A Coordinated Analysis of Big-Five Trait Change Across 16 Longitudinal Samples

This study assessed change in the Big Five personality traits. We conducted a coordinated integrative data analysis (IDA) using data from 16 studies including over 60,000 respondents to examine trajectories of change in the traits of neuroticism, extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. Coordinating models across multiple study sites, we fit nearly identical multi-level linear growth curve models to assess and compare the extent of trait change over time. Quadratic change was assessed in 8 studies with four or more measurement occasions. Across studies, the linear trajectory models revealed stability for agreeableness and decreases for the other four five traits. The non-linear trajectories suggest a U-shaped curve for neuroticism, and an inverted-U for extraversion. Meta-analytic summaries indicate that the fixed effects are heterogeneous, and that the variability in traits is partially explained by baseline age and country of origin. We conclude from our study that neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness go down over time, while agreeableness remains relatively stable.

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Self–other agreement in personality development in romantic couples

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1177/0890207020969011 ◽

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.

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A MICROLONGITUDINAL APPROACH TO STUDYING GRANDMOTHER-GRANDCHILD DAILY INTERACTIONS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1041 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S281-S282

Author(s):

Shelbie Turner ◽

Shannon T Mejia ◽

Robert S Stawski ◽

Karen Hooker

Keyword(s):

Negative Affect ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Social Experiences ◽

Intraindividual Variability ◽

Positive And Negative Affect ◽

Daily Interactions ◽

Multi Level ◽

Using Data ◽

Over Time

Abstract Research suggests that grandparent-grandchild dyads shift in degree of solidarity over extended periods of time (e.g. Moorman & Stokes, 2016), but no work has considered grandparent-grandchild interactions microlongitudinally. This study utilized microlongitudinal data with an emphasis on intraindividual variability to examine the daily processes associated with relational aspects of grandparenting. Using data from 24 grandmothers in the Personal Understandings of Life and Social Experiences (PULSE) project, we explored how grandmother-reported satisfaction with grandchild interactions impacted grandmothers’ same-day positive and negative affect over 100 days. We first justified the need for microlongitudinal analyses by assessing the degree to which there were within-person shifts in interaction satisfaction over time. Intra-class correlations indicated 86% of the variation in interaction satisfaction was within-persons, warranting an intraindividual variability approach. As such, we then employed multi-level models to examine the within-person and between-person effects of interaction satisfaction predicting same day positive and negative affect. At the within-person level, on days when grandmothers reported higher than their average interaction satisfaction, they reported more positive affect (Estimate = 0.09, SE = 0.03, p = 0.009) and lower negative affect overall that day (Estimate = -0.08, SE = 0.02, p = 0.005). At the between-person level, grandmothers who had, on average, higher interaction satisfaction had more positive affect (Estimate = 0.63, SE = 0.09, p<.0001) and lower negative affect on average (Estimate = -0.53, SE = 0.11, p<.0001).

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Associations Between Personality Traits and Cognitive Resilience in Older Adults

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gbaa135 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 76 (1) ◽

pp. 6-19

Author(s):

Eileen K Graham ◽

Bryan D James ◽

Kathryn L Jackson ◽

Emily C Willroth ◽

Patricia Boyle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Big Five ◽

Cognitive Activity ◽

Data Access ◽

Big Five Personality Traits ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Religious Orders ◽

Using Data

Abstract Objectives The goal of this paper was to examine associations between personality traits and resilience to neuropathologic burden. Method Using data from the Religious Orders Study and the Rush Memory and Aging Project, we identified a total of 1,375 participants with personality, cognitive, and post-mortem neuropathology data. We regressed cognition onto pathology and extracted the residuals as an indicator of cognitive resilience. We then modeled the effect of Big Five personality traits on cognitive resilience, adjusting for demographics, APOE status, medical comorbidities, and cognitive activity. The analytic plan was preregistered prior to data access or analysis, and all scripts and outputs are available online. Results Higher neuroticism was associated with greater vulnerability to pathology. Results from exploratory analyses suggest that higher conscientiousness was associated with less cognitive decline relative to the amount of pathology, or greater resilience. Education and cognitive activity did not moderate these associations. Discussion Personality may have a pathoplastic effect on neuropathology, as low neuroticism and high conscientiousness are associated with better function despite neuropathologic burden.

