53 Personality Consistency and Change

Flashcards covering key concepts related to the origins of personality traits and their consistency and change over time.

Personality Traits

Characteristics that are influenced by both genetic (nature) and environmental (nurture) factors.

Monozygotic Twins

Identical twins, sharing 100% of their genetic material, used to study genetic influence on personality.

Dizygotic Twins

Fraternal twins, sharing about 50% of their genetic material, used for comparison with monozygotic twins in behavioral genetics research.

Behavioral Genetics

A field of study that investigates the role of genetic and environmental influences on behavior and personality traits.

Situational Factors

External influences, including context and environment, that can affect behavior and personality expression.

Consistent Moral Behavior

Steadiness in moral actions across similar situations, as demonstrated in Hartshorne and May's 1928 study.

Psychosocial Maturity

Development of personality traits leading to increased agreeableness and conscientiousness, and a decrease in neuroticism in adults.

Curvilinear Age Trends

Patterns of personality change over time, particularly during middle childhood and adolescence, associated with gender differences.