According to Mayer (2007), “personality is a system of parts that is organised, develops, and is expressed in people’s actions”. The ‘system of parts’ would mean components of self that include emotions and motivations. Personality is, thus, a complex whole formed by intersection of various external and internal factors. It is a gradual process of development. While some researches have considered personality as stable and consistent, recent researches suggest that personality develops during a person’s lifetime. The following section discusses some of these recent researches.
Personality Development Studies
Personality development is a complex process. Different researchers have explained this process in different ways. This section discusses some important researches in the field of personality development.
Life Span of Personality Development
Funder (2010) explains that the personality of a person is shaped by genetic factors and early life experiences. Steven mentions the twin study research on heritability of personality traits, which states that genetic factors contribute to about 40% of an individual’s personality trait development. Funder (2010) further claims that personality is a long term process of development. It develops as a personal matures, physically and psychologically. The different lifetime experiences also play an important role in moulding an individual’s personality. However, there is a degree to which a person’s personality is consistent over his or her lifetime.
There are three key learning from this work of Funder (2010). The first learning is that, in spite of developing gradually over the life, people have tendencies to maintain their individual distinguishable traits. This means that personality traits are stable over the life span.
The second learning is that, people’s score of personality trait does change with age and maturity. For instance, two children may have different levels of emotional balance. With age and maturity, their score of emotional balance will increase. However, their difference in levels of emotional balance will still be the same.
The third learning from Funder’s work is that change in personality may also be dependent on the different social roles adopted by different people. A child’s upbringing is different in different cultures and societies. In some societies, a person resumes his family and job responsibilities earlier in life and improves his conscientiousness score sooner. Hence, changes are also demanded by the changing circumstances in a person’s life.
Continuity and Change in Personality over the Life Course
McAdams and Olson (2010) observe personality development in a human lifetime from three different reference points: the person as actor (behaving), agent (striving) and author (narrating). The first perspective, where a person is an actor, states that differences in patterns of social action in infancy shape an individual’s temperament. An individual’s temperament helps evolution of his or her long term dispositional and behavioural traits as adults. The second perspective defines a striving side of an individual. An agent or a striving individual witnesses a consolidation of his or self and goals. This consolidation becomes a part of his or psychology and is reflected in his or her personality. The third perspective describes an individual as an author. The internalisation of an individual’s life experiences during adolescent and early adulthood gives a definite identity to him or her. Thus, there are three layers of personality development; traits, goals and life stories. As McAdams and Olson (2010) describe it, stories are layered over goals and goals are layered over traits. The intermixing or combination of these traits, goals and values develop an individual’s personality.
McAdams and Olson (2010) examine the interplay of personality layers at five development milestones in life: Age 2, the transition to adolescence, emerging adulthood, midlife and old age. At a very early age, the temperamental precursors like mood, inhibitions and attentions develop in infants. In adolescence, children develop clear goals and motivations for themselves. The varied experiences in life shape their personality over time. Children learn to prioritise, focus on their identified goals and withdraw from activities that they deem ill-suited. It is the stage of development of neurological changes.
The late adolescence and early adulthood involves a lot of reconstructions and provides a definite purpose to life. As a person matures from adolescence to middle adulthood, commitments increase which is manifested in their goals and life experiences. Late adulthood is when increased personality level differences are observed. In midlife stage, a change in developmental direction and perspectives takes place. The late midlife and old age show increasing focus on self-maintenance and decline in life experiences.
Personality Development in Early and Middle Adulthood
Srivastava, John, Potter and Gosling (2003) examined the Big Five personality trait dimensions to understand the changes in personality traits in early and middle adulthood. The research was involved understanding changes in the big five personality traits. Srivastava, John, Potter and Gosling (2003) define the big five personality traits as extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness. Extraversion is characterised by assertiveness, firmness and ease of emotional expressiveness. Agreeableness includes behavioural traits like kindness, trust and selflessness. Individuals high in conscientiousness are thoughtful, determined and have a knack for detailing. Neuroticism is featured by lack of emotional stability. Openness is being imaginative and open to new ideas.
The study encompassed surveying people in the age group of 21-60. The survey showed pattern difference across different personality traits and gender during different stages of life. The study did not support absolute change in any of the big five personality traits. The research concluded that conscientiousness in men and women increased after age 30, but it grew mostly during the 20s. Agreeableness increased the most during 30s. Neuroticism and extraversion declined with age for women, but not significantly for men. Openness declined with age for both men and women.
Stability and Predictability of Personality Traits
Gustavsson et al (1996) conducted a study to determine the stability and predictive ability of personality over a period of nine years. He asserts that even stability in personality traits will not be of interest if it does not predict real future outcomes. The comparison was done over their personality rating outcomes of the study done in 1986-1987. The study was done in three key areas of activities in life; family life, emotional and physical health, and work. The neuroticism scale predicted that level of family and job satisfaction in people. Individuals with higher levels of emotional imbalance were predicted with lesser family and job satisfaction. In spite of not witnessing major health problems, the study predicted lesser satisfaction of health in such individuals.
The study conducted by Gustavsson et al (1996) also found out that, in the long run, there is a difference in the way a person responds to a stress creating circumstance like psychological and physical trauma and major surgeries. Stable people or people high on coherence, tend to show reducing anxiety levels in follow up sessions after the surgery. Thus, the same external trigger has different impact on individuals’ mental condition, depending upon their personality type.
Fixed and Variable Personality Traits
Livingstone (2009) expresses his views of change in personality on Life Matters (ABC 18 May 2009: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2009/2569070.htm). He claims that love at first sight is a misnomer and one needs to evaluate behavioural traits in a partner for a successful relationship. While evaluating, some key personality traits should be looked at. He asserts that kindness is the most important and indispensible virtue, followed by tolerance level, honesty and resilience. Choosing a partner requires careful examination of these traits, both logically and emotionally.
