PSYC 332 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Longitudinal Study, Trait Theory, Human Capital
20 Feb 2017
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PSYC 332 Brent Roberts Article
Personality Trait in Adulthood: Patterns and Implications
Abstract:
• Evidence of continuity:
• 1) Mean level changes (gains/losses in a trait over a specified period of time
in a specified group of individuals)
• 2) Individual changes (individual differences in changes from the overall
mean level changes)
• 3) Rank order consistency (maintaining certain rank on a trait compared to
others in a group)
• Discussion:
• Reasons for continued change in adulthood
• Implications for human capital (skills, knowledge, experience in terms of
value for group) and social policy
Introduction:
• New definition of personality: from fixed” to relatively enduring across
time”
• Just starting to accept that personality traits are changeable
Definitions of Personality Continuity and Change
• Different ways to measure personality continuity and change… rank order,
mean level change, structural consistency, individual differences in change
• Reliable study would have to look at all but many just look at one and
therefore come up with different answers
• Rank order, mean level and Individual differences
Rank order consistency/change
• Research find:
• 1) Moderate-high levels of consistency
• 2) The longer you track it the more consistent it gets
• Only constructs more consistent over time=cognitive ability
• Interesting point: shouldn’t childhood/adolescence be high point then
decrease in personality change after?
• But the trend is linear…
Mean Level changes in personality traits
• Cross sectional research: middle aged ind. score higher than young adults in A
and C and lower on E N and O
• Within middle age: same patter, 60 year olds score higher than 40 year olds on
most traits
• Longitudinal studies: similar results
• Personality traits continue to develop into adulthood
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