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Original Articles and Reviews

Person-Environment Transactions During Emerging Adulthood

The Interplay Between Personality Characteristics and Social Relationships

1This paper is part of a series on “Youth Development in Europe: Transitions and Identities” that will appear in the European Psychologist throughout 2008. Taken together, the papers aim to make a conceptual contribution to the increasingly important area of youth development, especially within the context of an expanding Europe, by focusing on variations and changes in the transition to adulthood and emerging identities. The series will conclude with a summary by the organisers of the series, Katariina Salmela-Aro (University of Jyväskylä, Finland) and Ingrid Schoon (University of London, UK).

Published Online:May 01, 2008https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040.13.1.1

Abstract

Personality (Big Five and self-esteem) effects on social relationship quality (perceived support and conflict) and vice versa were longitudinally studied during emerging adulthood. Rank-order stability correlations of personality and social relationship quality were investigated. Subsequently, the mechanisms that may underlie personality development across emerging adulthood were examined. Results from path analyses showed that social relationship quality at the age of 17 years, in particular perceived conflict, predicted change in personality from the age of 17 years to 23 years, while the reverse pattern was not found. These findings indicated that, during emerging adulthood, personality may still be in flux, and, despite its higher stability as compared to the stability of social relationship quality, may be influenced by the environment.

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