SOCIAL ROLES AND PERSONALITY IN LATER LIFE

Abstract Despite considerable stability of the Big Five personality traits, there is evidence for personality plasticity and change across the lifespan. In younger years, the investment in social roles, such as entering worklife or starting a family has been shown to drive personality change. With regard to personality in later life, the investigation of social roles has so far been neglected. A questionnaire was developed to assess a large number of social roles that can be assumed in the second half of life. N = 306 participants aged 50 to 86 years reported on their social roles and rated their personality traits. Results show that assuming and investing in certain social roles (e.g. friend, retiree, volunteer) mediated the effects of age on the Big Five, especially for the oldest participants and in the domains openness and extraversion. The findings support the importance of social roles for personality also in later life.

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Trajectories of Big Five Personality Traits: A Coordinated Analysis of 16 Longitudinal Samples

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1002/per.2259 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 301-321 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Eileen K. Graham ◽

Sara J. Weston ◽

Denis Gerstorf ◽

Tomiko B. Yoneda ◽

Tom Booth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Big Five ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Linear Models ◽

Growth Models ◽

Total Sample ◽

Big Five Personality Traits ◽

Personality Change ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Personality Psychology

This study assessed change in self–reported Big Five personality traits. We conducted a coordinated integrative data analysis using data from 16 longitudinal samples, comprising a total sample of over 60 000 participants. We coordinated models across multiple datasets and fit identical multi–level growth models to assess and compare the extent of trait change over time. Quadratic change was assessed in a subset of samples with four or more measurement occasions. Across studies, the linear trajectory models revealed declines in conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness. Non–linear models suggested late–life increases in neuroticism. Meta–analytic summaries indicated that the fixed effects of personality change are somewhat heterogeneous and that the variability in trait change is partially explained by sample age, country of origin, and personality measurement method. We also found mixed evidence for predictors of change, specifically for sex and baseline age. This study demonstrates the importance of coordinated conceptual replications for accelerating the accumulation of robust and reliable findings in the lifespan developmental psychological sciences. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology

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Personality, Interpersonal Problems, and Anxiety Among Older Adults

Psychological Reports ◽

10.1177/00332941211061697 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003329412110616

Author(s):

Olivia R. Noel ◽

Daniel L. Segal ◽

Katie L. Granier

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Big Five ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Interpersonal Problems ◽

Later Life ◽

Big Five Personality Traits ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Clinical Syndromes

Introduction: This study examined relationships between personality disorder (PD) features, Big Five personality traits, and interpersonal problems with anxiety. Method: Older adults ( N = 130) completed the Geriatric Anxiety Scale, Coolidge Axis Two Inventory, Big Five Inventory-2, and Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Problems. Pearson correlation analyses were used to assess simple relationships between anxiety with PD features (CATI scales), Big Five personality domains (BFI-2 scales), and interpersonal problems (CSIP scales). Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine the extent to which the PD scales of the CATI, the personality scales of the BFI-2, and the scales of the CSIP explained variance in anxiety. Results: Anxiety was positively correlated with 13 of 14 PD scales, ranging from .23 (Narcissistic) to .61 (Depressive). Regarding Big Five personality traits, anxiety was negatively associated with Agreeableness (−.23), Conscientiousness (−.30), and Extraversion (−.31) but was positively associated with Negative Emotionality (.56). Regarding interpersonal problems, anxiety was positively related to all eight CSIP scales, ranging from Self-sacrificing (.30) to Distant/Cold (.62). Regression analyses indicated that PD features accounted for the most variance in anxiety symptoms (53%), followed by interpersonal problems (46%), and Big Five personality traits (33%). Discussion: Anxiety appears to be meaningfully associated with PD features, several aspects of Big Five personality traits, and interpersonal problems, suggesting that these variables may play important roles in the development and maintenance of anxiety, or vice versa. Our findings especially speak to the growing awareness of the deleterious impact of PD features on clinical syndromes in later life, as evidenced by strong comorbidities with anxiety.

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Personality Change Profiles and Changes in Cognition Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3235 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 898-898

Author(s):

Mirjam Stieger ◽

Yujun Liu ◽

Eileen Graham ◽

Jenna DeFrancisco ◽

Margie Lachman

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Big Five ◽

Personality Trait ◽

Cognitive Change ◽

Big Five Personality Traits ◽

Personality Change ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Middle Aged ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Previous research on the relationship between personality traits and cognitive abilities has primarily focused on cross-sectional studies or on specific personality traits in relation to selected cognitive dimensions. The present study extends existing research by exploring associations among 20-year personality change profiles and 10-year cognitive change in middle-aged and older adults. The present study included 2,652 participants of the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS) ranging in age between 20 - 74 years (M = 46.61, SD = 11.26) at the first of the three measurement occasions. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was used to capture profiles of change across the Big Five personality traits of extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, and emotional stability combined. Results of the LPA identified three personality change subgroups: Decreasers, Maintainers, and Increasers. Across the 20 years, the Decreasers showed greater decreases on the Big Five personality traits, the Maintainers remained mostly stable, and the Increasers showed greater personality trait increases. Also, the Maintainers and Decreasers were significantly older than the Increasers. Longitudinal multilevel models were used to examine the relationship between these three personality change profiles and cognitive change. Age, sex, education, physical activity, functional health, and self-rated health were added as covariates. Results show that cognitive decline was greater for the Decreasers and less for the Increasers compared to the other personality change profiles. The results have implications for developing interventions to target personality trait change in middle and later adulthood as a potential means for reducing declines in cognitive functioning.

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Intelligence and Personality

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000311 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (3) ◽

pp. 124-132

Author(s):

Marc-André Bédard ◽

Yann Le Corff

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Big Five ◽

Real Life ◽

Big Five Personality Traits ◽

Original Study ◽

Life Assessment ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Verbal Intelligence ◽

Nonverbal Intelligence ◽

French Canadian

Abstract. This replication and extension of DeYoung, Quilty, Peterson, and Gray’s (2014) study aimed to assess the unique variance of each of the 10 aspects of the Big Five personality traits ( DeYoung, Quilty, & Peterson, 2007 ) associated with intelligence and its dimensions. Personality aspects and intelligence were assessed in a sample of French-Canadian adults from real-life assessment settings ( n = 213). Results showed that the Intellect aspect was independently associated with g, verbal, and nonverbal intelligence while its counterpart Openness was independently related to verbal intelligence only, thus replicating the results of the original study. Independent associations were also found between Withdrawal, Industriousness and Assertiveness aspects and verbal intelligence, as well as between Withdrawal and Politeness aspects and nonverbal intelligence. Possible explanations for these associations are discussed.

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Personality of Clown Doctors

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001/a000187 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. 49-55 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Alberto Dionigi

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Big Five ◽

Normal Population ◽

Big Five Personality Traits ◽

Published Data ◽

Big Five Personality

Abstract. In recent years, both professional and volunteer clowns have become familiar in health settings. The clown represents a peculiar humorist’s character, strictly associated with the performer’s own personality. In this study, the Big Five personality traits (BFI) of 155 Italian clown doctors (130 volunteers and 25 professionals) were compared to published data for the normal population. This study highlighted specific differences between clown doctors and the general population: Clown doctors showed higher agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, and extraversion, as well as lower neuroticism compared to other people. Moreover, specific differences emerged comparing volunteers and professionals: Professional clowns showed significantly lower in agreeableness compared to their unpaid colleagues. The results are also discussed with reference to previous studies conducted on groups of humorists. Clowns’ personalities showed some peculiarities that can help to explain the facility for their performances in the health setting and that are different than those of other groups of humorists.

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