scholarly journals Post‐traumatic growth as positive personality change: Challenges, opportunities, and recommendations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eranda Jayawickreme ◽  
Frank J. Infurna ◽  
Kinan Alajak ◽  
Laura E. R. Blackie ◽  
William J. Chopik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personality Change ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic

scholarly journals Post–traumatic Growth as Positive Personality Change: Evidence, Controversies and Future Directions

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 312-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eranda Jayawickreme ◽  
Laura E. R. Blackie
Keyword(s):  
Personality Change ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Rigorous Research ◽  
Target Article ◽  
Post Traumatic

This target article focuses on the construct of post–traumatic growth—positive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances. Prominent theories of post–traumatic growth define it in terms of personality change, and as a result, this area of research should be of great interest to personality psychologists. Despite this fact, most of the research on this topic has not been sufficiently informed by relevant research in personality psychology, and much of the extant research suffers from significant methodological limitations. We review the literature on post–traumatic growth, with a particular focus on how researchers have conceptualized it and the specific methodological issues associated with these conceptualizations. We outline some ways in which personality science can both be enriched by the study of this phenomenon and inform rigorous research on post–traumatic growth and provide a series of guidelines for future research of post–traumatic growth as positive personality change. Copyright © 2014 European Association of Personality Psychology

scholarly journals Post-traumatic growth as positive personality change: Developing a measure to assess within-person variability

2017 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 22-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E.R. Blackie ◽  
Eranda Jayawickreme ◽  
Eli Tsukayama ◽  
Marie J.C. Forgeard ◽  
Ann Marie Roepke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personality Change ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic

scholarly journals Preprint Perceived Characteristics of Life Events - Short-Term Changes in Prosociality and Empathy?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ina Fassbender ◽  
Peter Haehner ◽  
Susanne Buecker ◽  
Maike Luhmann
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Personality Change ◽  
External Control ◽  
Status Change ◽  
Growth Curve Models ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Individual

Post-traumatic growth can be understood as positive change in desirable personality traits after adverse life events. However, recent research questioned whether adversity is a relevant, necessary, and sufficient condition for change in desirable personality traits. Using five-wave longitudinal data, this study explored changes in the desirable personality traits prosociality and empathy before and after life events. We included all life events participants had experienced between the second and third assessment, that is, adverse, ambiguous, and positive events. Participants rated their life events on the Event Characteristics Questionnaire which assesses the individual perception of life events on nine continuous dimensions: challenge, emotional significance, extraordinariness, external control, impact, valence, social status change, predictability and change in world views. We used multilevel growth curve models to explore changes in prosociality and empathy as a function of these event characteristics. Prosociality and empathy remained stable in the assessment period of six to nine months after the reported life event, independently of whether the event had been perceived as adverse or not. We discuss our findings with respect to the inclusion of positive and ambiguous events as predictors of personality change and with respect to its theoretical implications for post-traumatic growth and personality development more broadly.

scholarly journals Are predictions and perceptions of post-traumatic growth a form of ultimate justice reasoning?

2021 ◽  
pp. 089020702110140
Author(s):  
Annelie J Harvey ◽  
Laura ER Blackie
Keyword(s):  
Personality Change ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Severe Accident ◽  
Coping Mechanism ◽  
Just World ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Will ◽  
Sense Of Justice

Researchers have questioned whether self-report questionnaires adequately assess post-traumatic growth as it was theorized (positive personality change after trauma), versus assessing a broader coping mechanism. Across four studies, we examine whether individuals report post-traumatic growth as a coping mechanism to restore a sense of justice. In Studies 1 and 2, participants predicted greater post-traumatic growth for a hypothetical victim after a severe accident that caused grave suffering (and disrupted one’s belief in a just world), compared to an accident that caused minimal suffering (and did not disrupt one’s belief in a just world). Both perceptions of deservingness of post-traumatic growth for the victim (a belief in a just world mechanism) and engagement in deliberative rumination (a post-traumatic growth mechanism) mediated the effect of suffering on the prediction of post-traumatic growth in Study 2. The same pattern of results held when participants considered their own imagined suffering (Study 3), and when participants reported post-traumatic growth from distressing events in their own lives (Study 4). As such, we conclude that following an episode of suffering, either occurring to another or to oneself, self-reports of post-traumatic growth on questionnaires can reflect two distinct motivations: (1) an attempt to cope with perceived injustices and (2) the will to search for meaning in one’s suffering.

scholarly journals Interdependent transformations: Integrating insights from relationship science to advance post-traumatic growth and personality change research

2021 ◽  
pp. 089020702110221
Author(s):  
Veronica M Lamarche
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Personality Change ◽  
Adverse Life Events ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Relationship Outcomes ◽  
Interdependence Theory ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Research Relationships

