Personality Dispositions Over Time: Stability, Change, and Coherence Chapter 5 Personality Dispositions Over Time: Stability, Change, and Coherence © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Children and Personality Kai © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Part One. Dispositional Domain Still looking for universal personality traits!! How many personality traits exist? How do we classify these personality traits? How do we measure these traits?? Are the traits stable over time? Are the traits stable across situations? How do the traits develop? © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

What Is Personality Development? Continuities, consistencies, stabilities in people over time PLUS the way in which people change over time © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Three Key Forms of Stability (1) Rank order stability: Maintenance of an individual position’s within group © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Three Key Forms of Stability (1) Rank order stability: Maintenance of an individual position’s within group Rank-order instability / Rank Order Change: when people fail to maintain rank order © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Three Key Forms of Stability (2) Mean level stability / Constancy of Level: Mean Level Stability Mean Level Change © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE HIGH What type of Constancy? Mean Level Stability Mean Level Change OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE LOW 2000 2005 2010 2015 © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

What type of Constancy? Mean Level Stability Mean Level Change HIGH What type of Constancy? Mean Level Stability Mean Level Change CONSCIENTIOUSNESS LOW 2000 2005 2010 2015 © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

What type of Constancy? Mean Level Stability Mean Level Change HIGH What type of Constancy? Mean Level Stability Mean Level Change EXTRAVERSION LOW 2000 2005 2010 2015 © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Select one of the HEXACO traits Select one of the HEXACO traits. Then, list three hobbies that show this trait from the following 3 time periods... Elementary School Junior High School College © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Three Key Forms of Stability (3) Personality coherence Maintaining rank order relative to others But changing the way the trait is manifested Child of Our Time: James vs. Helena © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

3 Theories Explain Change Plaster Hypothesis Plasticity Hypothesis Transactional Model (P-E Interaction) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Rank Order Instability A study finds that individuals who reported the highest levels of Extraversion at age 15 also reported the highest levels of Extraversion at age 45. This is an example of: Mean Level Stability Mean Level Change Rank Order Stability Rank Order Instability © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Temperament vs. Personality Temperament: individual differences in emotional reactivity, attentional reactivity, and self-regulation Temperament → Narrower Traits Personality → Broader Traits 2 Classic Theories of Temperament © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

How could we measure temperament in children? © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Thomas & Chess (1977) Easy Temperament (40%) Even tempered, positive, open and adaptable to new experiences and situations Difficult Temperament (10%) Active, irritable, and irregular in their habit. React very negatively to new situations and people Slow-to-Warm up Temperament (15%) Low activity level, sometimes moody, and slow to warm up in new situations/experiences

Temperament Description Activity Is the child always moving and doing something OR does he or she have a more relaxed style? Rhythmicity Is the child regular in his or her eating and sleeping habits OR somewhat haphazard? Approach / withdrawal Does he or she "never meet a stranger" OR tend to shy away from new people or things? Adaptability Can the child adjust to changes in routines or plans easily or does he or she resist transitions? Intensity Does he or she react strongly to situations, either positive or negative, OR does he or she react calmly and quietly? © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Temperament Description Mood Does the child often express a negative outlook OR is he or she generally a positive person? Does his or her mood shift frequently OR is he or she usually even-tempered? Persistence and Attention Span Does the child give up as soon as a problem arises with a task OR does he or she keep on trying? Can he or she stick with an activity a long time OR does his or her mind tend to wander? Distractibility Is the child easily distracted from what he or she is doing OR can he or she shut out external distractions and stay with the current activity? Sensory Threshold Is he or she bothered by external stimuli such as loud noises, bright lights, or food textures OR does he or she tend to ignore them? © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Video © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood Easy Positive mood, high regularity, low intensity, adaptability, approach (not withdrawal) Difficult Negative mood, irregularity, extreme intensity, slow to adapt, withdrawal, loud crying/laughter Slow to warm-up Low activity, withdrawal, slower to adapt, somewhat negative mood, low intensity Video © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

What about the other 35%? Displayed characteristics in a different configuration Were not consistent in the types of behaviors they displayed across different situations or over time

