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

2. Children and Personality
Kai
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

3. 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

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

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

6. © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

7. 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

8. © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

9. © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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
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16. 3 Theories Explain Change
Plaster Hypothesis
Plasticity Hypothesis
Transactional Model (P-E Interaction)
© 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

17. 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

18. 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

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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

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

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

27. 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

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

29. 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

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

31. 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

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

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

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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.

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

38. 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

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

40. 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

41. Rank-Order Stability in Adulthood
Age
Time Period
Report Type
Correlation
6 Years, 2 Tests
Self, Big Five
.70
31 – 57
7 Years, 2 Tests
Observers, Big Five
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

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

43. (Lamb et al., 2002)
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44. © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood

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

46. 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

47. 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

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

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

50. 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

51. 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

52. 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

53. 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

54. 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

55. 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

56. 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

57. 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

58. 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

59. 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

60. © 2015 M. Guthrie Yarwood
(Stinson et al., 2008)

61. 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

62. 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

63. 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

64. ↑ 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

65. 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

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