6533b82bfe1ef96bd128ce78
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Examining Mechanisms of Personality Maturation
Jule SpechtBoris EgloffStefan C. Schmuklesubject
AgreeablenessSocial PsychologyPersonality developmentmedia_common.quotation_subjectAlternative five model of personalityLife satisfactionBig Five personality traits and cultureHierarchical structure of the Big FiveDevelopmental psychologyClinical PsychologyCore self-evaluationsPersonalitysense organsBig Five personality traitsPsychologyClinical psychologymedia_commondescription
Individuals are expected to mature with increasing age, but it is not yet fully understood which factors contribute to this maturation process. Using data of a representative sample of Germans ( N = 14,718) who gave information about their Big Five personality traits twice over a period of 4 years, the authors identified satisfaction with life, which was reported yearly, as an important variable for explaining mechanisms and interindividual differences in personality maturation. Dual latent change models suggest that more satisfied (compared to less satisfied) individuals experience more positive changes in Emotional Stability, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness and that positive changes in life satisfaction are associated with positive changes in personality. Furthermore, maturation processes were examined for individuals who faced a social role transition, namely, marriage, birth of a child, or entering the job market. Again, differential effects highlight the importance of life satisfaction for personality maturation.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-05-18 | Social Psychological and Personality Science |