Yoga is said to be an exercise of the body, mind and soul. It is clear that since the ancient days, there was an understanding that each of these areas influenced the others. Dr. Amber Abernathy, Mary-Charlotte Bayles Shealy Chair in Conscientious Psychology at Missouri State University, is testing this relationship through a collaborative research project with Dr. Stephen Berkwitz, head of the religious studies department.

As a psychologist, her primary research focus has been on personality, and thanks to the endowed chair by Shealy, Abernathy has tightened her focus to helping people increase their conscientiousness.

Though conscientious psychology is a new area, she confidently notes that the personality trait of being conscientious influences a person’s action from a young age.