Personality

Full Answer Section

Mean order stability is most pronounced for the Big Five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience). These traits are thought to be relatively stable because they are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.

Rank Order Stability

Rank order stability refers to the tendency of individuals to maintain their relative ranking on personality traits within a group over time. For example, if someone is the most extroverted person in their friend group at age 20, they are likely to remain the most extroverted person in their friend group at age 40.

Rank order stability is also most pronounced for the Big Five personality traits. However, it is important to note that rank order stability can be affected by changes in the group composition. For example, if someone moves to a new city and makes new friends, their rank order stability may decrease as they adjust to their new social environment.

Examples of Mean and Rank Order Stability

Example 1:

A study by Caspi and Roberts (2001) followed participants from adolescence to middle age. The researchers found that mean order stability for the Big Five personality traits ranged from .50 to .70. This means that individuals tended to maintain their relative ranking on personality traits over time.

Example 2:

A study by Hampson and Goldberg (2006) followed participants from adolescence to old age. The researchers found that mean order stability for the Big Five personality traits ranged from .40 to .60. This suggests that personality traits remain relatively stable even across the lifespan.

Example 3:

A study by Roberts and DelVecchio (2000) followed participants from college to middle age. The researchers found that rank order stability for the Big Five personality traits ranged from .60 to .80. This means that individuals tended to maintain their relative ranking on personality traits within their social group over time.

Counterintuitive Findings

One counterintuitive finding is that people tend to become more agreeable and conscientious as they age. This is likely due to a number of factors, including increased maturity, life experiences, and social roles.

Another counterintuitive finding is that people tend to become more introverted as they age. This is likely due to a number of factors, including decreased energy levels, increased social selectiveness, and a greater focus on internal thoughts and feelings.

Why Might Personality Change Over Time?

There are a number of factors that can contribute to changes in personality over time. These include:

• Life experiences: Significant life events, such as trauma, loss, or illness, can have a profound impact on personality.
• Age: Personality traits tend to become more stable as people age. However, significant changes can still occur, especially in older adulthood.
• Culture: Cultural norms and values can influence personality traits. For example, people from collectivist cultures tend to be more agreeable and conscientious than people from individualist cultures.
• Relationships: Relationships with others can also influence personality traits. For example, people who are in supportive and loving relationships tend to be more emotionally stable and agreeable.

Conclusion

Personality is a dynamic and complex construct. While personality traits are relatively stable over time, they can change in response to a variety of factors. Understanding how personality changes over time can help us to better understand ourselves and others.

Additional Thoughts

The research on personality change is still in its early stages. More research is needed to understand the specific factors that contribute to changes in personality over time. Additionally, it is important to note that personality change is not always linear. Some people may experience significant changes in personality over a short period of time, while others may experience more gradual changes over the course of their lives.

Sample Answer

Changes in Personality Over Time

Personality is a complex and multifaceted concept, but it can be broadly defined as the enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that characterize an individual. While personality traits are relatively stable over time, they can change in response to a variety of factors, including life experiences, age, and culture.

Mean Order Stability

Mean order stability refers to the tendency of individuals to maintain their relative ranking on personality traits over time. For example, if someone is more extroverted than their peers at age 10, they are likely to remain more extroverted than their peers at age 50. However, it is important to note that mean order stability does not mean that personality traits remain completely unchanged. Rather, it means that individuals tend to stay in the same general position on the personality spectrum.