What Your Favorite Season Says About Your Personality

Does a particular time of year appeal to you more than others? Some people love the long, warm days of summer, while others revel in the chilly autumn days.

Let’s talk about why some seasons speak to us more than others and how psychology could explain these preferences.

Why We Prefer Certain Seasons

There is little research on the psychology of seasonal preferences, but researchers have found that changes in temperature and light can affect how we feel and influence our behavior.

Some researchers have explored whether the season that you were born in could influence your personality, which makes sense, as each time of year has its own unique environmental and cultural factors that might influence a person’s development.

It might seem odd, but psychologists have long recognized the powerful influence that seasons can have on our mood. We know that people who have a type of depression called seasonal affective disorder have symptoms that are very much linked to changes in light and weather from season to season. For example, the shorter, darker winter months can trigger depression symptoms in some people.

However, any scientific explanation for our love of a particular season has to take geographic differences into account. Where we live and the weather that’s typical of that region can play a role in season preference, too.

In the United States, some western states tend to have cold fall months that quickly turn to snow. Eastern states can have milder weather that showcases a glorious, colorful transition from summer to fall.

How Weather and Mood Are Connected

Research suggests that dropping temperatures can affect mood and behavior. The temperature might even influence how we perceive other people.

In one study, people in hot rooms were more likely to see accused criminals as impulsive and hot-headed. People in cold rooms were more likely to view the suspects as having committed cold-blooded, premeditated crimes.

An older study found that when people are holding a hot beverage, they are more likely to see others as being warm and personable. Holding a cold drink led participants to see others as being interpersonally colder. However, other researchers haven’t been able to repeat the findings of these studies, so they’re not sure just how much temperature affects our decisions.

Why Light Affects Mood

Light can have a significant influence on your mood. Bright, sunny days may leave you feeling happy and energized, while dark, dreary days may cause you to feel gloomy and uninspired. It’s no surprise, then, that light can also influence the seasons you like best.

Your body follows a roughly 24-hour cycle of wakefulness and sleepiness called your circadian rhythm. Sunlight is a key driver of the cycle. When you’re exposed to less sunlight, your body releases hormones that trigger lethargy.

For people who have SAD, a lack of sunlight during the fall and winter months can leave them feeling depressed, fatigued, and losing interest in activities they usually enjoy.

Getting more sunlight each day or using light box therapy can help people with SAD symptoms that are triggered by darker seasons.

It’s less common, but some people with SAD have symptoms in the summer instead of the winter. Hot weather, longer days, and high pollen counts can all contribute to summer-pattern SAD (also called “summer depression”).

What Your Favorite Season Reveals About You

Does your personality also play a role in what season you like best? Maybe! Let’s look at what your favorite season could say about you.

Spring

In some parts of the world, spring is when the short, dark days of winter give way to warming temperatures and greener outdoor spaces.

If spring is your favorite season, you may crave new experiences and the renewal spring brings after a long, cold winter.

Summer

In many parts of the world, summer means longer, warmer, brighter days. If summer is your favorite time of year, maybe it’s because you love getting outside and having an active lifestyle. The warm months of summer are also a popular time to travel.

If you love summer, maybe you’re outgoing and extroverted. The people in your life may describe you as upbeat, personable, and assertive.

Fall

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns," George Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans) once wrote of her affection for the fall season.

While parts of the world see spring as the season of renewal, fall is also a great time for a fresh start. The vibrant orange colors and cooler weather of autumn may appeal to your constant desire for change. The upcoming holidays may inspire you to reflect on the year that was and make plans for the year to come.

Winter

If you count the chilly months of winter as your favorite season of all, it might mean that you tend to be a bit of an introverted homebody.

Donning a warm sweater and curling up on the couch with a hot beverage to escape the cold might sound like your idea of an ideal afternoon.

Summary

Seasonal changes in light and temperature can play a major role in how we think, feel, and behave.

However, keep in mind that a variety of factors influence our preferences, including our experiences.

If you grew up enjoying the outdoors during the summer months and have pleasant memories of the summer season, then it may be more likely that you will also love summer as an adult.

Our preferences, including those for certain times of the year, are complex and likely influenced by a wide array of interacting factors.