Predicting Well-Being From Personality in Adolescents and Older Adults

Abstract

The relationship between personality and well-being is dynamic and therefore should be examined within aging perspective. In study presented here we compared the prediction of well-being from personality in two samples-223 adolescents attending highschool (16-19 years; M = 16.94, SD = 0.51) and 134 older adults (54-90 years; M = 77.20, SD = 7.39) living in retirement home or at home. Different aspects of wellbeing were included in the study. Subjective well-being was measured with Index of WellBeing, but also self-esteem and loneliness were included as measures of psychological well-being. Personality (measured with FFPI; Hendriks et al. in Pers Individ Dif 27:307-325, 1999) significantly predicted indicators of well-being (Self-Esteem, Loneliness and Index of Well-Being) in both samples, with emotional stability and extraversion as most pronounced predictors. Personality explained more variance of well-being in adolescents than in older adults, and more variance in eudaimonic than hedonic aspects of well-being.

Predicting Psychological and Subjective Well-Being from Personality: Incremental Prediction from 30 Facets Over the Big 5

“…Once again, this is consistent with previous work supporting a stronger relationship between personality and well-being for PWB than SWB (Butkovic et al, 2012;Grant et al, 2009) and reinforces the distinctiveness of these dimensions.…”

“…Second, PWB dimensions showed a slightly stronger relationship with the Big 5 than did SWB dimensions. Butkovic et al (2012) likewise reported that personality explained more variance in PWB than SWB. Third, consistent with Schmutte and Ryff (1997), PWB showed a more diverse relationship with personality than did SWB.…”

“…Only a few studies have examined correlations between personality and PWB (Bardi & Ryff, 2007;Butkovic, Brkovic, & Bratko, 2012;Grant, Langan-Fox, & Anglim, 2009;Keyes et al, 2002;Schmutte & Ryff, 1997). Such studies suggest that neuroticism, extraversion and conscientiousness are the major correlates for most PWB dimensions.…”

Lay Understanding of Happiness and the Experience of Well-Being: Are Some Conceptions of Happiness More Beneficial than Others?

“…Very few studies have compared well-being in adolescents and adults but those that have, indicate that the relationship between personality and well-being is connected to life-span development (e.g. Butkovic et al 2012). For example, data on the dynamics of neuroticism may elucidate the dynamics of well-being (Costa et al 1986).…”

What It Means to Be an Adolescent Teacher-And-Peer-Independent Motivation Type

“…Third, another point of criticism may lie in the investigation of personality within this study. In literature (Butkovic, Brkovic & Bratko, 2012;Szirmák, 2005) a five-factor model of personality is mainly described. In the present study, just three personality traits have been taken into account.…”