Neuroticism and self-criticism associated with posttraumatic stress disorder in a nationally representative sample

Broad and specific psychological traits may uniquely differentiate trauma victims with PTSD from trauma victims without PTSD, but there is a need for representative, population-based research. We investigated elevated neuroticism and self-criticism in association with the presence versus absence of PTSD in a nationally representative sample of adults who experienced a traumatic stressor. Respondents were from the National Comorbidity Survey Part II (N=5877) (). Individuals who experienced one or more traumatic events were selected (N=3238). In separate regression analyses, elevated levels of neuroticism and self-criticism were each significantly associated with PTSD among men and women who had experienced one or more traumatic events. After controlling for types of traumas experienced and other previously identified factors (Bromet, Sonnega, & Kessler, 1998. American Journal of Epidemiology, 147, 353-361), neuroticism remained significantly associated with PTSD in women and both neuroticism and self-criticism remained significant in men. Evidence from this nationally representative sample of adults who experienced traumatic events suggests that self-criticism and especially the broad personality domain of neuroticism may represent robust psychological dimensions associated with the presence of PTSD.     

Personality Change in the Oldest‐Old: Is It a Matter of Compromised Health and Functioning?

The present longitudinal study investigates continuity and change in the personality dimensions of extraversion and neuroticism among the oldest‐old. Overall disease load, self‐rated health, functional capacity, impaired vision and hearing, self‐reported cognitive impairment, and measured cognitive status were tested for their role as potentially relevant late‐life predictors of personality change. The sample consists of 408 individuals aged 80–98 in the Swedish OCTO‐Twin Study who completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory at four measurement occasions during a 6‐year period. Growth curve analyses revealed an age‐related linear decrease in extraversion and stability in neuroticism. More extraverted individuals were more educated and perceived their health and cognition as better. Notably, only hearing impairment was found to be related to a steeper age‐related decline in extraversion. A life span developmental model focusing on health‐related changes can improve our understanding of personality change in late life.     

Humility, Lifetime Trauma, and Change in Religious Doubt Among Older Adults

Compared to research on the positive or beneficial effects of religion on health, far fewer studies have been designed to examine the potentially negative aspects of religion. The purpose of this study is to examine a potentially negative part of leading a religious life??religious doubt. More specifically, the current study was designed to assess the relationships among humility, exposure to lifetime trauma, and change in religious doubt over time. Two hypotheses were developed to explore the relationships among these constructs. The first hypothesis predicts that greater exposure to traumatic events at any point in the life course will be associated with greater doubts about religion over time. The second hypothesis proposes that the potentially deleterious effects of exposure to lifetime trauma will be buffered or offset for individuals who are more humble. Findings from a nationwide, longitudinal survey of older adults provide support for both hypotheses. This appears to be the first time that the relationship among humility, lifetime trauma, and change in religious doubt has been evaluated empirically.     

The enduring impact of borderline personality pathology: risk for threatening life events in later middle-age

Both neuroticism and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are associated with increased frequency of stressful life events in young adults. It is not clear, however, whether this effect extends to later life because BPD is apparently diminished in frequency and severity when people reach middle adulthood. This issue was examined in a representative, community sample of men and women between the ages of 55 and 64 (N = 1,234). Ten DSM-IV PDs and neuroticism were assessed at baseline using a semistructured interview (SIDP-IV) and questionnaire (NEO-PI-R). Life events were measured 6 months later with a self-report questionnaire (LTE-Q) followed by a telephone interview. BPD features and neuroticism predicted increased frequency of life events, based on both self and interviewer-adjusted reports of negative life events. Avoidant and paranoid PD features predicted decreased frequency of negative life events. Approximately 42% of events reported on the LTE-Q were discounted following the telephone interview; higher scores on BPD symptoms were associated with more adjustments to self-report of threatening experiences. These findings indicate that symptoms of BPD and neuroticism continue to have a harmful impact on the lives of older adults.     

Sexual trauma and personality: developmental vulnerability and additive effects.

Two types of sexual trauma, sexual abuse in childhood and rape in adulthood, were investigated in terms of possible effects on personality. Four groups of participants were studied: women who had experienced sexual abuse in childhood, women who had experienced rape as adults, women who had experienced both of these sexual traumas, and a control group of women who had experienced no sexual trauma. Personality functioning was assessed using the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology. Groups who had experienced childhood sexual abuse displayed the highest degree of personality disturbance; however, the additive effects of repeated sexual trauma were limited. These findings may reflect the outcome of specific adversity in childhood on the psychobiological constructs underlying personality.     

