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

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Previous research has established a link between personality traits and concurrent memory performance.
• However, the relationship between memory and personality development throughout adulthood remains less understood.
• This study investigates the bidirectional influence between memory and personality changes over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine whether memory level and memory change predict personality change in adulthood.
• To explore the associations between cognitive function (memory) and personality development across diverse adult samples.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from four large-scale longitudinal studies: Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduates (WLSG), Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Siblings (WLSS), Midlife in the United States (MIDUS), and Health and Retirement Study (HRS).
• Assessed immediate and delayed recall (memory) and the five major personality traits (neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, openness) at baseline and follow-up.
• Employed meta-analysis of latent change to synthesize findings across the four samples.

Main Results:

• Lower baseline memory performance was associated with an increase in neuroticism and decreases in agreeableness and conscientiousness.
• Declines in memory over time were linked to steeper declines in extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness.
• Significant heterogeneity in these associations was observed across the different study samples.

Conclusions:

• Poor memory and memory decline in adulthood are associated with maladaptive personality changes.
• The observed associations between memory and personality change were generally small in magnitude.
• The inconsistency of findings across samples highlights the complexity and potential moderating factors in this relationship.