My new home: study protocol for a prospective cohort study on the long-term personality development and short-term...

Personality is a crucial predictor of many life outcomes, including successful ageing. The proportion of nursing home residents is increasing annually among older populations. Relocations to nursing homes affect multiple aspects of older people's lives, including their living environment, social interactions, and daily arrangements, which may indirectly affect their personality development. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive assessments of how transitioning into a nursing home impacts personality development among older adults. This knowledge gap impedes our understanding of personality development in nursing home residents and also prevents our gaining insights into the related mechanisms and influences on personality development in later adulthood.

"My New Home" will be a prospective cohort study designed to recruit 120 participants (age ≥ 60), including 60 older adults who will be relocating to a nursing home. This study will employ a series of longitudinal measurements, including a baseline measurement before relocation, daily measurements during the initial transition phase (for 28 days after moving), and monthly assessments during the adaptation phase (for 6 months). These measurements will comprehensively track the short-term state changes and long-term trait developments of personality before and after the older people's relocations. Older adults' personality traits will be assessed with the Big Five Inventory-2-Short. Additionally, this study will explore the moderating effects of older people's age, gender, health status, cognitive function and subjective perceptions of living in nursing homes on the impact of relocation on personality traits. Furthermore, the study will test the hypothesis that the effects of relocations on personality traits are mediated through repeated influences on personality states, social activity, and daily routines.

We expect this study to provide a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of the mechanisms and processes by which relocations to nursing homes impact older people's personalities. To our knowledge, this research will represent the first prospective cohort study that focuses on the personality development of nursing home residents. The research findings hopefully contribute to enhancing our understanding of the relationships between major life events and later life personality development.