The Basics of Personality Change
What is the term for the average directional change in a personality trait across a population?
Mean-level change
Which Big Five trait generally decreases in young adults entering romantic relationships?
Neuroticism
This type of romantic relationship was most linked to personality changes in young adults
First committed romantic relationship
What are the three preconditions for self-regulated personality change?
Goal, feasibility, habituation
What do we call the consistency of individual differences in traits over time?
Rank-order stability
What trait often increases after transitioning into a first job?
Conscientiousness
What is a limitation of most romantic relationship studies regarding causality?
Lack of random assignment or confounding selection effects
According to sociogenomic theory, personality traits emerge from repeated changes in what?
Behavioral, cognitive, and emotional states
DAILY DOUBLE:
During young adulthood, this general trend describes increasing emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.
Maturity principle
The transition to parenthood was associated with what kind of change in self-control, particularly among first-time mothers?
A decrease in self-control
Which trait is most likely to increase in romantic relationships?
Extraversion
In Hutteman et al.’s exchange year study, what predicted long-term increases in self-esteem?
Short-term increases in state self-esteem
What type of life events are most likely to impact personality traits?
Normative, age-graded life transitions
People higher in which three traits were more likely to get married?
Conscientiousness, emotional stability, and low openness
Which Big Five trait tends to decrease when someone enters a committed romantic relationship?
Neuroticism
What is the term for the process where new behaviors become automatic and part of one’s personality?
Habituation
What theory emphasizes that trait change results from both genetic and environmental influences, especially social roles?
Social investment theory
Which Big Five trait is most consistently linked to increases across multiple life transitions in young adulthood, such as school, work, and relationships?
Conscientiousness
DAILY DOUBLES:
True or False: Most people experience personality changes when they enter their first romantic relationship.
True
What kind of experiences during life transitions can lead to long-term personality trait changes?
Repeated short-term changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors