Chapter 8: Personality traits

Two imp questions about personality

Can pers change?

Does it naturally change as we age?

Trait theory

The trait perspective in pers is based on the assumption that the org of the personal dispositions known as traits guide the indv’s behavior.

Who are less likely to smoke

High conscientiousness AND Low neuroticism and extraversion

Who have higher verbal fluency score

Ppl who are low neuroticism, high extraversion, openness and conscientiousness

Openness to experience

Curiosity, flexibility, vivid fantasy, imagine., artistic, unconventional attitudes.

Upside-down U-shape: Increases to 20, stable 20-55, decreases after 55

Conscientiousness

Competence, org, achievement-striving, self-discipline, self-control.

Increases over time

Lower mortality risk, cuz fewer high-risk health behaviors and lower stress level

Lower body fat, healthier metabolic, cardiovascular and inflammatory, good physical assessment score

High levels of self-discipline relate to proactive engaging that remain healthy (not smoking, exercise regularly)

Extraversion

Positive emotions, assertiveness, activity, excitement-seeking

Social vitality (socially active): Stable from 25-60, then decline to negative after 65

Social dominance (independence, socially self-confidence): Increase rapidly till 30s, then stable after

Agreeableness

Trust, straightforward, altruism, modestly, tender-mindedness

Increases over time

Neuroticism (emotional instability)

Anxiety, Hostility, depression, self-consciousness, impulsive, vulnerability

Decrease till 30s, then stable over time

Correspondence principle

People experience particular life events that reflect their personality traits → these events occur → further affect ppl’s personalities

Ex. High conscientiousness → more likely to work in an office envi → office envi gives constraints of space and time → further shape conscientiousness

Ex. High extroversion → more likely to party → in the social envi., even more outgoing

Radical contextual perspective

Personality traits are highly prone to change over time and highly instable (stability coefficients are low, less evidence)

Biological essentialist perspective

Personality is most likely shaped by genetics than envi

Personality traits are highly immutable and stable over time (stability coefficients are high, more evidence)

Genetic basis – On avg, abt 50% of measured pers diversity can be attributed to genetic diversity

Compromise perspective

Personality is MODERATELY STABLE and can CHANGE significantly throughout the lifespan

Personality changes occur before 30 y/o and remains fairly stable afterward

Similar-sized changes occur before and after 30 y/o

Stability increases until the 50s

Mean-level change (aka normative change)

Reflects whether a group of ppl increases or decreases on trait dimensions over time (on avg)

Mean-level change findings

Increases in Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional stability as we age

Inverted U-shape for openness, diff trajectories for aspects of extraversion

Total changes can be substantial

Largest change occurs during early adulthood, but continue through adulthood

Mean-level change: Criticism

May be influenced by biological causes

May be shaped by social/historical processes

Individual diff

Rank-order consistency (aka differential stability)

How indv diff in personality is consistent

High degree of consistency over time throughout adulthood

Shorter intervals b/w measures show greater consistency than longer intervals

People stay relatively “higher” or “lower” on traits, even as everyone may change a bit (e.g., if you're more conscientious than your peers at 25, you're likely still more conscientious than them at 45)

Rank-order consistency trend

Indv diff in personality are consistent in adulthood (most stability coefficients > .60)

Differential stability increases quickly from adolescence to 30-40, slows, then peaks from 60-70

Peak is followed by decline in the very old

Personality is fairly stable, but never set

Type A behavior pattern (A for angry)

Competitive, impatient, strong sense of time urgency

Major risk factor for heart disease, cuz high levels of hostility (esp in men)

Type D personality (D for Distress)

Anxiety, lonely, and depress (try to suppress feelings)

Also extreme social inhibition, fear of new situations

Also major risk factor for heart disease

Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST)

Ppl seek to maximize the (+) emotions they exp in their rela. Based on 2 types of rewards in rela: Informational rewards: Give you new knowledge, and emotional rewards: give you positive feelings.

Older adults are less interested in meeting new ppl and social horizons (cuz they don’t need anymore knowledge), but instead they deepen their ties to ppl closest to them (long-time friends and fam)

Perceived time running out

(Ex. graduating, leaving the country) → Less imp on informational rewards, more imp on emotional rewards (Affect regulation – increasing ur feelings of happiness and well being)

In a study, when think abt limited time, both young and old have better memory abt positive content

Possible selves theory

Indv’s view of the self/self-schema guides the choice and pursuit of future self. “What could I be in the future? → motivate you to act in certain ways to be that self, and avoid a feared self (ex. I don’t wanna be unemployed → try to get a license)

Increasingly imp as you get older is health-related possible self (in shape, disease-free)

Older adults who underestimated their future selves had higher well-being a yr later than those who overestimated

Coping and control

Older adults retain the feeling of being in control of their lives even tho they’re aware of the constraints they may encounter (View their resources and potential than focusing on losses.

Resolve better: Less depress

Cope better:

• High resilience (ability to recover from stress). Resilient old ppl can overcome (-) emotions and adapt to new situations, even if they’re stressful

• Believing in your own coping resources

• Religion help promoting resilience in old ppl

Old and young were equally effective in engaging in coping strategies to manage their responses to the disaster

Most effective coping

Mix and match of both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Matches the demands of the situation and its modifiability by actions that’s controllable.

Identity process theory

Adults increasingly rely on identity assimilation (consistent sense of self, denial, and don’t change identity) → older ppl maintain positive self-esteem

Self-esteem: Both balance and assimilation >> accommodation

Denial abt aging → longer longevity, better mental health

Accommodation → risk of depression

Women > men use identity accommodation

American > Dutch for maintaining a youthful age and self-esteem