People have a tremendous ability to grow and change for the better following adverse life events. This capacity for growth has captured the attention of psychologists interested in understanding the mechanisms underpinning both personality and well-being. This paper advocates for a greater integration of relationship science into this area of study as a means of advancing post-traumatic growth and personality change research. Relationships, both as an impetus for change and as evidence of growth, have featured consistently in the post-traumatic growth and adversity literatures. Drawing from interdependence theory in particular, this paper highlights how the unique structure of close relationships and relationship dynamics can be applied to address outstanding theoretical questions related to the advancement of post-traumatic growth research as well as offers a critique of the practice of using relationship outcomes (e.g., connection) as evidence of post-traumatic growth. Finally, this paper encourages psychologists across subdisciplines to share their unique skills and insights to help generate more robust psychological theories and methods.

scholarly journals Post-Traumatic Growth as Positive Personality Change: Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eranda Jayawickreme ◽  
Frank J Infurna ◽  
Kinan Alajak ◽  
William J. Chopik ◽  
Laura Blackie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Growth ◽  
Personality Change ◽  
Causal Processes ◽  
Clinical Counseling ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Developmental Health ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Quality Of Research

Posttraumatic growth typically refers to enduring positive psychological change experienced as a result of adversity, trauma, or highly challenging life circumstances. Critics have challenged insights from much of the prior research on this topic, pinpointing its significant methodological limitations. In response to these critiques, we propose that posttraumatic growth can be more accurately captured in terms of personality change—an approach that affords a more rigorous examination of the phenomenon.We outline a set of conceptual and methodological questions and considerations for future work on the topic of post-traumatic growth.We provide a series of recommendations for researchers from across the disciplines of clinical/counseling, developmental, health, personality, and social psychology and beyond, who are interested in improving the quality of research examining resilience and growth in the context of adversity.We are hopeful that these recommendations will pave the way for a more accurate understanding of the ubiquity, durability and causal processes underlying post-traumatic growth.

Redesigning Research on Post-Traumatic Growth

2021 ◽  
pp. 280-296
Author(s):  
Frank J. Infurna ◽  
Eranda Jayawickreme
Keyword(s):  
Personality Change ◽  
Entire Volume ◽  
Cultural Narrative ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Novel Theory ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
American Society ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Different Cultures

The mantra “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” resonates with many people. Given both the degree and types of adversity that almost all individuals confront over the course of their lives, this cultural narrative can be a source of strength. While this message is strong, uplifting, and ingrained in the societal fabric of contemporary American society, there is a significant disconnect between the cultural narrative and the quality of empirical evidence examining growth following adversity. In this concluding chapter, the authors discuss the most commonly used definitions and methodologies for examining post-traumatic growth as well as the various disciplines that encompass post-traumatic growth. They end by providing an overview of the entire volume, which focuses on novel theory on personality change following adversity, integrates insights from different literature to examine growth following adversity, questions the ubiquity of growth across different cultures, and highlights the value of utilizing appropriate measurements for examining growth following adversity.

Perceived Characteristics of Life Events—Short-Term Changes in Prosociality and Empathy?

2021 ◽  
pp. 089020702110317
Author(s):  
Ina Fassbender ◽  
Peter Haehner ◽  
Susanne Buecker ◽  
Maike Luhmann
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Personality Change ◽  
External Control ◽  
Status Change ◽  
Growth Curve Models ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Individual

Post-traumatic growth can be understood as positive change in desirable personality traits after adverse life events. However, recent research questioned whether adversity is a relevant, necessary, and sufficient condition for change in desirable personality traits. Using five-wave longitudinal data, this study explored changes in the desirable personality traits prosociality and empathy before and after life events. We included all life events participants had experienced between the second and third assessment, that is, adverse, ambiguous, and positive events. Participants rated their life events on the Event Characteristics Questionnaire which assesses the individual perception of life events on nine continuous dimensions: challenge, emotional significance, extraordinariness, external control, impact, valence, social status change, predictability, and change in world views. We used multilevel growth curve models to explore changes in prosociality and empathy as a function of these event characteristics. Prosociality and empathy remained stable in the assessment period of 6 to 9 months after the reported life event, independently of whether the event had been perceived as adverse or not. We discuss our findings with respect to the inclusion of positive and ambiguous events as predictors of personality change and with respect to its theoretical implications for post-traumatic growth and personality development more broadly.

Stress, adjustment, and post traumatic growth in immigration

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shira Freedman ◽  
M. Israelashvili
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic

Post-traumatic growth and inclusive positivity

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Ito ◽  
M. Ozaki ◽  
N. Hanssen
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic
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