Relationships Matter in Personality Development: Evidence From an 8‐Year Longitudinal Study Across Young Adulthood
Abstract
ABSTRACT Personality‐relationship transactions were investigated in a general population sample of young German adults with three assessments over 8 years. Four general findings were obtained. First, personality development was characterized by substantive individual differences in change. Second, bivariate latent growth models indicated that individual differences in personality change were substantially associated with change in peer and family relationships. Third, forming a partner relationship for the first time moderated the maturation of personality. This finding was replicated over two subsequent time intervals with independent subgroups. Fourth, higher neuroticism and higher sociability predicted which of the singles began a partner relationship during the next 8 years. The results confirm that individual differences in personality development predict and result from life transitions and relationship experiences.
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Other studies focusing on first romantic relationship or graduation from school reported significant effects of these events on neuroticism.
“Conversely, other studies that focused on the impact of one particular life event, such as the first romantic relationship (Neyer & Lehnart, 2007) or graduation from school (Bleidorn, 2012) did report significant effects of these events on neuroticism.”
From Life Events and Personality Trait Change. (2018) · cites this paper as Neyer & Lehnart, 2007
For late beginners, the effects of relationship formation on conscientiousness did not replicate.
“However, for the group of late beginners the effects of relationship formation on conscientiousness did not replicate in the group of late beginners.”
From Life Events and Personality Trait Change. (2018) · cites this paper as Neyer & Lehnart, 2007
Neyer and Lehnart (2007) found that early, timely, and late beginners showed decreases in neuroticism and increases in extraversion after entering a romantic relationship whereas stable singles remained stable on these traits throughout the 8-year period.
“Early, timely, and late beginners showed decreases in neuroticism and increases in extraversion after they entered into a romantic relationship whereas stable singles remained stable on these traits throughout the 8-year period.”
From Life Events and Personality Trait Change. (2018) · cites this paper as Neyer & Lehnart, 2007
Singles and relationship beginners differ in a number of psychological characteristics, including personality traits.
“For instance, singles and relationship beginners have been found to differ in a number of psychological characteristics, including their personality traits (e.g., Neyer & Lehnart, 2007).”
From Life Events and Personality Trait Change. (2018) · cites this paper as Neyer & Lehnart, 2007
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“…romantic relationship (but not the transition into marriage) has been found to have a positive lasting effect on self-esteem in most studies (Lehnart et al., 2010; Luciano & Orth, 2017; Neyer & Asendorpf, 2001), but there are also some mixed findings (Neyer & Lehnart, 2007; Wagner et al., 2015).”
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- Authors
- Neyer, F. J., & Lehnart, J.
- Affiliations
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Neyer, Franz J.
- ORCID
- Neyer, Franz J.
- Venue
- Journal of Personality
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2007-04-06
- Volume
- 75
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 535-568
- ISSN
- 0022-3506 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-6494
- OpenAlex
- W1996176555
- Cited by
- 314
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 8.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Keywords
- personality development, peer relationships, family relationships, couple relationships, romantic relationship formation, neuroticism, sociability, life transitions, early adulthood, personality maturation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aging, Family Relations, Female, Germany, Humans, Life Change Events, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Models, Psychological, Peer Group, Personality Development, Personality Inventory, Self Concept, Social Behavior, Social Environment, Temperament, Multivariate Analysis
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