Social Stats

8:21 Persona 4 Golden has five social stats, Knowledge, Courage, Diligence, Understanding and Expression, each with five ranks, and you raise them by spending free time on studying, part-time jobs, books, clubs and a few odd activities, as RPG Site and TheGamer's stat guides set out. They matter because they lock content: Margaret's link needs Knowledge 3, Naoto's needs Knowledge 5 and Courage 5, and Dojima's and Nanako's ranks stall without Expression. The original PS2 Persona 4 has the same five stats (Famitsu names them), but the methods below are Golden's. For Persona 4 Revival (Feb 18, 2027), Atlus has not detailed the social stats or how they rise, beyond saying they still open part-time jobs and Social Links, as of Nov 3, 2026.

Quick facts

Sources: RPG Site's social stats guide; TheGamer's Knowledge guide.

The five stats and their ranks

Both guides print "Persuasive" for Diligence rank 4 and for Expression rank 3; it may be a slip copied from one to the other, so check in game.

Sources: RPG Site; TheGamer's guides to Courage, Diligence, Understanding and Expression.

How to raise Knowledge

2:42 Study at your desk at night or in the school library after school; studying gives more on rainy days. The book "Expert Study Methods" raises every later study session for good, and "Hyperspeed Reader" lets you read two chapters in one time slot. Right answers in class add a little, so keep Persona 4 Golden Exam Answers open, and Nanako's two summer questions on Aug 28 and 29 count too. Knowledge also decides the last, unplayed day of every exam, so a perfect score needs it high. Source: TheGamer's Knowledge guide.

How to raise Courage

The hospital janitor job on Wednesday to Friday nights builds Courage (the book "100 Ghost Stories" raises its gain), as do scooter rides, with a Long Ride giving more. Eating the rotten food in the Dojima fridge on 4/26, 5/2, 6/20 and 10/24 is a free boost, and beating the optional bosses in cleared dungeons helps too. Books that raise it include Man of History, Man-God, Guide to Pests, Forever Macho, The Lovely Man and Farewell to Man. Source: TheGamer's Courage guide.

How to raise Diligence

Fold envelopes at home (from 4/23), wash dishes at the pub at night (from 5/25), go to sports club practice, and tend the garden from 5/22. The books Who Am I?, Poly-Land, Picross Rules!, Witch Detective and Office Work Manual add more. Source: TheGamer's Diligence guide.

How to raise Understanding

Fold origami cranes at home ("The Easy Origami Book" raises the gain), work at the daycare, pet the cat outside the Dojima house on nights Dojima is out, clean up after sports practice, and eat at Aiya on rainy days. Source: TheGamer's Understanding guide.

How to raise Expression

Translate at home ("English Made Easy" raises the gain), tutor at night, join drama or band practice, and pick the right answers in some classes. Books include The Divine Way, The Gentle Way, The O'Cha Way, The Punk's Way and The Ramen Way. Source: TheGamer's Expression guide.

Part-time jobs and what they raise

Jobs are posted on the Town Bulletin Board in the north Shopping District, and several lead to a Social Link.

Source: RPG Site's part-time jobs guide; Diligence pairing from TheGamer. The guides disagree on when the daycare opens: 4/23 in RPG Site's jobs guide, 5/2 in its Eri guide.

Which Social Links need which stats

Sources: TheGamer's guides to Knowledge, Courage, Diligence, Understanding and Expression. The full list of links is on Persona 4 Social Links.

An order that works

2:17 Start Knowledge and Courage early, since Naoto's link (from Oct 21) needs both at rank 5 and both rise slowly. Take a home job on nights you have nothing else to do, and study whenever it rains. Raise Expression before May so Dojima's link does not stall, and Diligence to 3 by late May to open the hospital job. The Aiya Mega Beef Bowl, ¥3,000 a try, raises three random stats each time, but TheGamer says you cannot finish it until all five are maxed (TheGamer). More planning tips are on Persona 4 Beginner Tips.

Social stats in Persona 4 Revival

7:45 Atlus has shown Revival's battles, Location Episodes and town, but has not said whether the five stats, their ranks or the jobs and books that raise them change. Atlus's staff say the Social Links are unchanged in nature (Anime Corner, Jul 8, 2026), and Atlus's Jun 18, 2026 broadcast, in the clip, says the protagonist's social stats still decide which part-time jobs and Social Links are open to him, without naming the stats or their ranks. See What's New in Persona 4 Revival.

Frequently asked questions

What are the social stats in Persona 4 Golden? Persona 4 Golden has five: Knowledge, Courage, Diligence, Understanding and Expression, each with five ranks.

How do you raise Knowledge fast in Persona 4 Golden? Study on rainy days, read "Expert Study Methods" to raise every later session, and answer classroom questions right; Persona 4 Golden's library and desk both work.

How do you raise Courage in Persona 4 Golden? Work the hospital janitor job, ride the scooter, eat the rotten food in the fridge on its set dates, and read Courage books in Persona 4 Golden.

Which social stats does Naoto need in Persona 4 Golden? Naoto's Persona 4 Golden link needs Knowledge 5 (Sage) and Courage 5 (Heroic) before it can start, no earlier than Oct 21.

Can you max every social stat in Persona 4 Golden? Yes, with planning: TheGamer says the Aiya Mega Beef Bowl can be finished only once all five Persona 4 Golden stats are maxed, which means all five reach rank 5 in one playthrough.

Does Persona 4 Revival have social stats? Yes: Atlus's Jun 18, 2026 broadcast says Persona 4 Revival's social stats decide which part-time jobs and Social Links open, but Atlus has not detailed them as of Nov 3, 2026.

Sources

• Persona 4 Golden: Social Stats, raising Knowledge, Courage, Expression, Diligence, Understanding, RPG Site, Jun 12, 2020
• Persona 4 Golden: Part Time Jobs, every job, requirements and rewards, RPG Site, Jun 12, 2020
• Persona 4 Golden: Knowledge Social Stat Guide, TheGamer (Gabrielle Castania), Jan 19, 2023
• Persona 4 Golden: Courage Social Stat Guide, TheGamer (Gabrielle Castania), Jan 19, 2023
• Persona 4 Golden: Diligence Social Stat Guide, TheGamer (Gabrielle Castania), Jan 19, 2023
• Persona 4 Golden: Understanding Social Stat Guide, TheGamer (Gabrielle Castania), Jan 18, 2023
• Persona 4 Golden: Expression Social Stat Guide, TheGamer (Gabrielle Castania), Jan 19, 2023
• The day Persona 4 went on sale, Famitsu, Jul 10, 2025
• Interview: Persona 4 Revival Staff Kazuhisa Wada & Shigenori Soejima, Anime Corner, Jul 8, 2026
• PERSONA 4 GOLDEN FOR BEGINNERS, SuperButterBuns, Apr 24, 2016 (video)
• Persona 4 Golden: The Ultimate Beginner Tips (Do This First), CritZy, Nov 5, 2025 (video)
• Persona 4 Revival Broadcast, Official ATLUS West, Jun 18, 2026 (video)