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4. Personality Change
Created @August 11, 2025 3:13 PM
Class PS2050
Costa and Mccrae (1994) personality traits stop changing into adulthood
Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies: Personality traits continue to
change in adulthood
Rank order consistency: How well individuals maintain their relative trait
levels a pre-specified period of time and age in the life course for a population
Mean level change: Gains / losses in specific personality traits over a pre-
specified period of time and age in the life course for a population
Individual differences: The likely size of increase or decrease of a trait within
each person over a pre-specified period of time and age in the life course for a
population
Test-retest correlation: easiest way to quantify rank order stability across two
assessment time points
Rank Order Consistency in Personality
Roberts and 152 longitudinal Rank-order consistency of
Delvecchio studies published personality traits increases with age,
2000 between 1950 and 1999 especially during early adulthood
Ages 30-50 Children and adolescents: lower
stability (test–retest correlations
Studies report test–retest around .31 to .54)
correlations of personality
traits over time Adults in their 30s to
50s showed higher
4. Personality Change 1
, Type of personality stability (correlations of .74 to .80)
inventories used: NEO-PI
After about age 50,
stability plateaus, with only slight
decline in very old age
Personality traits are not fixed from
birth, but they gradually stabilise,
with increasing consistency across
the lifespan—especially after age 30
—supporting the idea that personality
solidifies with life experience, but
remains open to some change.
106 participants (54 males
and 52 females)
Berkeley Guidance Ego-resiliency showed significant
Study participants, a longitudinal stability from early
longitudinal sample followed childhood through adolescence and
from early childhood into into adulthood
adulthood
The correlations between ego-
Correlational design resiliency scores at different ages
Block and between: indicated that individuals who were
Kremen (1996) rated high (or low) in resiliency
Ego-resiliency earlier in life tended to maintain their
California Q-Set (CAQ) relative standing over time
IQ This stability supports the idea that
Wechsler Intelligence Scale ego-resiliency is a relatively
for Children (WISC) when enduring personality trait, though it
participants were around age still allows for developmental change.
11
Multiple regression analyses
Slutske et al Longitudinal study of Temperaments at 3 years old
2012 complete birth cohort, 1000+ Inhibited 7%
children recruited at birth confident 28%
reserved 15%
Assessed at 3-32 years with well adjusted 40%
a cognitive and motor undercontrolled 10%)
assessment while observers
completed behaviour rating Retested at 18-26yrs - those
4. Personality Change 2
4. Personality Change
Created @August 11, 2025 3:13 PM
Class PS2050
Costa and Mccrae (1994) personality traits stop changing into adulthood
Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies: Personality traits continue to
change in adulthood
Rank order consistency: How well individuals maintain their relative trait
levels a pre-specified period of time and age in the life course for a population
Mean level change: Gains / losses in specific personality traits over a pre-
specified period of time and age in the life course for a population
Individual differences: The likely size of increase or decrease of a trait within
each person over a pre-specified period of time and age in the life course for a
population
Test-retest correlation: easiest way to quantify rank order stability across two
assessment time points
Rank Order Consistency in Personality
Roberts and 152 longitudinal Rank-order consistency of
Delvecchio studies published personality traits increases with age,
2000 between 1950 and 1999 especially during early adulthood
Ages 30-50 Children and adolescents: lower
stability (test–retest correlations
Studies report test–retest around .31 to .54)
correlations of personality
traits over time Adults in their 30s to
50s showed higher
4. Personality Change 1
, Type of personality stability (correlations of .74 to .80)
inventories used: NEO-PI
After about age 50,
stability plateaus, with only slight
decline in very old age
Personality traits are not fixed from
birth, but they gradually stabilise,
with increasing consistency across
the lifespan—especially after age 30
—supporting the idea that personality
solidifies with life experience, but
remains open to some change.
106 participants (54 males
and 52 females)
Berkeley Guidance Ego-resiliency showed significant
Study participants, a longitudinal stability from early
longitudinal sample followed childhood through adolescence and
from early childhood into into adulthood
adulthood
The correlations between ego-
Correlational design resiliency scores at different ages
Block and between: indicated that individuals who were
Kremen (1996) rated high (or low) in resiliency
Ego-resiliency earlier in life tended to maintain their
California Q-Set (CAQ) relative standing over time
IQ This stability supports the idea that
Wechsler Intelligence Scale ego-resiliency is a relatively
for Children (WISC) when enduring personality trait, though it
participants were around age still allows for developmental change.
11
Multiple regression analyses
Slutske et al Longitudinal study of Temperaments at 3 years old
2012 complete birth cohort, 1000+ Inhibited 7%
children recruited at birth confident 28%
reserved 15%
Assessed at 3-32 years with well adjusted 40%
a cognitive and motor undercontrolled 10%)
assessment while observers
completed behaviour rating Retested at 18-26yrs - those
4. Personality Change 2
