Using big data to advance personality theory

Big data has led to remarkable advances in society. One of the most exciting applications in psychological science has been the development of computer-based assessment tools to assess human behavior and personality traits. Thus far, machine learning approaches to personality assessment have been focused on maximizing predictive validity, but have been underused to advance our understanding of personality. In this paper, we review recent machine learning studies of personality and discuss recommendations for how big data and machine learning research can be used to advance personality theory.