Livingstone (2009) also expresses that these personality traits vary across people and are distinguishable quite early in their lives. These traits are relatively fixed and do not change much over life. According to Livingstone (2009), people can be typically divided into two categories. The first category is characterised by people who are self-absorbed like narcissists. They are so much into themselves that it is difficult to expect any emotional support from them. The emotional balance in this category of people is quite low. The other category of people comprises of those who love others and aspire to be loved. These are the fundamental differences in people and cannot be changed. Livingstone asserts that though people do change, the change in fundamental behaviour does not happen frequently between the ages of 16-50. However, the fundamental parts of the behaviour may undergo change over time. Depression and anxiety can be reduced by medicine and counselling, but change from being self-observed to being empathic may not be seen often.
Resilience in Personality Traits
Resilience is an important factor in an individual’s personality development. It increases once capability to maintain self and bounce back from setbacks in life. A recent study conducted by Meeus et al (2011), explains that change in personality is observed in the direction of resiliency. The study showed that resilience and stability is higher in old age group people. This means that the change from resilient personality traits is observed lesser in old age group people than in early adolescents. Resilience or resilient type serves as the end point of personality development. This is the key reason that personality is more stable in old age than adolescent.
Factors Affecting Personality Change
Different researchers have different view on the subject of personality development in humans. However, on review of the various researches on this subject, some factors can be identified that broadly affect personality change in humans. These factors can be divided into four broad categories: genetic factors, individual differences, external factors and other factors.
Genetic Factors
As mentioned by Steven, genetic factors account for about 40% of an individual’s personality traits development. Even in close blood relationships like siblings and parent-children relationships, difference in personality traits is seen. People do differ in their disposition traits. This is because the genetic makeup of people is different. Even in siblings, parental genes can come together in numerous different ways leading to appearance of distinct characteristics.
Individual Differences
The key individual differences that affect personality development are the agent self, existence of different big five personality traits, and existence of fixed and variable personality traits. The ‘self’ factor of an individual along with its striving nature form an integral part of personality development. The striving agent forms goals and motivation in people which become a prominent psychological trait in humans. It is then manifested in individuals as a part of their personality traits.
The big five personality traits are an integral part of an individual’s personality. However, it is present in people with varying proportions. The combination of these factors and their interplay with external factors define a person’s dispositional traits. Each individual is possessed with some fundamental traits. Some people are more empathetic and some are more self-absorbed. These personality traits are relatively stable and do not change. The variable factors like depression can be reduced with medical treatment.
Lifespan Time
Personality traits improve gradually as people age. Most of the changes in personality take place by age 30. Resilience increases with age and the personality traits become more stable and ‘set like plaster’ as people mature. Physical and psychological maturation is also attained with age, which leads to improvement in personality traits.
External Factors
Some of the key external factors affecting personality development are socio-cultural factors, physical and psychological triggers, life experiences and substance abuse. Socio-cultural factors affect the upbringing of a child. In some societies, individuals take up their family and job responsibilities early in life. This improves their conscientiousness and stability scores. Also, each culture prefers one personality trait to other. Hence, manifestation of the socially preferred personality trait is seen more often. Physical injuries, illness and psychological trauma increases stress in individuals. However, stress and anxiety increases temporarily and the resilient personality traits become prominent with time. Substance abuse affects one neurological systems and leads to changes in personality. Life experiences also help in shaping a person’s personality.
Conclusion
Personality is a complex whole formed by interplay of various external and internal factors. It is a gradual process of development. Different researchers have explained this process in different ways. Personality comprises of fundamental and variable traits. Fundamental traits are relatively fixed and do not change over life time. They are formed from a complex of genetic factors, individual differences and other external stimuli. Variable factors are changeable with time and focus. Personality development begins at a very early age of infancy and is high till age 30. Individuals have a tendency to develop their personality in the direction of resilient traits. With age and maturation, stability in personality takes place.
References
Funder, David C. (2010). The Personality Puzzle (Fifth Edition). United States of America: W. W. Norton & Company.
Gustavsson, J. P., Weinryb, R. M., Giiransson, S., Pedersen, N., L. & Asberg, M. (1997). Stability and predictive ability of personality traits across 9 years. Personality and Individual Differences, 22(6), 783–791.
Srivastava, S., John, O. P., Gosling, S. D., & Potter, J (2003). Development of personality in early and middle adulthood: Set like plaster or persistent change? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(5), 1041–1053.
Steven Lee (n.d.). Module 20: Social Cognitive & Trait Theories. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:4IAHp6lM3DEJ:www.alvord.k12.ca.us/LaSierra/departments/SocialScience/psychology/Steven%2520Lee%2520Module%252020.ppt+steven+lee+module+20+social+trait+theories&hl=en&gl=in&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiJhKObtyJe-ase6VD8uiJ5MIkPxi67TQEQeTROPTsEQxqTI0GQvhBjpP9HP8VxMehMz6SXZ_euJzh4DPrNNXaThFX9RfZlN-3ZytaWxJaDtJdSeWu-6XD9N9rvbDYvUwSCz2Pn&sig=AHIEtbR2beOcbFII0i-iYnK_pYaagQAHzw
Mayer, J.D. (2007). Asserting the Definition of Personality. The Online Newsletter for Personality Science, 1, 1-4.
McAdams, D. P., & Olson, B. D. (2010). Personality development: continuity and change over the life course. Annual Review of Psychology, 61(5).1–5.26. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100507
Meeus, Wim, de Schoot, R.V., Klimstra, T. and Branje, S. (2011). Personality Types in Adolescence: Change and stability and links with adjustments and relationships: A five-wave longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology, 47(4), 1181-1195