Rothbart and Bates Approach Temperament Dimensions Negative Emotionality Surgency Effortful Control (Rothbart, 2007; Rothbart & Bates, 2006) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Negative Emotionality Fear Anger Frustration Sadness © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Negative Affectivity Dimension Definition Frustration Amount of negative affect related to interruption of ongoing tasks or goal blocking. Fear Amount of negative affect, including unease, worry or nervousness related to anticipated pain or distress and/or potentially threatening situations. Sadness Amount of negative affect and lowered mood and energy related to exposure to suffering, disappointment and object loss. Discomfort Amount of negative affect related to sensory qualities of stimulation, including intensity, rate or complexity of light, movement, sound, texture. Soothability Rate of recovery from peak distress, excitement, or general arousal. Putnam & Rothbart, 2006

High Intensity Pleasure Surgency Activity Level Approach High Intensity Pleasure Impulsivity © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Surgency Dimension Definition Activity Level Level of gross motor activity including rate and extent of locomotion. Approach Amount of excitement and positive anticipation for expected pleasurable activities. Smiling and Laughter Amount of positive affect in response to changes in stimulus intensity, rate, complexity, and incongruity. Shyness (low) Slow or inhibited approach in situations involving novelty or uncertainty. High Intensity Pleasure Amount of pleasure or enjoyment related to situations involving high stimulus intensity, rate, complexity, novelty and incongruity. Impulsivity Speed of response initiation. Putnam & Rothbart, 2006

Low Intensity Pleasure Attentional Control Effortful Control Low Intensity Pleasure Attentional Control Perceptual Sensitivity Inhibitory Control © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Effortful Control Dimension Definition Attentional Focusing Tendency to maintain attentional focus upon task-related channels. Inhibitory Control The capacity to plan and to suppress inappropriate approach responses under instructions or in novel or uncertain situations. Low Intensity Pleasure Amount of pleasure or enjoyment related to situations involving low stimulus intensity, rate, complexity, novelty and incongruity. Perceptual Sensitivity Detection of slight, low-intensity stimuli from the external environment. Putnam & Rothbart, 2006

Let’s evaluate the children’s temperament. Matthew Exasperating! Kai Apparently © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Negative Emotionality Gender Differences? Temperament Dimensions Negative Emotionality Surgency Effortful Control © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Rothbart’s Measures Infant Behavior Questionnaire (3-12 months) Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (18-30 months) Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (3-8 years) Early Adolescence Temperament (9-16 years) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

In-Class Exercise: Name the dimension! During quiet time, how often did you child enjoy just being quietly sung to? When encountering a new activity, how often did you child get involved immediately? While playing indoors, how often did you child like rough and rowdy games? During everyday activities, how often did you child seem to be irritated by tags in his/her clothes? © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

In-Class Exercise: Match Temperament Factors to Big Five! Negative Affectivity Surgency Effortful Control Openness to Experience Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism © 2013 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Is personality stable? Rank-Order Stability Mean-Level Change Influence of Major Life Events © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Rank-Order Stability: Surgency, NA, and EC ICBQ (1981; 3-12 months) 3-month stability; increases with time ECBQ (2006; 1.5 – 3 years) r = .45 to .80 CBQ (2006; 3 to 8 years) r = .63 to .73 © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

(Roberts and DelVecchio, 2000). Note. Big Five © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Rank-Order Stability in Adulthood Big Five: moderate to high levels Replications include: Over varying time intervals (3 to 30 years) At different age points (18 to 84 years old) Using different reports (self, observer) r = +.65 © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Rank-Order Stability in Adulthood Age Time Period Report Type Correlation 25 - 84 6 Years, 2 Tests Self, Big Five .70 31 – 57 7 Years, 2 Tests Observers, Big Five 18 - 85 9 Years, 2 Tests Self, HEXACO, NEO-PI-R .55 to .71 Start: 33 End: 81 24 Years, Numerous Tests Self; Big Five .65 © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Is personality stable? Rank-Order Stability Mean-Level Change Influence of Major Life Events © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

