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An interdisciplinary linked-lives approach to individual differences in social behaviour

Nature Human Behaviour volume 9, pages 2012–2026 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Individuals differ considerably in their social behaviour. Recently, various behavioural sciences have begun to acknowledge the systematic nature and high relevance of this individuality, but approaches from different disciplines are currently isolated from each other. We propose an integrative, interdisciplinary approach for a more comprehensive understanding of individuality in social behaviour, considering (1) features (‘What kinds of individual differences exist?’), (2) sources (‘How do these differences emerge within individuals’ social environments?’), and (3) outcomes (‘What are the consequences of these differences, and how can relevant outcomes be changed through tailored interventions?’). We highlight common insights across disciplines, key challenges stemming from discipline-specific approaches, and new potentials enabled through the interdisciplinary approach. By allowing comparative analyses across species, groups of individuals, and contexts, our approach promises to uncover the shared and unique nature of individuality in human social behaviour. We offer concrete recommendations to guide the implementation of the interdisciplinary approach.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. JICE, Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment, University of Münster and Bielefeld University, Münster, Germany

    Niclas Kuper, Yves Breitmoser, Barbara Caspers, Melanie Dammhahn, Jürgen Gadau, Marie I. Kaiser, Christian Kandler, Martin Kroh, Oliver Krüger, Joachim Kurtz, Sakari Lemola, John F. Rauthmann, S. Helene Richter, Claudia Voelcker-Rehage & Mitja D. Back

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Niclas Kuper & Mitja D. Back

  3. Department of Economics, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Yves Breitmoser

  4. Department of Behavioral Ecology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Barbara Caspers

  5. Institute for Neurobiology and Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Melanie Dammhahn & S. Helene Richter

  6. Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Jürgen Gadau & Joachim Kurtz

  7. Department of Philosophy, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Marie I. Kaiser

  8. Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Christian Kandler & Sakari Lemola

  9. Institute of Psychology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Christian Kandler

  10. Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Martin Kroh

  11. Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Oliver Krüger

  12. Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany

    John F. Rauthmann

  13. Institute of Sports Science, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Claudia Voelcker-Rehage

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  1. Niclas Kuper
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  2. Yves Breitmoser
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Contributions

N.K. and M.D.B. had the lead role in the conceptualization of the manuscript and wrote the original draft. M.B. had the lead role in supervision. Y.B., B.C., M.D., J.G., M.I.K., C.K., M.K., O.K., J.K., S.L., J.F.R., S.H.R., and C.V.-R. contributed to the conceptualization of the manuscript and to writing—review and editing.

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Correspondence to Niclas Kuper.

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Kuper, N., Breitmoser, Y., Caspers, B. et al. An interdisciplinary linked-lives approach to individual differences in social behaviour. Nat Hum Behav 9, 2012–2026 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02301-7

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