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An Investigation of Personality Types within the HEXACO Personality Framework

Journal of Individual Differences ◽

10.1027/1614-0001.30.4.181 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 181-187 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Michael C. Ashton ◽

Kibeom Lee

Keyword(s):

Big Five ◽

Factor Model ◽

Five Factor Model ◽

Community Sample ◽

Personality Types ◽

Personality Factors ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Multivariate Normal ◽

Using Data ◽

Peer Reports

Recent research aimed at identifying distinct personality types has generally searched for such types in the space of the dimensions of the Big Five or Five-Factor model. We extended this search to the space of the HEXACO model of personality structure, using data from a large community sample of adults. In a series of cluster analyses involving 3 to 7 clusters, the proportion of reliable variance in HEXACO dimensions that was accounted for by the types – i.e., clusters – was small, never exceeding that accounted for by clusters generated from random multivariate normal data. The predictive validity of the types and the dimensions was compared with respect to aggregated peer reports on the Big Five personality factors, and results showed that even the largest sets of HEXACO types accounted for only half as much variance as did the HEXACO dimensions. The results provide no evidence of meaningful personality types within the space of the HEXACO framework.

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The co-development of perceived support and the Big Five in middle and older adulthood

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/0165025417690262 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 26-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Patrick L. Hill ◽

Sara J. Weston ◽

Joshua J. Jackson

Keyword(s):

Big Five ◽

Personality Trait ◽

Personality Development ◽

Perceived Support ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Older Adulthood ◽

Using Data ◽

Perception Of Support ◽

Positive Social Support ◽

Positive Support

The current study examined whether relationships also influence personality trait development during middle and older adulthood, focusing on the individual’s perception of support from the relationship partner. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study ( n = 20,422; mean age = 65.9 years), we examined the longitudinal relationships between Big Five personality trait levels and perceived support from children, family, friends, and spouses. Results found that participants who reported more positive social support and lower negative support also tended to score higher on conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience, but lower on neuroticism. Moreover, changes in positive support across relationship partners coincided with trait changes over time, in the form of more positive support was associated with seemingly adaptive changes on the Big Five. Findings are discussed with respect to identifying social influences on personality development in adulthood.

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Effects of grit on academic achievement and career-related attitudes of college students in Korea

Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal ◽

10.2224/sbp.6400 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 45 (10) ◽

pp. 1629-1642 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Suran Lee ◽

Young Woo Sohn

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Academic Achievement ◽

Big Five ◽

Deliberate Practice ◽

Personality Characteristics ◽

Career Preparation ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Career Attitudes ◽

Academic Year ◽

Over Time

Researchers have found that outstanding performance entails not only innate talent but also focused practice and effort over time. Because college students must simultaneously strive for academic achievement and prepare for a future career, we tested 253 students to examine the effects of grit and deliberate practice on academic achievement and career attitudes in a Korean context. Results showed that grit was associated with higher grades, and that this relationship was mediated by deliberate practice. Grit was a significant predictor of career preparation behavior and major–career relatedness when academic year and the Big Five personality characteristics were controlled for. With this study, we have contributed to the expertise literature by clarifying how grit influences college students' academic achievement and career-related attitudes.

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INCREMENTAL VALIDITY OF OPTIMISM AND PURPOSE FOR PREDICTING OLDER ADULTS’ DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1151 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S314-S315

Author(s):

Lauren L Mitchell ◽

Chris Erbes ◽

Paul Arbisi

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Big Five ◽

Well Being ◽

Incremental Validity ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Psychological Constructs ◽

Symptom Trajectories ◽

Big Five Traits ◽

Using Data

Abstract After age 60, depressive symptoms tend to increase slowly over time on average across the population. However, individual trajectories vary, with some increasing more steeply, and others remaining stable. A broad array of psychological constructs have been demonstrated to predict depressive symptoms, including neuroticism, extraversion, optimism, and sense of purpose in life. It is important for psychologists to understand which among these factors are the strongest and most robust predictors. A substantial body of research demonstrates that Big Five personality traits are strongly associated with depressive symptoms (e.g., Hakulinen et al., 2015). Optimism and purpose are also associated with well-being (Carver et al., 2009; Pinquart, 2002), but it is not clear whether such associations could be accounted for by Big Five traits, which are also correlated with optimism and purpose. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 14,021), we tested the incremental validity of optimism and purpose for predicting older adults’ depressive symptoms, controlling for Big Five traits and demographics. A latent growth curve modeling approach allowed us to examine associations with trajectories of depressive symptoms over six waves (approximately 10 years). Results demonstrated that both optimism and purpose are significantly associated with baseline levels of depressive symptoms, over and above the Big Five. However, only Big Five traits were associated with linear and quadratic slope in depressive symptom trajectories. These findings suggest that optimism and purpose are not redundant with Big Five traits for predicting depressive symptoms, and may be valuable targets for intervention efforts.

