Models of Personality Development in Emerging Adulthood

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Pratt ◽  
M. Kyle Matsuba
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Adulthood ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Emerging Adult ◽  
Late Adolescence ◽  
The Self ◽  
Personal Goals ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Over Time

Chapter 2 reviews research and theory on the life story and its development and relations to other aspects of personality. The authors introduce the integrative framework of McAdams and Pals, who described three levels in a broad model of personality: personality traits; personal goals, values, and projects; and the unique life story, which provides a degree of unity and purpose to the individual’s life. This narrative, which develops in late adolescence and emerging adulthood, as individuals become able to author their own stories, includes key scenes of emotional and personal importance to provide a sense of continuity, while remaining flexible and dynamic in incorporating changes in the self over time. The chapter ends with a description of Alison, an emerging adult from our Canadian Futures Study, who illustrates these levels and what they tell about personality development during this period.

scholarly journals Personality development from 12 to 18 years of age: changes in mean levels and structure of traits

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 445-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jüri Allik ◽  
Kaia Laidra ◽  
Anu Realo ◽  
Helle Pullmann
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
The Self ◽  
Age Changes ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adult Personality ◽  
12Th Grade ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Change In The Mean ◽  
The Mean

The Estonian NEO‐FFI was administered to 2650 Estonian adolescents (1420 girls and 1230 boys) aged from 12 to 18 years and attending 6th, 8th, 10th, or 12th grade at secondary schools all over Estonia. Although the mean levels of personality traits of Estonian adolescents were quite similar to the respective scores of Estonian adults, there was a developmental gap in Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. Three of the five personality dispositions demonstrated a modest cross‐sectional change in the mean level of the trait scores: the level of Openness increased and the levels of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness decreased between 12 and 18 years of age. Although the five‐factor structure of personality was already recognizable in the sample of 12‐year‐old children, it demonstrated only an approximate congruence with the adult structure, suggesting that not all children of that age have developed abilities required for observing one's own personality dispositions and for giving reliable self‐reports on the basis of these observations. The self‐reported personality trait structure matures and becomes sufficiently differentiated around age 14–15 and grows to be practically indistinguishable from adult personality by the age of 16. Personality of adolescents becomes more differentiated with age: along with the growth of mental capacities the correlations among the personality traits and intelligence become smaller. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

scholarly journals The Interplay of Self–Certainty and Prosocial Development in the Transition from Late Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 594-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Crocetti ◽  
Silvia Moscatelli ◽  
Jolien Van der Graaff ◽  
Monica Rubini ◽  
Wim Meeus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Adulthood ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Late Adolescence ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Reciprocal Effect ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Over Time

The transition from late adolescence to emerging adulthood is a period of the life span that offers young people the possibility to consolidate their self–certainty and prosociality. Both aspects are of core importance for increasing personal and societal well–being. The purpose of this longitudinal study was twofold: (i) to examine patterns of change and stability in self–concept clarity and prosociality; and (ii) to unravel over time associations between these constructs in the transition from late adolescence to emerging adulthood. In addressing both aims, we explored the moderating effects of gender. Participants were 244 Dutch emerging adults (46% male; mean age at T1 = 16.73 years) who completed six waves of data collection (mean age at T6 = 22.7 years). Findings highlighted that (i) self–concept clarity developed nonlinearly, with an initial decline from T1 to T2 followed by an increase thereafter, while prosociality increased linearly over time and both self–concept clarity and prosociality were characterized by high rank–order consistency; (ii) self–concept clarity and prosociality were positively related over time, with the effect of prosociality on self–concept clarity being stronger than the reciprocal effect of self–concept clarity on prosociality. Gender differences were detected in mean levels of self–concept clarity and prosociality (male participants reported higher self–concept clarity and lower prosociality than female participants) but not in their developmental pathways nor in their reciprocal associations. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology

Mixed Methods Approaches, Narrative Research, and the Futures Study

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Pratt ◽  
M. Kyle Matsuba
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Narrative Research ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Longitudinal Analyses ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Growth And Change ◽  
Over Time

Chapter 3 begins with the story of the Canadian Futures Study and its growth and change over the 15 years of its research “life span.” To orient the reader to the issues of research on personality and narrative that are the focus of this book, the authors first cover mixed methods, which integrate both qualitative and quantitative approaches to research, and their epistemological and research underpinnings in general. The authors then turn specifically to recent approaches to narrative research, including methods for studying the life story. Broader approaches to developmental methods and longitudinal analyses over time are briefly discussed. The chapter ends with a discussion of the specific research methods used in the collection of data and the analyses of narrative and personality development in the Futures Study.

