Unit 3.3: Personality dispositions over time: stability, coherence and change

Question 1

What is temperament?

Answer 1

Individual differences emerging early in life
-> heritable
-> involved with emotionality and arousability

Question 2

What can we say about the stability of temperament over time?

Answer 2

most variables moderately stable
stability tends to be higher over short intervals
stability tends to increase as infants mature

Question 3

Which assumptions can we make based on measuring activity levels?

Answer 3

measurements early in life can predict personality later in life
predictability decreases over time

Question 4

What conclusions can we draw from measuring aggression?

Answer 4

emerges very early
high rank order stability
moderately stable

Question 5

Does personality consistency increase or decrease with age and why?

Answer 5

increase
big 5 tend to be stable, as well as traits not included in big 5

Question 6

How do the traits of the big 5 tend to change with maturation?

Answer 6

Openness, extraversion and neuroticism decrease
Conscientiousness and agreeableness increase

Question 7

Are the big 5 modifiable through therapy?

Answer 7

yes

Question 8

Personality change in self-esteem

Answer 8

no relevant changes
however, in males it tends to increase and in females it tends to decrease

Question 9

Personality changes in autonomy, dominance, leadership and ambition

Answer 9

Autonomy tends to increase, rest tends to decrease over time

Question 10

How does personality tend to change in relation to sensation seeking?

Answer 10

increase until around 18-20, then decrease

Question 11

Which traits exemplify changes in cohorts in the general population?

Answer 11

Assertiveness and dominance of women increased from 1968 onwards