The influence of personality traits on the effect of persuasion strategies: A systematic literature review

Scientists have long been interested in how to predict and influence human behavior. To influence human behavior, the effectiveness of persuasion strategies has been studied in marketing, business and psychology. Recently, persuasion strategies that match individual personality traits are assumed to be more effective in influencing behavior. This systematic literature review aims to take stock of these studies to answer the research question: What is the influence of personality traits on the effect of persuasion strategies on influencing individual behavior? The systematic literature review of 80 articles ranging from 1982 till September 2024 reveals three key findings. First, the review highlights the differences in effectiveness among matching (i.e., participants encounter persuasion strategies tailored to their individual personalities), contra-matching (i.e., a randomly selected persuasion strategy is used), and non-matching (no persuasion strategies are employed) persuasion strategies based on personality traits. Specifically, matching strategies are significantly more effective than non-matching ones whereas contra-matching strategies are often found to be counterproductive. Second, the review assesses the level of susceptibility to persuasion strategies for the different personality traits from the five-factor model: Those possessing the trait agreeableness are most responsive to persuasion strategies, while those high on neuroticism are least affected. Third, an overview is presented that outlines effective persuasion strategies for each personality trait within the five-factor model, indicating variations in the effectiveness of distinct persuasion strategies across traits. The findings indicate that matching persuasion strategies with personality traits instead of one-size-fits-all persuasion strategies creates an opportunity to improve their effectiveness on influencing individual behavior.