Life Events and Personality Trait Change

Bleidorn, Wiebke; Hopwood, Christopher J.; Lucas, Richard E.

doi:10.1111/jopy.12286

Cited by 474 publications

(520 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…Furthermore, specific major life events such as marriage and divorce may also serve to explain individual differences in change (Allemand, Hill, & Lehmann, 2015;Specht, Egloff, & Schmuckle, 2011). However, the effects of life events on personality traits are in general relatively modest in magnitude and depend on the type of event and the trait (Bleidorn, Hopwood, & Lucas, 2016). Socialization effects are relevant for intervention efforts because participation in an intervention might reflect a setting that motivates intended change processes.…”

Section: Life Experiences and Personality Trait Change In "Natural" Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing personality traits: Some considerations from psychotherapy process-outcome research for intervention efforts on intentional personality change.

Allemand

Flückiger

2017

Journal of Psychotherapy Integration

102

117

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There is a recent debate in the field of personality development whether and how personality traits can be modified or changed over short periods of time. Whereas traditional positions highlight the relative stability of personality traits in adulthood, recent research investigates intentional personality trait change, that is, desires and attempts to change personality traits. The main goal of the present article is to connect recent activities and intervention efforts in personality psychology with psychotherapy process-outcome research. More specifically, we argue that 4 empirically derived common change factors in psychotherapy research might provide some useful heuristic principles for personality change interventions in normal population that do not particularly suffer from personality disorders. We discuss the implications of the use of these principles to change personality traits and suggest some ideas for future research and practice. There is a recent debate in the field of personality development whether and how personality traits can be modified or changed over short periods of time. Whereas traditional positions highlight the relative stability of personality traits in adulthood, recent research investigates intentional personality trait change, that is, desires and attempts to change personality traits. The main goal of the present paper is to connect recent activities and intervention efforts in personality psychology with psychotherapy process-outcome research. More specifically, we argue that four empirically derived common change factors in psychotherapy research might provide some useful heuristic principles for personality change interventions in normal population that do not particularly suffer from personality disorders. We discuss the implications of the use of these principles to change personality traits and suggest some ideas for future research and practice.

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Section: Life Experiences and Personality Trait Change In "Natural" Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing personality traits: Some considerations from psychotherapy process-outcome research for intervention efforts on intentional personality change.

Allemand

Flückiger

2017

Journal of Psychotherapy Integration

102

117

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“…It advocates that three-level organizations of personality traits (see Figure 2) tend to be relatively stable over time and cross-situationally consistent. Although the assumption that traits tend to be stable is not new (e.g., Allport, 1937;Eysenck, 1967) and is generally accepted by modern trait approaches (e.g., Bleidorn, Hopwood, & Lucas, 2018), it was also controversial as exemplified by Mischel's (1968) notorious critique of the personality trait field. However, the point here is that trait stability and consistency assessment cannot be reduced to the evaluation of behavioral stability and consistency.…”

Section: Trait Within the Personality Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personality Traits: Hierarchically Organized Systems

Fajkowska

2017

Journal of Personality

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Personality science has always been and is still ready for new theorizing on traits. Accordingly, this article presents the recently proposed traits as hierarchical systems (THS) model, where personality traits are not only the emergent properties of the three-level hierarchy of the personality system, but are also hierarchical per se. As hierarchical systems, they are organized into three levels: mechanisms and processes, structures, and behavioral markers. In this approach, trait denotes the underlying, recurrent mechanisms that pattern its structure and account for the stability/variability of individual characteristics. Here, traits might be described as processes with a slow rate of change that can be substituted for structure. The main function of personality traits, within the personality system, is stimulation processing. Three dominant functions of stimulation processing in traits are proposed: reactive, regulative, and self-regulative. Some important questions regarding the concept of trait remain, such as those concerning trait stability, determinacy, measurement, their relation to overt behaviors, personality type or state, and differentiation between temperament traits and other-than-temperament personality traits. All of these topics are discussed in this article, as well as the compatible and distinctive features of this approach in relation to selected modern trait theories.

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“…Because emerging adults vary so much in life experiences, some of which may affect personality development (Bleidorn, Hopwood, & Lucas, 2016;Specht et al, 2011;Lüdtke et al, 2011), emerging adults may change more heterogeneously relative to one another than middle-aged or older adults. Hence, we predict that emerging adulthood may be characterized by prominent individual differences in personality change in all Big Five traits.…”

Section: Lifespan Trends In Individual Differences In Personality Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Individual Differences in Personality Change Across the Adult Lifespan

Schwaba¹,

Bleidorn²

2017

Preprint

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Objective: A precise and comprehensive description of personality continuity and change across the lifespan is the bedrock upon which theories of personality development are built. Little research has quantified the degree to which individuals deviate from mean-level developmental trends. In this study, we addressed this gap by examining individual differences in personality trait change across the life span. Method: Data came from a nationally representative sample of 9,636 Dutch participants who provided Big Five self-reports at five assessment waves across 7 years. We divided our sample into fourteen age groups (ages 16-84 at initial measurement) and estimated latent growth curve models to describe individual differences in personality change across the study period for each trait and age group. Results: Across the adult lifespan, individual differences in personality change were small but significant until old age. For openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness, individual differences in change were most pronounced in emerging adulthood and decreased throughout midlife and old age. For emotional stability, individual differences in change were relatively consistent across the lifespan. Conclusions: These results inform theories of lifespan development and provide future directions for research on the causes and conditions of personality change.

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Life Events and Personality Trait Change

Cited by 474 publications

References 83 publications

Changing personality traits: Some considerations from psychotherapy process-outcome research for intervention efforts on intentional personality change.

Changing personality traits: Some considerations from psychotherapy process-outcome research for intervention efforts on intentional personality change.

Personality Traits: Hierarchically Organized Systems

Individual Differences in Personality Change Across the Adult Lifespan

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