Big Five personality stability, change, and codevelopment across adolescence and early adulthood
Jeroen Borghuis1, Jaap J A Denissen1, Daniel Oberski2
1Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|March 3, 2017
Summary
Adolescent personality traits show increasing stability from age 12 to 22, with some gender-specific changes. Friends and siblings appear to develop personality independently, without significant convergence or correlated change.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Personality Psychology
- Adolescent Development
Background:
- Understanding personality development during adolescence is crucial for predicting adult outcomes.
- Longitudinal studies are essential for tracking stability and change in personality traits over time.
- The role of social dyads, such as friendships and sibling relationships, in personality development is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the rank-order stability and mean-level changes of Big Five personality traits in adolescents from age 12 to 22.
- To investigate individual differences in personality trait change.
- To explore the codevelopment of personality traits within friendship and sibling dyads.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study using data from two large Dutch cohorts (N = 2,230).
- Data collected across up to 7 waves, covering ages 12 to 22.
- Analysis of Big Five personality traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Emotional Stability) in individuals and dyads.
Main Results:
- Personality trait stability increased from age 12 through adolescence into early adulthood.
- Gender-specific linear increases (agreeableness) and U-shaped changes (conscientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion) were observed.
- Significant individual differences in personality change were found, particularly for conscientiousness, extraversion, and emotional stability.
- No evidence of personality convergence or correlated change was found in friendship and sibling dyads.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent personality traits become more stable with age, with notable gender differences in specific traits.
- Individual trajectories of personality change vary significantly.
- Adolescent friends and siblings appear to develop their personalities independently, suggesting shared experiences do not uniformly influence trait development within these dyads.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Cognitive Development During Adolescence
750
During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the...
750
01:29Five-Factor Theory of Personality
2.1K
The five-factor model, often called the Big Five personality traits, is widely accepted in psychology as a comprehensive framework for understanding personality. These five traits — Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism — are often remembered using the acronym OCEAN.
Openness reflects creativity, curiosity, and openness to new experiences. Individuals scoring high in openness are imaginative, have a wide range of interests, and are independent...
Openness reflects creativity, curiosity, and openness to new experiences. Individuals scoring high in openness are imaginative, have a wide range of interests, and are independent...
2.1K
01:17Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence
1.5K
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...
1.5K
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
5.8K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.8K
01:24Attachment Styles
564
Jeffrey Simpson's attachment theory suggests that early caregiver relationships shape lasting patterns of behavior and emotional regulation, known as attachment styles. These patterns are organized along two key dimensions: self-esteem and interpersonal trust. The intersection of these dimensions produces four primary attachment styles that typically persist throughout life and significantly influence how individuals form and maintain relationships.Secure Attachment StyleIndividuals with a...
564
01:28Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Childhood
1.8K
Erik Erikson, a stage theorist, adapted Freud's theory to emphasize social factors in personality development throughout life, a concept known as psychosocial development. Unlike Freud, who focused on early childhood, Erikson believed that personality evolves across eight life stages, each marked by a specific challenge or "crisis." Successful resolution of each stage fosters competence, while failure may lead to feelings of inadequacy.
The first four of Erikson's eight...
The first four of Erikson's eight...
1.8K