Welcome Back

Recap: Biological Basis

Dopamine Serotonin Serotonin Serotonin Dopamine

Testosterone Oxytocin Norephinephrine
Cortisol

Frontal Lobe Frontal Lobe

Amygdala Amygdala
Recap: Calculating Heritability

(ridentical – rfraternal ) x 2

(.60 – .40) x2
.2 x2 = .4
Personality Change
Learning Objectives

How do we discover if personality changes?

What we have discovered?

What might drive personality change?

Can we change our own personality?

Personality Change

Can Personality Change?

A) Yeah, Personality Changes

B) No Way, Personality Is Stable
Roadmap

Two ways to test if personality changes

What might drive personality change?

Can we change our own personality?

Course Reflection Assignment

Ways of testing Stability vs Change
Research Design:

Time 1 Time 2
Longitudinal Design

Analytic Approaches:

Mean Level Rank Order

Ways of testing Stability vs Change
Research Design:

Time 1 Time 2
Longitudinal Design

Analytic Approaches:

Mean Level Rank Order

Analytic Approach: Mean Level
7 3 – 3 = 0 (No Change)

Extraversion 3 3

Erika Erika
1
Time 1 Time 2
Analytic Approach: Mean Level
7 5 – 3 = 2 (Increase)

Erika
Extraversion 3

Erika
1
Time 1 Time 2
Analytic Approach: Mean Level Convert to an
7 5 – 3 =2 effect size
> 0 (increase)
= 0 (stable) 5
< 0 (decreased)

Erika
Extraversion 3

Erika
1
Time 1 Time 2
Analytic Approach: Mean Level
92 Longitudinal Studies
Extraversion
50,120 Participants
10 – 101 years
Big 5 Traits Negative Emotionality

Agreeableness

Conscientiousness
Mean Level
Open-mindedness
Mean Levels

1.2
1
Change

.8
.6
.4
.2
0
-.2
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Age
Mean Levels: Extraversion

1.2
1
Change

.8
.6
.4
.2
0
-.2
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Age
Mean Levels: Negative Emotionality

.2
0
Change

-.2
-.4
-.6
-.8
-1.2
-1.4
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Age
Mean Levels: Agreeableness

1.2
1
Change

.8
.6
.4
.2
0
-.2
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Age
Mean Levels: Conscientiousness

1.2
1
Change

.8
.6
.4
.2
0
-.2
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Age
Mean Levels: Openness

1.2
1
Change

.8
.6
.4
.2
0
-.2
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Age
 Analytic Approach: Mean Level
Increase until middle age, then stabilize

Extraversion
Decrease until middle age, then stabilize
Emotional Stability

Steadily increase across the lifespan

Agreeableness

Conscientiousness
Initial Increases, stability, later decreases
Openness
Analytic Approach: Mean Level

Personality changes throughout our lives

Small incremental steps

Different Patterns for Different Traits

Maturity Principle – people mature in predictable ways
Ways of testing Stability vs Change
Research Design:

Time 1 Time 2
Longitudinal Design

Analytic Approaches:

Mean Level Rank Order

Personality Change

Can Personality Change?

A) Yeah, personality changes

B) No way, personality Is stable
C) Maybe both?
Ways of testing Stability vs Change
Research Design:

Time 1 Time 2
Longitudinal Design

Analytic Approaches:

Mean Level Rank Order

Analytic Approach: Rank Order
Most
Erika

Extraversion Norhan

Least James
Time 1
Analytic Approach: Rank Order
Most
Erika Erika

Extraversion Norhan Norhan

Least James James

Time 1 Time 2
Analytic Approach: Rank Order
Most
Erika Norhan

Extraversion Norhan James

Least James Erika

Time 1 Time 2
Analytic Approach: Rank Order
Correlation (r)
Above
ge b l e
Average an ta
C h S
Time 2

b le ge
a an
St Ch

Below Above
Average Time 1 Average
Analytic Approach: Rank Order
Correlation (r)
Above r > 0 (More Stability)
Average
Time 2

r < 0 (More change)

Below Above
Average Time 1 Average
Analytic Approach: Rank Order
Correlation (r)
Above More Likely
Average
Time 2

More Likely
Below Above
Average Time 1 Average
Analytic Approach: Rank Order
152 Longitudinal Studies
55,180 Participants
Big 5 Traits

Childhood University Adulthood

10 – 17 18 – 22 23 – 101
Rank Order: Extraversion

Childhood University Adulthood

r = .31 r = .57 r = .74
65.5% 78.5% 87%

34.5% 21.5% 13%

 Analytic Approach: Rank Order
Increasing Stability
Extraversion
Increasing Stability
Negative Emotionality
Increasing Stability
Agreeableness
Increasing Stability
Conscientiousness
Increasing Stability
Openness
Analytic Approach: Rank Order

Childhood University Adulthood

r = .31 r = .57 r = .74

Continuity Principle:
Personality is increasingly stable

Plasticity Principle: You can always change

(but it gets hella hard)
Personality Change

Can Personality Change?

A) Yeah, personality changes

B) No way, personality is stable
C) Both stable & changing
Ways of testing Stability vs Change
Research Design:

Time 1 Time 2
Longitudinal Design

Analytic Approaches:
ge bl e
a n Sta
Ch

Mean Level Rank Order

Stability vs Change
 Stability & Change 6

5
Trait Level

4 4

3
Rank Order Stability
2

Time 1 Time 2
 Stability & Change 6

5
Trait Level

4 4

2 Mean Level Change

Time 1 Time 2
Roadmap
Two ways to test if personality changes
ge le
a n ab
Ch St

What might drive personality change & stability?

Drivers of personality change & stability

Environmental Biological

X
Transactional
Drivers of personality change & stability

X
Transactional

Active – People can choose their environments

Reactive – People experience environments differently

Evocative – People change their environments

Drivers of personality change & stability

Live Independently

Find Partners
Have Kids
Roadmap

Two ways to test if personality changes

What might drive personality change?

X
Roadmap

Two ways to test if personality changes

What might drive personality change?

Can we change our own personality?

Can we change our own personality?
Do you want to change?

No
30% Yes
70%

Self Help Industry = $10 Billion

Can we change our own personality?

Want to change Possible to change

Self-regulated
Behavioral Change

New behaviors become habitual

Trait Change
Can we change our own personality?
Goal setting
I’m going to be more studious
I’m going to get out more
Implementation Intentions
If… Then...
If I am assigned homework, then I will
complete it that night
If a friend invites me to lunch, then I will
join them
Roadmap
Two ways to test if personality changes
ge le
a n ab
Ch St

What might drive personality change?

X

Can we change our own personality?

If… Then...
Course Reflections
Due: November 27th – December 3rd
Length: 1 page, single spaced
An article evaluation style, but for this course

1. Pick a claim from lecture and summarize it briefly.

2. Why is this claim plausible? (or not plausible)
3. What is one additional piece evidence that you want?
4. How can knowledge of the claim be used outside the course?