personality dispositions over time part 2 Flashcards
What are the three forms of personality stability?
Rank order stability, mean level stability, and personality coherence.
What is rank order stability?
The maintenance of individual position within a group over time.
What is mean level stability?
The constancy of the average level of a trait in a population over time.
What is personality coherence?
Predictable changes in the manifestations of a trait, even if the underlying trait stays the same.
What are the three levels of personality analysis?
Population level, group differences level, and individual differences level.
At what stage does temperament show moderate to high stability?
During infancy and childhood.
What personality traits show moderate to high stability in adulthood?
The Big Five traits: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness.
When does personality consistency peak?
Around age 50, according to meta-analysis by Roberts & DelVecchio (2000).
What happens to Neuroticism with age?
It generally decreases, indicating increased emotional stability.
What happens to Agreeableness and Conscientiousness with age?
They tend to increase, reflecting greater maturity.
What is the maturity principle in personality development?
The idea that personality changes reflect greater maturity over time.
What is self-esteem variability and why is it important?
Day-to-day fluctuations in self-esteem; high variability is linked to depression and emotional fragility.
How does self-esteem change from adolescence to adulthood in males and females?
Males tend to increase in self-esteem, while females tend to decrease.
How does sensation seeking change over time?
Peaks in adolescence and declines with age.
How does femininity change in women from early 40s to 50s?
It tends to decrease, especially among educated women.
Which group of women in the Mills College study showed the greatest increase in independence?
Working mothers, divorced mothers, and non-mothers.
What did Twenge (2001a) find about women’s assertiveness across cohorts?
It fluctuated with social roles: increased from 1931–1945, decreased in the 50s–60s, and rose again after 1968.
What does research say about narcissism trends across generations?
Findings are mixed; some suggest increases, others find no significant change.
Can people intentionally change their personality traits?
Yes, especially with digital interventions over several months.
What is personality coherence?
Stable traits that manifest in different behaviors across life stages.
Which personality traits predict divorce?
High neuroticism and low impulse control in both partners.
What traits predict alcoholism and emotional problems?
High neuroticism and low impulse control.
Which traits predict religiousness and spirituality?
Conscientiousness and Agreeableness predict religiousness; Openness predicts spirituality.
What is the single best predictor of academic and job success?
Conscientiousness.
