Predicting openness to experience via a multiplex cognitive network approach

Openness to Experience is most strongly related to aspects of high-level cognition, such as creativity. Yet, the role of cognitive capacities in Openness is still far from understood. We examine how individuals search their memory predicts levels of Openness. Participants (N = 163) had one minute to generate synonyms to the word hot, which operationalizes mental navigation through a multidimensional representation of the mental lexicon - a cognitive multiplex network. We find high accuracy in low- and high- Openness group classification, and good prediction of individual differences in Openness. These results support the use of computational cognitive modelling for the study of personality traits. Further, our results suggest that people high in Openness engage in a distinct style of cognitive search.