Unit 3️⃣ Part 3️⃣

Question 1

What is personality stability?

Answer 1

Some traits appear very early in life (e.g., temperament).
Personality is more stable in adults than in children.
Rank-Order Stability: If you’re an extrovert as a teen, you’re likely to stay extroverted as an adult.

Question 2

Which Big Five traits change the most as people age?

Answer 2

Some traits change over time due to life experiences (e.g., marriage, trauma).
Big Five Changes With Age:
Openness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism tend to decrease.
Conscientiousness and Agreeableness tend to increase.
Therapy & Life Events can modify personality.
Example: Drug rehab patients often become less neurotic and more conscientious.

Question 3

What is a cohort effect?

Answer 3

Cohort Effects – People of different generations have different personality trends.
Example: Women in the 1950s were expected to be housewives, while modern women are career-focused.
Are people today more narcissistic? – Some studies say yes, others disagree.

Question 4

How has women’s personality traits changed over time?

Answer 4

Marital Stability & Divorce:
People high in neuroticism and low impulse control are more likely to divorce.
Health & Longevity:
People high in agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion tend to live longer.
Education & Career Success:
Conscientiousness is the best predictor of academic and job success.
Religion & Spirituality:
People high in agreeableness and openness are more likely to be spiritual.