What Trump’s tweets say about his personality - according to science

Each of Donald Trump’s 35,000 tweets has sent echoes around the world – from typos such as ‘covfefe’ to chilling rants against enemies.

But what do the tweets reveal about Trump? Quite a lot, according to researchers from the Queensland University of Technology.

Researchers used computer software to ‘psychoanalyse’ his tweets – and say that he’s very creative, change-orientated, competitive and rule-breaking, like many business people.

Less cheeringly, the American leader has neurotic tendencies – and feelings of underlying low well-being.

The researchers, Martin Obschonka from the Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship
Research at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, and Christian Fisch from Trier University in Germany analyzed how aspects of Trump’s personality are revealed in the language he used in 3200 tweets issued by October 2016.

MOST POPULAR STORIES FROM YAHOO UK:

Millionaire boss who branded Corbyn a ‘tw*t’ insists radio rant featured ‘the right words’
Going underground: New Crossrail images show futuristic architecture of tunnels
Donald Trump just banned transgender people from serving in the US military
Village chiefs in Pakistan order ‘revenge rape’ of girl, 16, over brother’s alleged assault
Theresa May just quietly abandoned an election manifesto pledge

Many of his traits are typical of the so-called ‘Schumpeterian’ personality – often found in entrepreneurs – but the neurosis puzzled the researchers.

‘These traits are rather untypical for entrepreneurs since working as an entrepreneur may not only require emotional stability and optimism but also be able to increase happiness due to procedural utility,’ says Obschonka.

‘Maybe this high neuroticism is a major motivator to succeed in Trump’s entrepreneurial projects in his business life, but also in his role as political leader.

‘If social distinction is a core principle of the entrepreneurial personality, then we clearly see this principle reflected in his unusual personality profile.

‘Many experts agree that really successful entrepreneurs not only dare to be different – they are different.’

What’s less clear of course is whether having an ‘entrepreneurial’ personality is good in a political leader – and the world has three more years to find out.