Adversity in adolescence predicts personality trait change from childhood to adulthood

Rebecca L. Shiner; Timothy A. Allen; Ann S. Masten

doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2016.10.002

Adversity in adolescence predicts personality trait change from childhood to adulthood

Rebecca L. Shiner, Timothy A. Allen, Ann S. Masten

Institute of Child Development

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

44 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined whether cumulative adversity in adolescence predicted changes in the Big Five traits from childhood to adulthood in the Project Competence Longitudinal Study sample (N = 205) followed from childhood (age 10) through adolescence into adulthood (age 30). Personality traits were measured in childhood through multiple methods and in adulthood by self-report. Cumulative adversity, assessed in adolescence, differentiated independent adversity (likely unrelated to participants’ behavior) from dependent adversity (resulting from participants’ own behavior). Participants’ personality traits were modestly stable over 20 years, although Openness showed greater stability. Independent and dependent adversity predicted increases in Negative Emotionality/Neuroticism, and dependent adversity predicted decreases in Constraint/Conscientiousness and Agreeableness from childhood to adulthood, suggesting that cumulative adversity shapes personality development in young people.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	171-182
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of Research in Personality
Volume	67
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2016.10.002
State	Published - Apr 1 2017

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Work on this paper was supported by the Irving B. Harris Professorship held by Masten. The results were based on data collected as part of the Project Competence longitudinal study, which has been supported through grants to Ann Masten, Auke Tellegen, and Norman Garmezy from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH #MH33222), the William T. Grant Foundation (WTG), the National Science Foundation (NSF # SBR-9729111), and the University of Minnesota. Any conclusions or views expressed in this chapter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NIMH, NSF, or WTG.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Inc.

Keywords

Adversity
Agreeableness
Big Five traits
Conscientiousness
Life events
Neuroticism
Openness
Personality change
Personality development
Stress

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abstract = "This study examined whether cumulative adversity in adolescence predicted changes in the Big Five traits from childhood to adulthood in the Project Competence Longitudinal Study sample (N = 205) followed from childhood (age 10) through adolescence into adulthood (age 30). Personality traits were measured in childhood through multiple methods and in adulthood by self-report. Cumulative adversity, assessed in adolescence, differentiated independent adversity (likely unrelated to participants{\textquoteright} behavior) from dependent adversity (resulting from participants{\textquoteright} own behavior). Participants{\textquoteright} personality traits were modestly stable over 20 years, although Openness showed greater stability. Independent and dependent adversity predicted increases in Negative Emotionality/Neuroticism, and dependent adversity predicted decreases in Constraint/Conscientiousness and Agreeableness from childhood to adulthood, suggesting that cumulative adversity shapes personality development in young people.",

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note = "Funding Information: Work on this paper was supported by the Irving B. Harris Professorship held by Masten. The results were based on data collected as part of the Project Competence longitudinal study, which has been supported through grants to Ann Masten, Auke Tellegen, and Norman Garmezy from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH #MH33222), the William T. Grant Foundation (WTG), the National Science Foundation (NSF # SBR-9729111), and the University of Minnesota. Any conclusions or views expressed in this chapter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NIMH, NSF, or WTG. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 Elsevier Inc.",

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Adversity in adolescence predicts personality trait change from childhood to adulthood

Abstract

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Keywords

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