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.

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.

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.

Personality and perceptions of major life events: Implications for personality development

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Rakhshani ◽  
Richard E. Lucas ◽  
Brent Donnellan ◽  
Ina Fassbender ◽  
Maike Luhmann
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Personality Change ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Major Life Events ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Related Personality

Research about the associations between major life events and personality trait development is mixed. Work that evaluates perceptions of life events and how those perceptions are themselves associated with personality traits may help clarify the existing literature. We used a large student sample (N = 1509) to conduct exploratory analyses examining the associations among big five personality traits, different types of life events, a dimensional taxonomy of event characteristics, and beliefs about event-related personality change. Results suggested that (1) associations between personality and event perceptions are often nuanced; and (2) event perceptions were more predictive of beliefs about event-related personality change than were the big five. These findings indicate that event perceptions are not merely proxies for personality traits. This study highlights the importance of subjective event perceptions in the study of major life events and personality development.

Personality change and environmental concerns

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher James Hopwood ◽  
Ted Schwaba ◽  
Wiebke Bleidorn
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Change ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
German Population ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Sustainable Behavior ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Over Time

Personal concerns about climate change and the environment are a powerful motivator of sustainable behavior. People’s level of concern varies as a function of a variety of social and individual factors. Using data from 58,748 participants from a nationally representative German sample, we tested preregistered hypotheses about factors that impact concerns about the environment over time. We found that environmental concerns increased modestly from 2009-2017 in the German population. However, individuals in middle adulthood tended to be more concerned and showed more consistent increases in concern over time than younger or older people. Consistent with previous research, Big Five personality traits were correlated with environmental concerns. We present novel evidence that increases in concern were related to increases in the personality traits neuroticism and openness to experience. Indeed, changes in openness explained roughly 50% of the variance in changes in environmental concerns. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the individual level factors associated with changes in environmental concerns over time, towards the promotion of more sustainable behavior at the individual level.

scholarly journals Good is stronger than bad for eudaimonic well-being

2022 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 455-490
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Martínez-Zelaya ◽  
Marian Bilbao Ramírez ◽  
Darío Páez Rovira
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Positive Events ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Basic Beliefs

Perceived changes in basic beliefs and growth related to life events were examined in three studies. A representative sample (N = 885), a sample of students and their families (N = 291) and a sample of students (N = 245) responded with a list of positive and negative life events, a scale of changes in basic beliefs and a post-traumatic growth scale. Positive events were strongly associated with changes in basic beliefs, while only weak associations were found for negative events. In addition, negative changes in basic beliefs were associated with growth only in negative life events and positive changes in basic beliefs were generally associated with growth.

Growth and the Multiple Dimensions of Well-Being

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Valerie Tiberius
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Philosophical Literature ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Cultural Narrative ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Individual

What is the possible role of adversity in promoting the development of wisdom and well-being? This chapter focuses on examining psychological discussions of post-traumatic growth and discusses whether and how we would expect suffering, adversity, or trauma to push an individual in positive and negative ways, with an emphasis on multiple dimensions of psychological well-being. The chapter interweaves insights from the philosophical literature to arrive at a better understanding of whether and to what degree post-traumatic growth is likely to occur or if growth following adversity is part of the cultural narrative that does not effectively translate to the individual.

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

Self–other agreement in personality development in romantic couples

2020 ◽  
pp. 089020702096901
Author(s):  
Madeline R Lenhausen ◽  
Manon A van Scheppingen ◽  
Wiebke Bleidorn
Keyword(s):  
Big Five ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Personality Change ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Romantic Couples ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Growth Curve Models

A large body of evidence indicates that personality traits show high rank-order stability and substantial mean-level changes across the lifespan. However, the majority of longitudinal research on personality development has relied on repeated assessments of self-reports, providing a narrow empirical base from which to draw conclusions and develop theory. Here, we (1) tested whether self- and informant-reports provided by couples show similar patterns of rank-order stability and mean-level change and (2) assessed self–other agreement in personality development. We charted the Big Five personality trajectories of 255 couples ( N = 510; M age = 27.01 years) who provided both self- and partner-reports at four assessments across 1.5 years. Results indicated similar rank-order stabilities in self- and partner-report data. Latent growth curve models indicated no significant differences between self- and partner-reported personality trajectories, with exceptions to extraversion and agreeableness. We further found strong cross-sectional agreement across all Big Five traits and assessment waves as well as moderate self–other agreement in personality change in emotional stability and agreeableness. These findings highlight the relevance of multi-method assessments in personality development, while providing information about personality stability and change. Discussion focuses on the theoretical implications and future directions for multi-method assessments in longitudinal personality research.

