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Summary Personality psychology chapter 7
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CHAPTER 7:PERSONALITY STABILITY:
Rank-Order Consistency
Definition: Refers to the stability of an individual's distinctive patterns of behavior over
time.
Examples:
A child who is more extraverted than most other children is likely to remain more
extraverted than peers throughout life.
The same applies to other traits such as neuroticism, agreeableness,
conscientiousness, and openness.
Implications
Consistency: Indicates that while individuals may change over the years, their relative
di erences in traits compared to others of the same age remain stable.
Psychological Concept: This stability is referred to as "rank-order consistency" by
psychologists (Costa & McCrae, 1994).
Key Point
Not Absolute Stability: This concept acknowledges changes over time but emphasizes
the maintenance of individual di erences.
EVIDENCE FOR STABILITY
Longitudinal Studies
High Correlation in Trait Scores:
Personality trait scores from the same individuals measured 10 years apart show
correlations between r = .60 and r = .90 (Hopwood et al., 2013).
Adaptability and Impulsivity:
Children described as “adaptable” were observed to act cheerfully and with
intellectual curiosity as middle-aged adults.
Children rated as “impulsive” talked more and in a louder voice decades later
(Nave, Sherman, & Funder, 2010).
Resilience:
People who experience natural disasters, such as earthquakes, generally
maintain their core personality traits (Milojev, Osborne, & Sibley, 2014).
Predictive Value of Childhood Ratings
Inhibition and Life Outcomes:
Children aged 4-6 rated as more “inhibited” were slower to find a stable
romantic partner and a first job 19 years later compared to less inhibited peers
(Asendorpf, Denissen, & van Aken, 2008).
Extreme Scores and Di icult Ratings:
Children with extreme scores on trait ratings or those rated as especially
“di icult” tend to face problems in adulthood (Van den Akker et al., 2013).
Stability of Personality Disorders
General Stability:
Personality disorders remain relatively stable across the lifespan, though not as
stable as basic personality traits.
, Therapy does not significantly alter the stability of personality disorders
(Ferguson, 2010; Hopwood, et al., 2013).
Positive Outcomes Associated with Certain Traits
Mastery Motivation and Agreeableness:
Children aged 8-12 who were rated high on traits such as “mastery motivation”
and agreeableness showed greater achievement in school and work, less
antisocial conduct, and better relationships with romantic partners and friends
20 years later (Shiner, Masten, & Roberts, 2003).
CAUSES OF STABILITY
From Temperament to Personality
Constancy of Individual Aspects:
Physical body and DNA influence personality over the years.
Early personality, termed temperament in children, is partially determined by
inherited genes.
Heterotypic Continuity:
The e ects of fundamental behavioral and emotional tendencies change with
age.
Examples: Shy children hide behind parents; shy adults avoid conversations
with strangers. Aggressive children kick; aggressive adults engage in verbal
arguments.
Basic Aspects of Childhood Temperament (Vroman, Lo, & Durbin, 2014):
Positive emotionality (precursor to extraversion).
Negative emotionality (precursor to neuroticism).
E ortful control (precursor to conscientiousness and agreeableness).
Physical and Environmental Factors
Visible Attributes:
Gender, height, and attractiveness influence experiences and personality
development.
Environmental Influences:
Socioeconomic status, urban or rural living, and family size impact personality.
These factors a ect thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Birth Order
Debate and Proposal:
Frank Sulloway suggests firstborns receive more parental attention, aligning with
parental values and becoming "assistant parents."
, Laterborns find unique niches, becoming independent and open-minded.
Research Findings:
Some studies support Sulloway’s proposal: firstborns more conscientious;
laterborns higher on openness (Healey & Ellis, 2007; Sulloway, 2010).
Other studies found no significant relationship between birth order and
rebelliousness or other traits (Cundi , 2013; Rohrer, Eglo , & Schmukle, 2017).
Early Experience
Adverse Experiences:
Early negative experiences (e.g., rejection by parents, bullying) have long-lasting
e ects.
Outcomes include relationship di iculties, anxiety, and health issues (Slagt,
Dubas, Deković, & van Aken, 2016; Khaleque & Rohner, 2012; Singham et al.,
2017).
Positive Parental Influence:
Highly educated parents create environments promoting good outcomes:
openness, extraversion, and emotional stability (Sutin, Luchetti, Stephan,
Robins, & Terracciano, 2017).
Factors contributing to positive outcomes: cognitive stimulation, physical
comfort, presence of father, and prosperity (Orth, 2018).
Person-Environment Transactions
Active Transactions:
Individuals seek out and create environments reinforcing their personality traits.
Examples: Aggressive individuals attract similar friends, leading to conflict-
prone environments; scholarly individuals prefer academic settings, enhancing
academic and professional success.
Role of Happenstance:
Environmental factors and luck also influence personality development and
stability.
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
Conceptual Distinction
Di erence from Stability:
Personality development is distinct from the stability of individual di erences.
Stability concerns maintaining relative di erences between individuals over
time.
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