Personality and Psychological Well-Being in Emerging Adulthood

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Pratt ◽  
M. Kyle Matsuba
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Adulthood ◽  
Transition To Adulthood ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Traumatic Experience ◽  
African Child ◽  
Positive Adaptation

Chapter 10 reviews the literature on personality development and adjustment during the transition to adulthood, using the McAdams and Pals model. The authors especially draw on the growing literature on the life story and positive adaptation by contemporary narrative researchers. Certain styles or qualities, such as optimistic and redemptive themes, may be important resources in helping young adults cope with difficult issues in their lives. The authors then describe some of their own research evidence on narratives of life experiences and adjustment in the Futures Study. The chapter ends with a case study of Ishmael Beah, who, during his emerging adulthood, wrote a book on his life as an African child soldier and described the difficult process of redemptive change and recovery from this traumatic experience.

scholarly journals Narrative Identity: the construction of the life story, autobiographical reasoning and psychological functioning in young adulthood

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Megan Vanessa Banks
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Young Adulthood ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Life Story ◽  
The Self ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Cognitive Response ◽  
Autobiographical Reasoning ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

<p>According to McAdams' (1988; 1993) Life Story Model of Identity, narrative identity is constructed through the development of the life story in adolescence and young adulthood. This theoretical claim has sparked an emerging body of research examining links between the development of the life story and psychological functioning during this developmental period (McLean & Breen, 2009; McLean, Breen, & Fournier, 2010; Tavernier & Willoughby, 2012). The aim of this thesis was to contribute to this emerging body of work by examining the relationship between autobiographical reasoning, the core process through which the life story develops, and psychological functioning in young adulthood. Across four studies, young adults constructed life story narratives of high points, low points and turning points from their life story. These narratives were coded for the presence, and valence, of autobiographical reasoning. Autobiographical reasoning was measured primarily in terms of self-event connections, statements linking an aspect of the narrated event to the young adults' sense of self (McLean & Fournier, 2008). Autobiographical reasoning valence was measured in terms of self-event connections that described the self in positive, negative, neutral and mixed (positive and negative) ways. The first study (Study 1a) showed that the valence of autobiographical reasoning found in young adults' life story narratives predicted psychological functioning. Young adults who made negative self-event connections in life story narratives experienced poorer psychological functioning (measured in terms of psychological distress and psychological well-being) than young adults who made little or no negative self-event connections. Conversely, young adults who made more positive self-event connections experienced comparatively better psychological functioning than those who made fewer positive self-event connections. The relationship between positive self-event connections and positive psychological functioning was most salient in the context of narratives about negative events from the life story. Study 1a also showed that for young adults who tended to make higher numbers of positive self-event connections, endorsing negative events as central to the life story was not associated with poor psychological functioning, whereas it was for young adults who made fewer positive connections. The second study (Study 1b) presented a methodology for examining the relationship between autobiographical reasoning valence and psychological functioning over time. Although the small sample size in Study 1b prevented firm conclusions being made, findings showed that young adults' tendency to make negative, but not positive, self-event connections remained stable over time. The preliminary findings from Study 1b also showed that positive and negative self-event connections in life story narratives were not associated with changes in psychological functioning over time. The third study (Study 2) found that young adults' tendency to reason about the self in positive and negative ways was associated with a number of cognitive response styles (explanatory style, rumination and use of cognitive reappraisal strategies). The results of Study 2 also highlight important ways that cognitive response factors, and young adults' assessments of meaning in their lives, may interact with autobiographical reasoning valence to predict psychological functioning. The fourth study (Study 3) aimed to investigate relationships between the phenomenology of life story memories and the amount, and valence, of autobiographical reasoning in narratives of these events. Findings showed few associations between autobiographical reasoning and autobiographical memory phenomenology. Possible reasons for the absence of these relationships are discussed. Wider implications and theoretical explanations for the findings reported in this thesis are discussed in terms of models of coping and Relational Frame Theory (RFT; Hayes, Barnes-Holmes, & Roche, 2001).</p>

Introducing the Transformative Self

2021 ◽  
pp. 3-31
Author(s):  
Jack Bauer
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Approach ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Final Section ◽  
Good Life ◽  
Narrative Identity ◽  
Life Story ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
The Third ◽  
Over Time

This chapter introduces the main features of the transformative self—what it is and is not. For instance, the transformative self is not a person but, rather, a self-identity that a person uses to facilitate personal growth. The person creates a transformative self primarily in their evolving life story. This growth-oriented narrative identity helps the person cultivate growth toward a good life for the self and others. The chapter provides an overview of the book’s theoretical approach and topics. The book’s first section examines the components of personal growth, narrative identity, and a good life that culturally characterize the transformative self. The second section explores the personality and social ecology of the person who has a transformative self. The third section shows how the transformative self develops over time. The final section explores the hazards and heights of having a transformative self.

The Life Story, Domains of Identity, and Personality Development in Emerging Adulthood

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Pratt ◽  
M. Kyle Matsuba
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Emerging Adulthood ◽  
Personal Identity ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Personality Research ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Life Course

This book is about the life story and its integration into the wider personality in development, as depicted in Erikson’s theory of personality stages. The authors focus on how this personal identity narrative develops in emerging adulthood, the transition period from adolescence to young adulthood. They utilize a framework proposed by McAdams, which treats personality development as composed of three levels acquired across the life course: behavioral traits; personal values and motives; and finally, the life story, which provides some sense of a coherent personal identity. The life story and identity development are examined through the lens of different identity domains, including ideological domains such as religion, morality, and vocation, and various relational domains, including family, close peer and romantic relationships, and wider civic concerns. In a series of chapters the authors review personality development in each of these domains following McAdams’s three-part model, and describe the growth of the life story in each. All these chapters review the empirical personality research literature and then discuss findings from the authors’ ongoing longitudinal, mixed methods study following a sample of young Canadians across emerging adulthood, drawing on the individual narrative voices of the sample to illustrate this life story development. The authors also present case studies of the emerging adulthood of well-known public figures at the end of each chapter. The final chapter ties together these various lines of evidence around some general issues concerning the role of the life story in the study of the emerging adult personality.

scholarly journals Narrative Identity: the construction of the life story, autobiographical reasoning and psychological functioning in young adulthood

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Megan Vanessa Banks
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Young Adulthood ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Life Story ◽  
The Self ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Cognitive Response ◽  
Autobiographical Reasoning ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

<p>According to McAdams' (1988; 1993) Life Story Model of Identity, narrative identity is constructed through the development of the life story in adolescence and young adulthood. This theoretical claim has sparked an emerging body of research examining links between the development of the life story and psychological functioning during this developmental period (McLean & Breen, 2009; McLean, Breen, & Fournier, 2010; Tavernier & Willoughby, 2012). The aim of this thesis was to contribute to this emerging body of work by examining the relationship between autobiographical reasoning, the core process through which the life story develops, and psychological functioning in young adulthood. Across four studies, young adults constructed life story narratives of high points, low points and turning points from their life story. These narratives were coded for the presence, and valence, of autobiographical reasoning. Autobiographical reasoning was measured primarily in terms of self-event connections, statements linking an aspect of the narrated event to the young adults' sense of self (McLean & Fournier, 2008). Autobiographical reasoning valence was measured in terms of self-event connections that described the self in positive, negative, neutral and mixed (positive and negative) ways. The first study (Study 1a) showed that the valence of autobiographical reasoning found in young adults' life story narratives predicted psychological functioning. Young adults who made negative self-event connections in life story narratives experienced poorer psychological functioning (measured in terms of psychological distress and psychological well-being) than young adults who made little or no negative self-event connections. Conversely, young adults who made more positive self-event connections experienced comparatively better psychological functioning than those who made fewer positive self-event connections. The relationship between positive self-event connections and positive psychological functioning was most salient in the context of narratives about negative events from the life story. Study 1a also showed that for young adults who tended to make higher numbers of positive self-event connections, endorsing negative events as central to the life story was not associated with poor psychological functioning, whereas it was for young adults who made fewer positive connections. The second study (Study 1b) presented a methodology for examining the relationship between autobiographical reasoning valence and psychological functioning over time. Although the small sample size in Study 1b prevented firm conclusions being made, findings showed that young adults' tendency to make negative, but not positive, self-event connections remained stable over time. The preliminary findings from Study 1b also showed that positive and negative self-event connections in life story narratives were not associated with changes in psychological functioning over time. The third study (Study 2) found that young adults' tendency to reason about the self in positive and negative ways was associated with a number of cognitive response styles (explanatory style, rumination and use of cognitive reappraisal strategies). The results of Study 2 also highlight important ways that cognitive response factors, and young adults' assessments of meaning in their lives, may interact with autobiographical reasoning valence to predict psychological functioning. The fourth study (Study 3) aimed to investigate relationships between the phenomenology of life story memories and the amount, and valence, of autobiographical reasoning in narratives of these events. Findings showed few associations between autobiographical reasoning and autobiographical memory phenomenology. Possible reasons for the absence of these relationships are discussed. Wider implications and theoretical explanations for the findings reported in this thesis are discussed in terms of models of coping and Relational Frame Theory (RFT; Hayes, Barnes-Holmes, & Roche, 2001).</p>