(Lamb et al., 2002) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

(Roberts, Walton, & Viechtbauer, 2006) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Big Five – Mean Level Change ES and C Increase with age, then declines in old age Agreeableness Increases or remains stable with age Extraversion Social vitality/liveliness decreases with age Social dominance increases with age Openness to Experience Curvilinear © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Longitudinal Study: Major Life Events What are some life events that might cause an increase or decrease in personality? Rank-Order Stability Mean-Level Change Influence of Major Life Events (Specht et al., 2011, JPSP) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Plaster or Plasticity? (Specht et al., 2011, JPSP) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Plaster or Plasticity? (Specht et al., 2011, JPSP) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Influence of Major Life Events on Rank-Order Stability What are some life events that could change someone’s personality? What personality trait would this event change? (Specht et al., 2011, JPSP) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Influence of Major Life Events on Rank-Order Stability When child leaves parental home: For Parents ↑ OE Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Death of Spouse For Living Spouse: ↓ A (Specht et al., 2011, JPSP) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Influence of Major Life Events on Mean-Level Change After get married: ↓ in E and ↓in OE Separation from Partner: ↑ A After divorce/after first job: ↑ C, ↑ E After baby/after retiring: ↓C Moving out of parental home: Women ↑ ES, no effect for men Death of Spouse: Women ↓C, Men ↑ C (Specht et al., 2011, JPSP) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Bringing It Together Rank-order stability and mean-level stability for personality Although small changes exist for certain ages Major life events cause mean-level change But, not rank-order change (Specht et al., 2011, JPSP) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Personality Coherence How does society/culture change people’s personality? Narcissism and the Birth Cohort Effect How do people express personality traits as they age? Delay of gratification and the marshmallow study © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Personality Coherence: Birth Cohort Effect Changes in personality due to to living in different time periods Ex: Is the increase in narcissism….. True change? A cohort effect? © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Personality Changes Across Cohorts: Subclinical Narcissism Little interest in forming warm, emotionally intimate bonds with others; aggressively lash out when rejected or insulted; overconfident When faced with common resources, take more for themselves and leave less for others Positively correlated with extraversion and agency (i.e. traits typical of male gender role) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Personality Changes Across Cohorts: Subclinical Narcissism “I usually get the respect I desire.” “I find it easy to manipulate people.” “I like to be the center of attention.” Kanye © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

18% (1 out of 5 students) narcissistic; scored 21/40 on NPI-40 © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood Mean Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) scores across three time periods for students attending the University of South Alabama Figure 2, p. 102

18% (1 out of 5 students) narcissistic; scored 21/40 on NPI-40 Mean Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) scores across three time periods for students attending the University of South Alabama © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood Figure 2, p. 102

© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood (Stinson et al., 2008)

Personality Coherence: Delay of Gratification TED 4- and 5-year old children 15 minutes: total time ≈ 9 minutes: Avg time before ate marshmallow 11-year follow-up at ages 15/16 © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Personality Coherence: Delay of Gratification Does this sound like any of the Big Five? 11-years later (ages 15/16) 36 years later (40s) Higher SAT scores & GPA Lower BMIs Less drug use Higher self-esteem Better regulation of stress Greater self-control Better performance on self-control task Brain Patterns Low-delayers: ventral striatum High-delayers: prefrontal cortex But, depends on predictability of environment! © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

We want to measure personality coherence in the HEXACO. Childhood Measure Adulthood Outcomes Honesty-Humility ↑ Extraversion ↑ Neuroticism ↑ Conscientiousness ↑ Agreeableness ↑ Openness to Experience We want to measure personality coherence in the HEXACO. What are some adulthood outcomes that we would expect to be linked to the HEXACO dimensions in childhood? © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

↑ Openness to Experience Childhood Measure Adulthood Outcomes Honesty-Humility Workplace deviance Academic achievement ↑ Extraversion Positive Relationships (Peer, Romantic) Aggression, Well-being ↑ Neuroticism Social Difficulties Lower occupational attainment in adulthood ↑ Conscientiousness Academic Achievement in childhood and adulthood Career success (income / occupational status), job satisfaction Positive Relationships ↑ Agreeableness Positive Peer Relationships Greater academic achievement and work competence Reduced delinquency ↑ Openness to Experience Academic achievement and IQ, Creativity © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Personality Stability: Across Life Periods By comparing personality across life periods, we can identify small changes in personality over time. In general, many of the changes are due to the maturity principles. But, people may experience this “maturity” through biological/physical changes (plaster) or through environmental changes (plasticity) © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

Coming Up! Part II. Biological Domain Chapter 6: Genetics and Personality © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood