The Welfare Trait: how state benefits affect personality (CPNSS Public Lecture)

In this lecture Dr Perkins argues that welfare policies which increase the number of children born into disadvantaged households risk proliferating dysfunctional, employment-resistant personality characteristics, due to the damaging effect on personality development of exposure to childhood disadvantage.

Adam Perkins is a Lecturer in the Neurobiology of Personality at King’s College London.

Kitty Stewart is Associate Professor in the Department of Social Policy at LSE.

Jason McKenzie Alexander is Professor of Philosophy at LSE.