scholarly journals The Peculiarities of Character Development in Adolescents with Mental Retardation

2020 ◽  
pp. 164-173
Author(s):  
И.А. Конева ◽  
Н.В. Карпушкина ◽  
П.А. Егорова
Keyword(s):  
Mental Retardation ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Character Development ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
The Self ◽  
Expert Assessment ◽  
Correctional Psychology ◽  
Mathematical Processing

Проблема, рассматриваемая в статье, является относительно новой в специальной психологии и психокоррекционной практике и актуальной с точки зрения социализации лиц с ограниченными возможностями здоровья (ОВЗ), в частности с умственной отсталостью. В статье проанализированы новые психологические исследования по вопросам личностного, характерологического развития подростков с интеллектуальной недостаточностью (умственной отсталостью, задержанным психическим развитием) и выделены особенности их личностного развития. Описан методологический аппарат проведенного авторами эмпирического исследования особенностей развития характера подростков с умственной отсталостью: его цель, гипотеза, использованные методики. Представлена специфика особенностей характера подростков с интеллектуальной недостаточностью в сравнении с подростками с нормальным психическим развитием, выявленные с помощью патохарактерологического диагностического опросника А. Е. Личко, авторской модификации Методики экспертных оценок и проективной рисуночной методики «Автопортрет». Доказано, что у подростков с умственной отсталостью в большей степени, чем у сверстников с нормальным психическим развитием, выражены эпилептоидный и истероидный типы акцентуации характера (это подтвердило исходную гипотезу исследования), повышены показатели импульсивности, агрессивности, гипертимности, слабо выражено сочувствие к другим людям и есть признаки тревожности и интровертированности. Достоверность сделанных в исследовании выводов подтверждена применением методов вторичной математической обработки результатов. Перспективы дальнейших исследований личности подростков с умственной отсталостью могут быть связаны с разработкой, организацией и проведением коррекционно-развивающей работы с ними в целях гармонизации их характерологического и в целом личностного развития. The article treats a relatively new issue of special psychology and correctional psychology. The relevance of the issue is accounted for by the necessity to ensure socialization of people with limited abilities, mental retardation in particular. The article investigates personality and character development in adolescents with mental retardation and singles out some peculiarities of personality development in adolescence. The article outlines the aim, the hypothesis and the methods employed in the empirical research conducted by the authors of the article and focusing on the investigation of character development in adolescents with mental retardation. The article describes character peculiarities of teenagers with mental retardation as compared to healthy adolescents. A. E. Lichko’s pathocharacterologic diagnostic questionnaire, the Method of expert assessment, and the Self-portrait sketch method are used to single out the peculiarities of character development in adolescents with mental retardation. The article maintains that teenagers with mental retardation are more likely to have epileptoid and hysteroid types of character accentuation than their healthy peers (which proves the hypothesis of the research), that they are more impulsive, aggressive and hyperthymic, they are less likely to feel sympathy towards other people, they are introverted and are more likely to experience anxiety. The method of mathematical processing is used to prove the reliability of the obtained results. The prospects for further research of personality traits of adolescents with mental retardation can be associated with the harmonization of adolescents’ character and personality development.

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