Personality is defined as the unique cognitive and behavioural aspects of an individual that more or less remain consistent regardless of different situations. However, despite its relative continuity and stability after initial structure and development in childhood, personality has the potential to be shaped by numerous catalysts and experiences over the course of a lifetime. This is notion is explored, drawing on the research of Caspi and Roberts (2001), McAdams (1994), Roberts, Walton and Viechtbauer (2006) and Caspi and Silva (1995), as well as discussion of Costa and McCrae’s (1994) opposing view that personality in adults is mostly unchanging or unchangeable. Mechanisms of change and continuity of personality will also be examined as
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Longitudinal studies involve the following of a group of participants over a period of time (Olsen, c2016) and as a consequence of the large samples of individuals being studied over an extended period in some research, mechanisms of continuity occurring in longitudinal studies such as differential continuity can be observed in obtained results. This is detected in studies like the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Age. In this study, differential continuity, that is, the consistency of an individual differences within the total group over time, is apparent and could partially account for the continuity of the traits in seen in the results, despite potentially “large but mutually canceling [sic] changes” (Caspi & Roberts, 2001, p. 52) of individuals. Costa and McCrae’s conclusion that adults’ personality traits stay relatively constant throughout their life therefore is potentially flawed as their findings do not account for the ambiguity of the results used to support their hypothesis, thus backs the idea that personality can be changed, even in …show more content…
This is further emphasised through Caspi and Roberts’ mechanism of differential continuity, in its reveal of the ambiguity of the results drawn from empirical research in support of Costa and McCrae’s hypothesis that personality is relatively unchanging through adult life by. Therefore, it is evident that personality is dynamic, constantly developing and changing over the period of a person’s life time from the foundations of their exhibited childhood behaviour styles and individual
Longitudinal studies involve the following of a group of participants over a period of time (Olsen, c2016) and as a consequence of the large samples of individuals being studied over an extended period in some research, mechanisms of continuity occurring in longitudinal studies such as differential continuity can be observed in obtained results. This is detected in studies like the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Age. In this study, differential continuity, that is, the consistency of an individual differences within the total group over time, is apparent and could partially account for the continuity of the traits in seen in the results, despite potentially “large but mutually canceling [sic] changes” (Caspi & Roberts, 2001, p. 52) of individuals. Costa and McCrae’s conclusion that adults’ personality traits stay relatively constant throughout their life therefore is potentially flawed as their findings do not account for the ambiguity of the results used to support their hypothesis, thus backs the idea that personality can be changed, even in …show more content…
This is further emphasised through Caspi and Roberts’ mechanism of differential continuity, in its reveal of the ambiguity of the results drawn from empirical research in support of Costa and McCrae’s hypothesis that personality is relatively unchanging through adult life by. Therefore, it is evident that personality is dynamic, constantly developing and changing over the period of a person’s life time from the foundations of their exhibited childhood behaviour styles and individual