Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026
07:40
Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
Interpersonal development, stability, and change in early adulthood
Aidan G C Wright1, Aaron L Pincus, Mark F Lenzenweger
1The Pennsylvania State University, USA.
Journal of Personality
|January 10, 2012
Summary
Interpersonal styles show remarkable stability in early adulthood, with some individuals exhibiting nuanced changes. This study highlights how interpersonal differentiation and prototypicality predict stability in personality development.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- The interpersonal circumplex is a key model for understanding social behavior.
- Early adulthood is a critical period for personality development and interpersonal style formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental trajectory of the interpersonal system in early adulthood.
- To examine the stability and change in interpersonal styles using the interpersonal circumplex framework.
- To explore the role of interpersonal differentiation and prototypicality in predicting interpersonal stability.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 250 participants (ages 18-22) over three college years.
- Utilized the Revised Interpersonal Adjective Scales to measure Dominance and Affiliation.
- Calculated structural, rank-order, mean, individual, and ipsative stability, alongside differentiation and prototypicality.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated excellent structural and high rank-order and ipsative stability in interpersonal scales.
- Observed mean increases in Affiliation, masking differential changes in specific interpersonal dimensions (octants).
- Found significant individual variation in change rates and linked higher differentiation and prototypicality to increased interpersonal style stability.
Conclusions:
- Interpersonal development in early adulthood is characterized by both significant stability and nuanced, individualized change.
- The interpersonal circumplex provides a robust framework for analyzing stable and dynamic aspects of social personality.
- Interpersonal differentiation and prototypicality are important indicators of stable interpersonal functioning during this developmental stage.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adulthood
Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development outlines a series of stages through which individuals progress across the lifespan. Each stage involves a psychosocial conflict that significantly influences personal growth and well-being. Three key stages — intimacy versus isolation, generativity versus stagnation, and integrity versus despair — highlight the developmental challenges faced in adulthood.
Intimacy Versus Isolation in Early Adulthood
Individuals in early adulthood, from the 20s...
Intimacy Versus Isolation in Early Adulthood
Individuals in early adulthood, from the 20s...
01:29Three Developmental Domains
Human development is typically examined across three main domains: physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional. These domains represent the significant areas of change and continuity throughout the lifespan, from infancy to late adulthood.
Physical Development
Physical processes, also known as maturation, encompass the biological changes that occur across an individual's life. These changes begin with genetic inheritance and continue through various stages, including growth in height and weight,...
Physical Development
Physical processes, also known as maturation, encompass the biological changes that occur across an individual's life. These changes begin with genetic inheritance and continue through various stages, including growth in height and weight,...
01:27Emerging Adulthood
Jeffrey Arnett's concept of emerging adulthood offers a framework to understand the unique developmental stage between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood, generally from ages 18 to 25. This period is marked by extensive exploration and shifts in identity, relationships, and career choices, a process known in psychology as role experimentation. Emerging adulthood reflects the evolving cultural expectations surrounding adulthood and the dynamic process of personal transformation during this...
01:17Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence
Erik Erikson's fifth stage of psychosocial development, "identity versus role confusion," is crucial during adolescence (ages 12 to 18). In this stage, adolescents face the developmental task of forging a distinct personal identity, a process influenced by social, psychological, and biological changes typical of this period. Adolescents naturally explore different roles, behaviors, and ideologies as they navigate complex questions of self-concept, asking, "Who am I?" and "What is my place in...
01:27Relationship Growth
Interpersonal relationships progress through stages, beginning with awareness and moving toward mutuality, where emotional connections deepen. While many relationships remain at moderate levels of mutuality, deeper connections form through self-disclosure, trust, and interdependence.Self-DisclosureSelf-disclosure involves revealing personal information, starting with surface-level details and gradually progressing to more intimate content. As trust grows, individuals feel more comfortable...
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...