The integral role of relationships in experiences of complex trauma in sex trafficking survivors

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-123
Author(s):  
Heather Evans
Keyword(s):  
Sex Trafficking ◽  
Complex Trauma ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Survivors ◽  
Post Traumatic Growth ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Individual

Purpose Human sex trafficking is a global rights violation prevalent nationally and globally. This study aims to contribute to the limited research conducted directly with survivors with the goal of building sustainable aftercare from their feedback. Design/methodology/approach For this qualitative, retrospective study, 15 adult female survivors completed open-ended interviews, took photos and participated in online focus groups to explore identity, sexuality, relationships and factors of community reintegration. Data analysis included multi-level conceptual and thematic coding. Findings Participants identified with all aspects of complex trauma and domains of post-traumatic growth. Participants highlighted relationship development as the primary source of healing and growth, emphasizing the value of peer-based support and survivor leadership. Research limitations/implications The findings affirm the need for ecological and relational perspectives in care of survivors and approaches using a trauma-informed, victim-centered lens. Findings affirm the value of understanding the nuances of complex trauma as well as celebrating the capacity for post-traumatic growth. Furthermore, while relationships are most significantly impacted from the trafficking experience, they are also considered the greatest instrument of healing, offering long-term commitment and belief in the individual. This research excluded males and international trafficking survivors. Participants were recruited through service organizations, and many participants are active in advocacy work, which may hinder generalizable data for all trafficking survivors. Finally, this study did not distinguish data between geographic location or range or length of time since exiting trafficking. Originality/value This study highlights the voices of survivors throughout research design and data findings. Their lived experiences provide key recommendations for interaction and intervention. Data include rich expression through photography.

scholarly journals Memory and Personality Development in Adulthood: Evidence From Four Longitudinal Studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-97
Author(s):  
Yannick Stephan ◽  
Angelina R Sutin ◽  
Martina Luchetti ◽  
Antonio Terracciano
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Personality Change ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Lower Baseline ◽  
Wisconsin Longitudinal Study

Abstract Objectives Personality traits have been related to concurrent memory performance. Most studies, however, have focused on personality as a predictor of memory; comparatively less is known about whether memory is related to personality development across adulthood. Using 4 samples, the present study tests whether memory level and change are related to personality change in adulthood. Method Participants were drawn from 2 waves of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduates (WLSG; N = 3,232, mean age = 64.28, SD = 0.65) and Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Siblings (WLSS; N = 1,570, mean age = 63.52, SD = 6.69) samples, the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS; N = 1,901, mean age = 55.43, SD = 10.98), and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 6,038, mean age = 65.47, SD = 8.28). Immediate and delayed recall and the 5 major personality traits were assessed at baseline and follow-up. Results There was heterogeneity in the associations across samples. A meta-analysis of latent change in the four samples indicated that lower baseline memory performance was related to an increase in neuroticism (B = −0.002; 95% CI = −0.004, −0.0008) and a decrease in agreeableness (B = 0.004; 95% CI = 0.002, 0.007) and conscientiousness (B = 0.005; 95% CI = 0.0008, 0.010). In addition, declines in memory were related to steeper declines in extraversion (B = 0.06; 95% CI = 0.003, 0.11), openness (B = 0.04; 95% CI = 0.007, 0.069), and conscientiousness (B = 0.05; 95% CI = 0.019, 0.09). Discussion The present study indicates that poor memory and declines in memory over time are related to maladaptive personality change. These associations, however, were small and inconsistent across samples.

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