Modeling Intraindividual Change in Personality Traits: Findings From the Normative Aging Study
Abstract
To advance an intraindividual life-span approach to the issue of stability and change, we studied personality trait trajectories in adulthood. Growth curves for extraversion and neuroticism were estimated for over 1600 men (initially aged 43-91) in the Normative Aging Study, who were followed over 12 years. We found significant individual differences in intraindividual change for both traits, as well as different trajectories for extraversion and neuroticism. The overall extraversion trajectory was best defined by a linear model, but neuroticism was characterized by quadratic decline with age. We then considered several variables as predictors of individual differences around these overall trajectories. Birth cohort, marriage or remarriage, death of spouse, and memory complaints were all significant predictors, explaining variability in both level and rate of personality trait change. These findings suggest that there is a good deal of variability in personality trajectories, and that some of this variability can be explained by birth cohort as well as by age-graded life events.
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Individual differences in neuroticism are relatively stable throughout adulthood and old age, though some individual differences in change exist.
“individual differences in this trait complex are relatively stable throughout adulthood and old age, although recent literature suggests that there are some individual differences in change in psychological distress”
From Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development: Can the Functional Capacity of Older Adults Be Preserved and Enhanced? (2008) · cites this paper as Mroczek & Spiro, 2003
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- Authors
- Mroczek, D. K., & Spiro, A.
- Affiliations
- Fordham University (US)
- Boston University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Mroczek, D. K.
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2003-05-01
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- P153-P165
- ISSN
- 1079-5014 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-5368
- OpenAlex
- W2130347526
- Cited by
- 393
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 18.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Brandeis University
- National Institutes of Health (5r01aa008941-04, 1r03ag016054-01)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01-AA08941)
- National Institute on Aging (5 T32 AG 00030, R03-AG16054, R01 AG 18436, T32AG00030, R01AG018436, R01AG02237, AG00030., R01AG013006, R01-AG13006)
- 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 trait change, within-person change, extraversion, neuroticism, aging, individual differences, birth cohort effects, death of a spouse, memory impairment, life events
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Extraversion, Psychological, Female, Humans, Individuality, Life Change Events, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Memory, Middle Aged, Neurotic Disorders, Personality Development, Personality Inventory, Psychometrics, United States, Veterans, Cohort Studies, Linear Models
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