THE MIDDLE AGES: CHANGE IN WOMEN'S PERSONALITIES AND SOCIAL ROLES

It has been argued that the predominant focus of midlife personality development is generativity; other research has found that social roles influence both its onset and its expression. In this article, we examine women's midlife personality development and its relationship to career and family commitments. Results for a sample of 90 women indicated that commitment to particular social projects in early midlife was associated with different patterns of identity, intimacy, and generativity levels at age 62. In addition, women who added social projects to existing projects during adulthood expressed similar levels of identity, intimacy, and generativity at age 62 as women whose social project commitments had stayed the same. For smaller subsamples of women in the study, longitudinal analyses assessed changes in personality development within middle age as well as the relationship between personality and the maintenance or addition of social projects. These results highlight important variation among women who followed different adult life paths.     

Searching for a developmental typology of personality and its relations to antisocial behavior: a longitudinal study of a representative sample of men

The search for an empirically based personality typology has regained the interest of researchers. To date, however, the empirical inquiries were mainly cross-sectional. In this study, an empirically based developmental typology of personality was identified using data from a prospective longitudinal study of a representative sample of men assessed on four occasions from adolescence to midlife. Cluster analyses were performed on measures of Disinhibition, Negative Emotionality, and Extraversion. Four developmental types of personality were identified. The first was characterized by average scores in the three traits in adolescence that decreased rapidly until midlife (38%). The second was similar, but, instead, displayed increases in Extraversion during adulthood (32%). The third type showed high scores in Disinhibition and Negative Emotionality in adolescence that decreased progressively until midlife (23%). The fourth type was characterized by average scores in the three traits during adolescence followed by important increases in Negative Emotionality and decreases in Extraversion during adulthood (7%). These four developmental types of personality seemed to be related to known antisocial behavior trajectories.     

Prevalence and effects of life event exposure among undergraduate and community college students

The purposes of this study were to assess lifetime and recent exposure to various life events among undergraduate and community college students and to assess the relation between event exposure and a broad range of outcomes (i.e., mental and physical health, life satisfaction, grade point average). Undergraduate students from a midwestern university (N = 842) and a community college (N = 242) completed online measures of lifetime event exposure and outcomes at Time 1 and recent event exposure at Time 2 two months later. Life events assessed included events that did and did not meet the definition of a traumatic event (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder Criterion A1) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) as well as directly (e.g., own life-threatening illness) and indirectly (e.g., others' illness) experienced events. Students reported experiencing many lifetime and recent Criterion A1 and non-A1 events, and community college students reported more events than did university students. Generally, individuals who reported more lifetime events also reported poorer outcomes (e.g., poorer health). The number of non-Criterion A1 and directly experienced events tended to be more strongly correlated with negative outcomes than were the number of Criterion A1 and indirectly experienced events reported. These findings suggest that non-A1 events are important to assess and can be significantly related to outcomes for students.     

大五人格5个维度及10个面的发展水平——基于我国15～75岁横断样本调查

基于人格毕生发展理论及中国社会文化背景,调查了我国从青少年到老年3192名被试,探究了中国人大五人格5维度及10个面毕生发展水平。总体上,年龄与神经质、焦虑、抑郁、活跃、开放性、审美、创意显著负相关,与外倾性、宜人性、尽责性、自信、利他、顺从、条理和自律显著正相关。在60岁以下的人群中,年龄大的个体神经质更低,而在大于60岁的人群中,年龄大的个体神经质反而更高;在50岁以下的人群中,年龄大的个体外倾性水平相对较高,但50岁之后年龄大的个体外倾性相对较低;整体上,年龄大的个体开放性水平相对较低,而年龄大的个体宜人性水平反而更高;年龄大的个体尽责性水平也相对较高,但较之40到49岁群体而言,50岁以上群体的尽责性则相对较低。男性和女性不同年龄群体的大五人格具有一定差异性,特别是男性的尽责性高于女性,以及女性的神经质高于男性等性别差异。进一步分析了年龄与大五人格10个面的关系,描绘了不同年龄群体10个面的发展水平。     

Plaster or Plasticity: Are Adult Work Experiences Associated with Personality Change in Women?

ABSTRACT The present study tested whether work experiences were associated with personality change across two periods of adulthood (age 21 to 27 and 27 to 43) in a longitudinal sample of women ( N = 81). Two competing theoretical perspectives were tested: the plaster theory, which claims that personality does not change after age 30, and the plasticity theory, which claims that personality can change at any time in adulthood. Evidence was found for both correlational consistency of personality in adulthood and for the socialization effect of work on personality change. Work experiences were not associated with personality change in young adulthood but were associated with changes between young adulthood and midlife. In the period from age 27 to age 43 women who worked more became more agentic, and women who were more successful in their work became both more agentic and more normadhering. This pattern of associations between personality change and work experience provided support for the plasticity model of personality change.     

The Social Context of Adaptation to Traumatic Events: Soviet Jews and the Holocaust

Much of the literature on trauma focuses on the impact of a single traumatic event and its psychological sequelae on a given individual. Little attention has been paid to the effects of multiple traumatic events within one lifetime, or the importance of understanding the relation of the social context of the trauma(s) to the experience of the trauma survivor. This study presents a qualitative analysis of interviews with older survivors of the Nazi attempt to exterminate the Jews (the Holocaust), who had recently migrated from the former Soviet Union to the United States. In-depth depictions of the effects of multiple traumas on the mental health of single individuals are presented. Further emphasis is placed on the specific social context of trauma to more fully understand the older adult trauma survivor.     

A random walk down university avenue: life paths, life events, and personality trait change at the transition to university life

This longitudinal study examined the relation between continuity and change in the Big Five personality traits and life events. Approximately 2,000 German students were tracked from high school to university or to vocational training or work, with 3 assessments over 4 years. Life events were reported retrospectively at the 2nd and 3rd assessment. Latent curve analyses were used to assess change in personality traits, revealing 3 main findings. First, mean-level changes in the Big Five factors over the 4 years were in line with the maturity principle, indicating increasing psychological maturity from adolescence to young adulthood. Second, personality development was characterized by substantive individual differences relating to the life path followed; participants on a more vocationally oriented path showed higher increases in conscientiousness and lower increases in agreeableness than their peers at university. Third, initial level and change in the Big Five factors (especially Neuroticism and Extraversion) were linked to the occurrence of aggregated as well as single positive and negative life events. The analyses suggest that individual differences in personality development are associated with life transitions and individual life experiences.     

A Longitudinal Examination of Overgeneral Memory and Psychopathology in Children Following Recent Trauma Exposure

This study represents the first longitudinal examination of the trajectory of overgeneral memory (OGM) in children and how this relates to psychopathology immediately after trauma exposure. We recruited fifty 7‐ to 17‐year‐olds who had experienced an accidental injury that resulted in hospital admission. Assessment of psychological symptoms, OGM and cognitive processes proposed to drive OGM was completed at three points over a 6‐month period post‐trauma. We found that OGM was not related to depressive symptoms and that time since trauma exposure moderated the relationship between post‐traumatic stress disorder symptoms and OGM. Although no relationship was found in the first 3 months following trauma, OGM was protective against post‐traumatic stress disorder symptoms at 6 months post‐trauma. Despite models of OGM (e.g. Williams et al., 2007 ) emphasising the role of rumination and executive control in explaining OGM, we found no evidence that they were related to OGM. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Neuroticism and extraversion as mediators between positive/negative life events and resilience

Positive and negative life events have been demonstrated to play an important role regarding the development of resilience. However, it is less clear how life events interact with personality factors in forming individual resilience. Thus, the present study investigates the mediating effects of the two main complementary personality dimensions extraversion and neuroticism on the relationship between life events and resilience in adulthood. Traumatic Antecedent Questionnaire (TAQ), NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were administered to 201 healthy subjects. Results from path analyses (AMOS) revealed that the personality factors neuroticism and extraversion (measured by NEO-FFI) fully mediated the association between positive life events and resilience. This is the first study to date using psychometric assessment to explore the possible pathways from positive/negative life experiences to resilience.     

Stability and change of personality across the life course: the impact of age and major life events on mean-level and rank-order stability of the Big Five

Does personality change across the entire life course, and are those changes due to intrinsic maturation or major life experiences? This longitudinal study investigated changes in the mean levels and rank order of the Big Five personality traits in a heterogeneous sample of 14,718 Germans across all of adulthood. Latent change and latent moderated regression models provided 4 main findings: First, age had a complex curvilinear influence on mean levels of personality. Second, the rank-order stability of Emotional Stability, Extraversion, Openness, and Agreeableness all followed an inverted U-shaped function, reaching a peak between the ages of 40 and 60 and decreasing afterward, whereas Conscientiousness showed a continuously increasing rank-order stability across adulthood. Third, personality predicted the occurrence of several objective major life events (selection effects) and changed in reaction to experiencing these events (socialization effects), suggesting that personality can change due to factors other than intrinsic maturation. Fourth, when events were clustered according to their valence, as is commonly done, effects of the environment on changes in personality were either overlooked or overgeneralized. In sum, our analyses show that personality changes throughout the life span, but with more pronounced changes in young and old ages, and that this change is partly attributable to social demands and experiences.     

Interpersonal–Psychological Theory,Alexithymia, and Personality Predict Suicide Ideation among Maladjusted Soldiers in Taiwan

This case–control study enrolled 226 maladjusted soldiers and 229 controls to investigate the impact of the interpersonal–psychological theory of suicide, alexithymia, personality, and childhood trauma on suicide risk among Taiwanese soldiers. Assessments included the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Eysenck Personality Inventory, Mini‐International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and Brief Symptom Rating Scale. In addition to thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, other risks included less extraversion with higher neuroticism, higher alexithymia, poor academic performance, domestic violence, and life‐threatening events. Our study demonstrates the interaction of the interpersonal–psychological theory and other suicide risk factors in Taiwanese soldiers.     

Sexual assault history and suicidal behavior in a national sample of women

This study examined demographic and psychosocial correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in women with histories of sexual assault in childhood and/or adulthood identified from a national sample of women. Multivariate analyses showed that women with histories of sexual assault in both childhood and adulthood reported significantly greater odds of lifetime suicide attempts, controlling for demographic factors and other psychosocial characteristics. As predicted, younger age (marginal), stressful life events (marginal), depression, PTSD, and alcohol dependence symptoms were also significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Furthermore, number of lifetime traumatic events and depression were each associated with lifetime odds of suicide attempts. Implications for studying the role of sexual trauma and other psychosocial factors in relation to women's suicidal behavior are discussed.     

Big Five personality development in adolescence and adulthood

The present article examines Big Five personality development across adolescence and middle adulthood. Two adolescents and their fathers and mothers from 285 Dutch families rated their own and their family members' personality. Using accelerated longitudinal growth curve analyses, mean level change in Big Five factors was estimated. For boys, Extraversion and Openness decreased and for girls, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness increased. Whereas mothers' Emotional Stability and Conscientiousness increased, fathers' Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Emotional Stability decreased. Differences in self‐ and other‐reported personality change were found, as well as interindividual differences in personality change. Results confirm that personality change is possible across the life course but these changes are not similar for all individuals and depend on the type of observer. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

College Sophomores in the Laboratory Redux: Influences of a Narrow Data Base on Social Psychology's View of the Nature of Prejudice

In this article we review answers to 5 questions concerning the development of personality across the life course: How early in the life course can we identify characteristics unique to individuals that will show continuity over time? When in the life course is personality fully developed? What life course factors moderate continuity and change in personality? What are the mechanisms that promote continuity in personality? And finally, what are the mechanisms that promote change in personality? Based on the answers to these 5 questions we conclude (a) that there is modest continuity from childhood to adulthood, (b) that personality traits do not become fixed at a certain age in adulthood and retain the possibility of change even into old age, and (c) that with time and age people become more adept at interacting with their environment such that personality consistency increases with age and is more common than change in midlife and old age.     

Adverse Events in Emerging Adulthood Are Associated with Increases in Neuroticism

Previous studies have produced mixed results when examining whether experiencing an adverse event can lead to changes in Neuroticism. We sought to examine this effect when (a) the event was relatively recent, (b) the event occurred during a relatively early development stage (i.e., emerging adulthood), and (c) the event was severely adverse. A sample of 1,108 undergraduates completed three measures of Neuroticism twice, separated by approximately 3 months, and indicated the most traumatic or adverse event they experienced during the intervening 3 months. We examined two operationalizations of adverse events: one that is more objectively defined (indicated experiencing a trauma listed on a trauma history measure) and another more subjectively defined (participant ratings of event centrality). The results revealed that high Neuroticism at Time 1 predicted future exposure to both types of adverse events. Critically, participants who experienced either type of adverse event during the semester reported significant increases in Neuroticism. Experiencing a high event centrality event was also associated with small increases in the personality traits Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness. The results are discussed in terms of the conditions necessary for adverse events to affect personality traits.