Personality Psychology - Ch.9: Personality Across the Lifespan Study Guide

Longitudinal Study

A study following a group of people as they age. Compares the same people, but takes a long time, expensive, time-consuming, lose participants(attrition). More reliable of the two.

Cross-Sectional Study

Data collected at one time that compares people of different ages. Efficient, cheaper. However, differences other than age, not the same person being tested(culture, gender, etc)

Less

Personality is ___ clear in childhood than it is in adulthood. Young children are often too young to respond to self-report measures of personality. However, Big Five traits are somewhat recognizable in 12 year-olds, but are very clearly evident among 16 year-olds

Temperament

Genetically based behavioral tendencies seen in young children. Solidifies into personality

Extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness

Which Big 5 Personality Traits overlap the most with temperament?

Positive Affect

Smiling, happiness. Correlates with extraversion

Affiliativeness

Liking to be around others. Correlates with agreeableness

Effortful Control

Control over behavior. Correlates with conscientiousness

Negative Affect

Crying, sadness. Correlates with neuroticism

Orienting Sensitivity

Being alert. Correlates with openness.

Undercontrolled

3-year olds labeled this(low in conscientiousness, high in impulsivity) scored higher in danger seeking, aggression, impulsivity, alcoholism and drugs in later life.

Overcontrolled

3-year olds labeled this(high in conscientiousness, low in impulsivity). More likely to be politically conservative in their early 20s.

Increases

Shyness __ between the ages of 18 months and 9 years.

Increases

Inhibition(roughly equivalent to high conscientiousness) __ between the ages of 4 and 9 years

Moderate, decreases, increases, decreases

self esteem is ___ during elementary school, ___ during early teen years, then ___ during high school and young adulthood. __ after 60s

Increases

As people get older, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability(low neuroticism) ___.

Decreases, Increases

Self-esteem for men and women __ in middle school and ___ in high school.

Decreases

Narcissism in general tends to ___ with age. Teens score the highers, oldest report the least, could be due to generational differences

Quantum Change

Radical personality change. Happens very infrequently

Social Investment Theory

The idea that personalities mature as people enter important adult social roles such as establishing a career and starting a family

Maturation of Personality

Growth in traits consistent with being more mature and grown up, such as higher conscientiousness, higher agreeableness, and lower neuroticism. Occurs at younger ages in places where people take on adult roles sooner

Emerging Adulthood

A new life stage between adolescence and adulthood, as people use their 20s to explore different career options and partners, postponing traditional markers of adulthood until later

Increase

Those who start working right after high school tend to __ in conscientiousness faster than those who went to school post-graduation

Self-confidence, dominance, and norm-adherence

People successful in careers increase more in __ and decrease in neuroticism.

Decreased

Men who married/remarried found that they ___ in neuroticism faster than those who did not get married during that same period

Infancy(0 to 1 1/2 years).

Trust vs. Mistrust. Part of Erik Erikson's stages of development.

Early Childhood(1 1/2 to 3 years).

Autonomy vs. Shame.

Preschool(3 to 5 years)

Initiative vs. Guilt. Part of Erik Erikson's stages of development.

School Age(5 to 12 years)

Industry vs. Inferiority. Part of Erik Erikson's stages of development.

Adolescence(12 to 18 years)

Ego Identity vs. Role Confusion. Part of Erik Erikson's stages of development.

Young Adulthood(18 to 40 years)

Intimacy vs. Isolation. Part of Erik Erikson's stages of development.

Middle Adulthood(40 to 65 years)

Generativity vs. Stagnation. Part of Erik Erikson's stages of development.

Older Adulthood(65+ years)

Ego Integrity vs. Despair. Part of Erik Erikson's stages of development.

85%

The average 65 year old adult is ___ more disciplined(self-discipline) than adolescents.

Increase

those who have had 2+ children tend to ___ in neuroticism

Sociability

Dads high in ___ increased further after having children, while dads low in ___ decreased further.

Increase

College students experiencing negative events tend to ___ in neuroticism.These are relatively small changes.

Decrease, Increase

College students experiencing positive events tend to ___ in neuroticism and __ in extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. These are relatively small changes.

Birth Order

Whether you're oldest, middle, or younger in your family or an only child. Explains, at most, 4% of differences. However, most studies have not been replicated, and some of them have found differences while others have not

Higher

Younger siblings tend to be __ in openness to experience, challenge the beliefs of family/society.

50%

Younger siblings tend to be more reckless and are ___ more likely to participate in dangerous sports. Also more likely to be arrested.

Higher

Older siblings tend to be __ in conscientiousness and neuroticism, perpetuate the beliefs of family/society. Also tend to be dominant, seeking leadership positions.

Higher

Youngest siblings tend to be ___ in agreeableness.

Little

There is __ evidence that middleborns differ from their siblings.

Nonexistent

The difference between normal children and those with siblings is ___ on many attributes. More likely to do with affordability

Conscientiousness, agreeableness

Children higher in these two Big 5 traits are more likely to graduate from college and succeed at work.

Conscientiousness

This Big 5 trait is the best predictor of health, long life, school/work performance.

Neuroticism, Agreeableness

Low __ and high __ are the best predictors of marriage vs. divorce.

r=.25

Most of the time, the correlation between personality traits and important outcomes(ex. long life), is no more than ___.

Mean Level Change

Changes in a group's average scores over time

Agreeableness, conscientiousness

Long term unemployment means decreases in __ in women and decreases in __ in men.

18-22, 60-70

During what years does openness to experience increase, and openness to experience decrease?

Higher, lower, unchanged

High school seniors are __ in agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness, while __ in neuroticism. Extraversion __.

Rank-Order Consistency

People tend to maintain the ways in which they are different from other people the same age. Ex. people who are more extraverted than the average at age 5, will likely still be more extraverted than the average at age 30.