PSY 307 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Longitudinal Study
Document Summary
Exciting conclusions and questions are being drawn from the recent findings on personality-trait development. Personality traits are developmental constructs, even in adulthood. That personality traits change in adulthood and do so in a positive direction should not be taken as the final statement on personality development in adulthood. Future research will need to incorporate more methodological diversity, as too many longitudinal studies rely solely on self-reports of personality traits. There is a paucity of true cross-cultural longitudinal research since most longitudinal studies arise from the united states or europe. Longitudinal studies of people from the asian and african continents, for example, would be invaluable in determining just how well these patterns generalize and whether they are truly universal. Also, our current understanding and assessment of life experiences and key developmental environments are impoverished. Relying too heavily on simple demographic variables. Field of personality development desperately needs a greater understanding of the developmental experiences.
