The First Partnership Experience and Personality Development: A Propensity Score Matching Study in Young Adulthood
Abstract
Personality development in young adulthood has been associated with the experience of a number of new social roles. However, the causal interpretation of these findings is complicated by the fact that it is not possible to randomize young adults by their life experiences. To address this problem in the context of the first partnership experience, we applied propensity score matching to a sample of initially inexperienced singles and followed them across 4 years. Using matched samples, results indicated that the first partnership experience relatively robust increased life satisfaction. The first partnership experience between the ages of 23 and 25 (but not in other ages) was also related to higher self-esteem, extraversion, and conscientiousness and to lower neuroticism. The discussion highlights the effect of the first partnership on the development of a mature personality and the potential for propensity score matching to make useful contributions to social and personality research.
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Recently, studies on life events have begun to include matched control groups who did not experience the event of interest.
“Recently, studies on life events have begun to include matched control groups who did not experience the event of interest (e.g., Wagner et al., 2015; van Scheppingen et al., 2016).”
From Life Events and Personality Trait Change. (2018) · cites this paper as Wagner et al., 2015
Wagner et al. (2015) found that the first partnership experience was related to higher extraversion and conscientiousness and lower neuroticism only in participants who had their first partnership between ages 23 and 25 but not in participants who established their first partnership between ages 21 and 23.
“Specifically, the first partnership experience was related to higher extraversion and conscientiousness and to lower neuroticism only in participants who had their first partnership experience between the ages of 23 and 25 but not in participants who established their first partnership between the ages of 21 and 23.”
From Life Events and Personality Trait Change. (2018) · cites this paper as Wagner, Becker, Luedtke, and Trautwein, 2015
Around 20% of young adults have never been involved in a romantic relationship before the age of 25.
“Research on adult populations suggests that around 20% of young adults have never been involved in a romantic relationship before the age of 25 (Wagner et al. 2015).”
From Patterns of Romantic Relationship Experiences and Psychosocial Adjustment From Adolescence to Young Adulthood (2021) · cites this paper as Wagner et al. 2015
The finding that late starters only differed in life satisfaction from continuous singles in young adulthood, not in adolescence, provides a first hint that engaging in one's first romantic relationship might bring increased life satisfaction.
“However, the finding that late starters only differed in their life satisfaction from the continuous singles in young adulthood, not in adolescence, provides a first hint that engaging in one’s first romantic relationship might bring increased life satisfaction (see also Wagner et al. 2015).”
From Patterns of Romantic Relationship Experiences and Psychosocial Adjustment From Adolescence to Young Adulthood (2021) · cites this paper as Wagner et al. 2015
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References 40 · Cited by 85
- Authors
- Wagner, J., Becker, M., Lüdtke, O., & Trautwein, U.
- Affiliations
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education (DE)
- Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (DE)
- University of Tübingen (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Wagner, Jenny
- Venue
- Social Psychological and Personality Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2015-01-06
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 455-463
- ISSN
- 1948-5506 (ISSN-L)
- 1948-5514
- OpenAlex
- W2057412016
- Cited by
- 85
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 3
- FWCI
- 10.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Social Psychological and Personality Science (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
- Keywords
- personality development, early adulthood, life satisfaction, self-esteem, extraversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism, social roles, propensity score matching, single young adults
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