Mr Essays - Personality Traits, Personality,

It is hard to determine if personality changes across our lifespan through verbal actions and cognitive recalling. Debates and studies came by to prove their stands on the subject, in which experiments and analysis of personality changes are tested across various stages of the life cycle. Most notably, longitudinal researches on young adulthood are being compared to those in adulthood and old age to affirm that personality stability is unstable initially before fixing itself in the advancing years. As mentioned previously, personality usually changes in young adulthood due to encounters that exposed people to new happenings in life such as attending school and working in a new environment. (Arnett, 2000; Erikson, 1963; Helson, 1983; White 1996). Costa Fraley, R. C.; Roberts, B. W.; Trzesniewski, K. H., 2001). Four types of personality stability and changes are used for studies to determine personality stability for young adults. It is mainly Normative Change; Rank-order Stability; Structural Stability and Ipsative Stability (eg. Blocks Caspi Mortimer, J. T., Finch, M.D., Kumka, D. S. 1982). Under Normative Changes, several studies followed closely on personality changes from adolescence through young adulthood. Majority of the studies focused mainly on Openness to Experience, one of the dimensions of the Big Five. Stewart (1964) conducted a four year longitudinal study of Berkeley students and discovered a decrease in absolutism likewise a raise in expectation and creativity. Sanford (1956) found that Vassar College students became less cautious and more open-minded. Thus many traits related to Openness of Experience surges during young adulthood (Robin et al, 2001). Looking at the next component of the Big Five, Conscientiousness, Haan. N., Millsap, R. & Hartka, E. (1986) found an increase in loyalty in both sexes age 17 to 30 years old. Helson & Moane (1987) revealed a rise in abstinence in young adulthood. Mixed longitudinal studies in young adulthood were conducted to find out the degree of Extraversion in them. Stewart (1964) observed an increase in supremacy and extraversion in a group of students. Correspondingly, Carmichael & McGue (1994) learned a rise in extraversion in a study of twins from ages 16 to 35. However, the most constant verdict will be the unchanged positive emotions during college years. Nichols (1967) found no change in amiability and Haan et al (1986) noted no changes in determination in young adulthood. From the above examples, longitudinal research to date shows that Extraversion remains relatively unchanged in young adulthood (Robin et al, 2001). In contrast, studies of Neuroticism yielded results that show either no change in the trait or a decrease in it. Nichols (1967) could not find any changes in the level of distress. No changes were observed for happiness (Roberts Viken et al, 1994). Other studies showed that conversion of adolescence to young adulthood is distinguished by the increment in self-acceptance (Stein et al, 1986) and sensitivity towards others (Carmichael Watson & Walker, 1996). Despite of the mixture of consequences, there are great amount of evidence which backs the hypothesis that neuroticism decreases in college goers (Robin et al, 2001). A few studies were done in relation to Agreeableness. Haan et al (1986) reported different alteration sequence for men and women in early adulthood. Men tend to experience lowering of affection while women will show more hospitality towards others. In another study conducted by McGue et al (1993), there was a drop in hostility from adults of age 20 to 30 years. The amount of longitudinal evidence suggests an increase in Agreeableness in young adults. Agreeing with that point, cross-sectional research shows that college students are likely to have reduced Agreeableness than older adults (e.g., Costa & McCrae, 1994b). As a whole, previous research on personality change during young adulthood supports the hypothesis that Openness to Experience,