) twins with phenotypic manifestations of cognitive, behavioral, and personality indicators associated with reward-related behaviors and lack of control. We used pyrosequencing to determine DNAm of the regulatory region of membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase in saliva DNA. Results of intrapair differences in the percentage of membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNAm at each of five CpG sites show that there are associations between phenotypic indicators of lack of control and membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNAm differences on CpG1, CpG2 and CpG4, suggesting the common epigenetic patterns for personality traits, cognitive functions, and risk behaviors.