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Human Character in the IPIP: Towards Shorter, More Content-Valid, and Cross-Culturally Comparable IPIP-VIA Character Strength Scales

10.31234/osf.io/k79qf ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Matthias Bluemke ◽

Melanie Viola Partsch ◽

Gerard Saucier ◽

Clemens M. Lechner

Keyword(s):

Big Five ◽

Character Strengths ◽

Community Sample ◽

Well Being ◽

Open Science ◽

Future Research ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Personality Item ◽

Self Transcendence ◽

Using Data

The “Values in Action” (VIA) framework is currently the most prominent approach to conceptualizing human character. VIA posits 24 character strengths that are purportedly valued across cultures and promote the well-being of both individuals and communities. However, unresolved limitations in the assessment of these character strengths continue to hamper theoretical progress in research on human character based on the VIA framework. Here we sought to lay a new foundation for ad-vanced assessment of strengths by refining and extensively validating an existing open-science inventory from the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP). Using data from a U.S. community sample and four quota samples from the United Kingdom and Germany, we investigated whether valid, cross-culturally comparable, and economical assessment of the VIA character strengths is possible with the IPIP. Experts selected suitable items with the aim to obtain 24 balanced-keyed short scales. Different experts then translated these items to German. Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, we established essential unidimensionality and well-fitting measure-ment models for each scale. All scales achieved at least partial scalar invariance across languages. Reliability estimates were satisfactory. Extensive analyses of the strengths’ nomological network placed character strengths between Big Five personality traits and basic human values, confirming that VIA strengths emphasize self-transcendence rather than self-enhancement. With few excep-tions, the 24 character strengths scales were sufficiently distinct from the Big Five, and many showed incremental predictive validity, also for “good life” criteria. The 96-item inventory “IPIP-VIA-R” offers a sound and fully open-science approach to future research on character strengths.

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Estimating the Associations between Big Five Personality Traits, Testosterone, and Cortisol

10.31234/osf.io/xfcjv ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Zachary Sundin ◽

William J. Chopik ◽

Keith M Welker ◽

Esra Ascigil ◽

Cassandra M Brandes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Big Five ◽

Theoretical Models ◽

Big Five Personality Traits ◽

Hormonal Contraceptives ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Biological Models ◽

Behavioral Indicators ◽

Multi Level ◽

Meta Analyses

**Objective**: Hormones are often conceptualized as biological markers of individual differences and have been associated with a variety of behavioral indicators and characteristics, such as mating behavior or acquiring and maintaining dominance. However, before researchers create strong theoretical models for how hormones modulate individual and social behavior, information on how hormones are associated with dominant models of personality are needed. Although there have been some studies attempting to quantify the associations between personality traits, testosterone, and cortisol, there are many inconsistencies across these studies. **Methods**: In this registered report, we examined associations between testosterone, cortisol, and Big Five personality traits. We aggregated 25 separate samples to yield a single sample of 3,964 (50.3% women; 27.7% of women were on hormonal contraceptives). Participants completed measures of personality and provided saliva samples for testosterone and cortisol assays.**Results**: The results from multi-level models and meta-analyses revealed mostly weak, non-significant associations between testosterone or cortisol and personality traits. The few significant effects were still very small in magnitude (e.g. testosterone and conscientiousness: r = -0.05). A series of moderation tests revealed that hormone-personality associations were mostly similar in men and women, those using hormonal contraceptives or not, and regardless of the interaction between testosterone and cortisol (i.e., a variant of the dual-hormone hypothesis). **Conclusions**: Altogether, we did not detect many robust associations between Big Five personality traits and testosterone or cortisol. The findings are discussed in the context of biological models of personality and the utility of examining heterogeneity in hormone-personality associations.

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Little Evidence for Associations Between the Big Five Personality Traits and Variability in Brain Gray or White Matter

10.1101/658567 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Reut Avinun ◽

Salomon Israel ◽

Annchen R. Knodt ◽

Ahmad R. Hariri

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Surface Area ◽

Big Five ◽

Brain Structure ◽

Superior Temporal Gyrus ◽

Big Five Personality Traits ◽

Small Sample ◽

Big Five Personality ◽

Using Data

AbstractAttempts to link the Big Five personality traits of Openness-to-Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism with variability in trait-like features of brain structure have produced inconsistent results. Small sample sizes and heterogeneous methodology have been suspected in driving these inconsistencies. Here, we tested for associations between the Big Five personality traits and multiple measures of brain structure using data from 1,107 university students (636 women, mean age 19.69±1.24 years) representing the largest attempt to date. In addition to replication analyses based on a prior study, we conducted exploratory whole-brain analyses. Four supplementary analyses were also conducted to examine 1) possible associations with lower-order facets of personality; 2) modulatory effects of sex; 3) effect of controlling for non-target personality traits; and 4) parcellation scheme effects. The analyses failed to identify any significant associations between the Big Five personality traits and variability in measures of cortical thickness, surface area, subcortical volume, or white matter microstructural integrity, except for an association between greater surface area of the superior temporal gyrus and lower scores on conscientiousness that explained 0.44% of the morphometric measure’s variance. Notably however, the latter association is largely not supported by previous studies. The supplementary analyses mirrored these largely null findings, suggesting they were not substantively biased by our choice of analytic model. Collectively, these results indicate that if there are direct associations between the Big Five personality traits and variability in brain structure, they are of likely very small effect sizes and will require very large samples for reliable detection.

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