Personality Across the Lifespan (T3) Flashcards
Is personality stable throughout life?
not 100%
What are some Methods for measuring Personality Over Time?
- Longitudinal Study
-> Follows a group of people as they age
->expensive
->lose people along the way
->able to compare across time
->generational differences - Cross-Sectional Study
-> Data collected at one time that compares people of different ages
Describe Personality During Childhood & Adolescence (CT)
Child Temperament:
-> Genetically based behavioral tendencies seen in young children
-> With age, temperament solidifies into personality
-> Follows physical development
->move into adolescence = personality traits
What are the Temperament Styles?
- Motor/Motivational
->Activity (moving around room? looking around?)
->Rhythmicity
->Approachability (how are they around strangers?) - Cognitive
->Distractibility
->Attention
->toys everywhere, ability to play - Emotional
->Reactivity
->Mood
->easily adaptable? self control? easy to tantrums?
How do temperament constructs overlap with big 5?
->Child Temperament Constructs = 1.
->Adult Personality Traits (the Big Five)
- Positive affect (smiling, happiness) = extroversion
- Affiliativeness (liking to be around others) = Agreeableness
- Effortful control (control over behavior) = Conscientiousness
- Negative affect (crying, sadness) = Neuroticism
- Orienting sensitivity (being alert) = Openness
Does Temperament Predict Personality?
->Childhood temperament can predict adult personality, sometimes
EX. under controlled children are more likely to
abuse alcohol and drugs
and to have financial
problems (difficulty self regulating/coping)
->building blocks of traits
Changes in Big Five Personality Traits from childhood to adolescence
Childhood:
-> Mature as they better control emotions and actions
->Become more inhibited with age
*Especially between 4
and 9
*Related to higher
conscientiousness
Adolescence:
->Openness to experience increases between 11 and 18
->Increased understanding of intellectual and abstract ideas
->Increase in conscientiousness and agreeableness
Describe Changes in
Self-Esteem
->Self-esteem changes moderate during elementary school
*Dips during early teen years Increases during high school and young adulthood
->Girls’ self-esteem doesn’t
increase as fast as boys’ does
->dip in SE as:
*more bullying
*peer pressure/judgement
*puberty
*social media
Describe the stages of the lifespan
Infant: 0-12 months
Toddler: 1-2 yrs
Preschooler: 3-4 yrs
School Age child: 5-10 yrs
Early adolescence: 11-13 yrs
Middle adolescence: 14-16 yrs
Late adolescence: 17-18 yrs
Young adulthood: 18-29 yrs
Middle adulthood: 30-59 yrs
Older adulthood: 60+
What’s the effect of Birth Order on personality?
->Birth order has only a small effect on personality
Firstborns:
->Higher in conscientiousness and neuroticism
->More dominant (bossy)
Middleborn:
->Lower in conscientiousness
Younger:
->Higher in openness to experience
->More reckless
Last borns:
->score higher in agreeableness
Only children:
->Better relationships with parents
* Compensate for the lack of siblings
Describe Personality from
Young Adulthood to Old Age
->Personalities mellow as we move into full adulthood (Less neurotic and more conscientious)
*Neuroticism continues
to decline into old age
->Increase in assertiveness, a facet of extraversion
->Slight increase in
agreeableness
->People can and do change but it is usually not radical
If you are high in neuroticism compared to others when you are
young….
….you are likely to be high in neuroticism compared to others when you are older
Describe Changes in Self Esteem and Narcissism from Young Adulthood to Old Age
->Self-esteem increases slightly between 20s and 60s and then decreases
->Studies suggest narcissism declines with age
->increase in self esteem as life experiences, learning
->decrease after 60 as beauty standards, decrease in ability, not ‘contributing’ to society, loss of relationships, health, can’t live independently
Describe Significant Life Experiences & Social Investment Theory
Brent Robert’s social investment theory:
->Personalities mature as young people enter important adult social roles
->Adult responsibilities and
relationships cause maturity
EX. employment, starting family, buying a home, taxes
Maturation of personality
->More conscientiousness, more agreeableness, and less neuroticism
->Through stable relationships and steady work
What are the Benefits of
Working?
Entering the Full-Time Workforce
-> Increase in conscientiousness for those who work rather than go to college
->could be because they have deadlines and could get fired, more supervision, have to work to pay rent, getting paid so more pleasure with job, working with more adults
->Young people are taking
longer to begin serious
careers and families
