Personality Dispositions over Time: Stability, Coherence, and Change Larsen & Buss The Dispositional Domain Chapter 5 “Some things change; some things stay the same.” Personality Development Defined as the continuities, consistencies, and stabilities in people over time and the ways people change over time. Different forms of stability: 1. Rank order stability 2. Mean level stability 3. Personality Coherence Personality Change Not all changes qualify as development. • This applies to both internal and external changes. Personality change must meet two qualities: (1) changes are internal to the person and (2) relatively enduring over time. Personality over time can be examined at 3 levels: Three Levels of Analysis 1. Population 2. Group Differences 3. Individual Differences Population Level Changes & constancies that typically can apply to everyone. Ex: General decrease in impulsivity and risktaking behaviors as we age. Group Differences Some changes over time affect different groups of people differently. Ex: Men & women show empathy differently Individual Differences Can predictions be made according to an individual’s personality? Ex: Can we predict who will experience a midlife crisis? Personality Stability Over Time Studying Personality Over Time Longitudinal studies – examine the same groups of individuals over time Temperament – individual differences that develop very early in life & are likely to have a heritable basis. Stability of Temperament During Infancy • Stable differences seem to emerge early in life • Stable over shorter intervals • Remain stable in first year • Stability increases as infants mature Stability during Childhood Some individual differences seem to emerge in early childhood • Tend to be moderately stable over time • E.g., aggression As people age, personality seems to be more “set” (Buss et al.). Stability in Adulthood • After age 50 there is little change in broad personality traits identified in the Five Factor Model. • People score lower on Neuroticism • Emotional stability increases Stability in Adulthood Some people change more than others… • People who experience few stressful events show large decreases in N Those who experience more stress score higher on N • An interaction might exist • People score higher on agreeableness & conscientiousness • Dispositions may also be changeable via therapy Personality Change Changes from Adolescence to Adulthood Changes in self-esteem • Perception of one-self as close to being the person one wants to be and/or relatively distant from being the person one does not want to be. • Women tend to decrease in self-esteem compared to men Changes from Adolescence to Adulthood Changes in autonomy, dominance, leadership, and ambition • Decrease in ambition --- high scores in other areas Changes in sensation seeking • Decreases in adulthood – peaks in late adolescence Changes in femininity • Decrease observed from early 40s to early 50s Personality Changes across Cohorts Assertiveness & Narcissism Cohort effects – differences between groups are examined in relation to the social context in which each group lived. Example: • Assertiveness & narcissism seem to change according to cohorts Personality Coherence over Time Socially Relevant Outcomes Personality Coherence Predictable changes in the manifestations or outcomes of personality over time… Marital stability, marital satisfaction, and divorce • Neuroticism of wife and husband --lack of impulse control of husband • Predictors of divorce and marital dissatisfaction • Personality similarity is correlated w/ stronger marriages Personality Coherence Alcoholism, Drug Use, & Emotional Disturbance • High neuroticism • Low impulse control – high sensation seeking (alcohol abuse) • Low on agreeableness & conscientiousness – (substance abuse) Personality Coherence Religiousness & Spirituality • High openness in adolescence (spirituality) • High conscientiousness and agreeableness (religiousness) Education, Academic Achievement, and Dropping Out • High conscientiousness predicts successful academic performance* • High emotional stability, openness, & agreeableness Personality Coherence Health, Retirement, and Longevity • Low neuroticism, hostility • High emotional stability & conscientiousness • High extraversion linked to (+) health outcomes • High neuroticism is linked to problems adjusting to retirement Summary Personality dispositions are relatively stable over time, yet change is likely in some individuals at some points
