Age changes in personality and their origins: Comment on Roberts, Walton, and Viechtbauer (2006).
Abstract
Comments on the original article "Patterns of Mean-Level Change in Personality Traits Across the Life Course: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies," by B. W. Roberts, K. W. Walton, and W. Viechtbauer. Although Roberts et al depicted the present authors as proponents of the immutability of traits, in fact we have always acknowledged the possibility of change, and we are pleased that the results of their meta-analysis are consistent with our conclusions about modest change after age 30. We agree with B.W. Roberts et al that analyses should be conducted at the level of more specific traits, but prefer the 30 facets of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory to the Social Dominance-Social Vitality distinction. The origins of age changes might be found either in environmental influences common to all cultures or in biologically based intrinsic maturation; we offer some reasons for preferring the latter interpretation. Meta-analyses are useful but not definitive, and the resolution of the origin question lies in further research.
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Impulsivity tends to decline with age in most cohorts, in part as a normal function of aging.
“Another issue is impulsivity tends to decline with age in most cohorts, in part as a normal function of aging [7]”
From Personality and Longevity: Knowns, Unknowns, and Implications for Public Health and Personalized Medicine (2011) · cites this paper as [7]
Naturalistic change over the lifespan indicates a pattern of increasing maturity with age, owing to increasing responsibilities such as marriage, child-rearing, and work responsibility.
“More recent research has shown naturalistic change over the lifespan indicating a pattern of increasing maturity with age, owing to increasing responsibilities such as marriage and child-rearing and increases in work responsibility [7].”
From Personality and Longevity: Knowns, Unknowns, and Implications for Public Health and Personalized Medicine (2011) · cites this paper as [7]
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- Authors
- Costa, P. T., & McCrae, R. R.
- Affiliations
- National Institute on Aging (US)
- Venue
- Psychological Bulletin
- Published
- 2006
- Volume
- 132
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 26-28
- ISSN
- 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1455
- OpenAlex
- W2096960558
- Semantic Scholar
- 88717a6b1c634ab95e81dcd23175d751ff94e454
- Cited by
- 265
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 49 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 10.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Keywords
- personality change, trait stability, life course, NEO-PI-R, facets, social dominance, social vitality, environmental influences
- MeSH terms
- Age Factors, Culture, Humans, Personality, Personality Development, Social Environment
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