Do the relationships between age and the personality of psychotherapists differ from expected trajectories? A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Objectives Large‐scale panel data suggest that older people tend to be less neurotic, extraverted and open‐minded, but more agreeable and conscientious. In this study, the relationships between age and the Big Five dimensions were examined for 324 German psychotherapists. Methods A model uncertainty and robustness approach was applied to evaluate the stability of relationships between age and the Big Five measures across a multiverse of regression analyses when controlling for job experience, gender, psychotherapeutic orientation, and occupational demands. Results Older psychotherapists were found to be more open and less neurotic, and conscientious. Relationships were found to be linear and were not moderated by occupational demands. Conclusions The observed relationships between age and psychotherapists' personality are discussed in consideration of social investment theories and a close connection between personal and professional development as a distinct feature of psychotherapeutic work. Those patterns parallel clients' preferences and likely contribute to therapy outcomes, which should be addressed in future studies in psychotherapy research.