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Originalia

Persönlichkeitsentwicklung im mittleren Erwachsenenalter

Published Online:April 22, 2010https://doi.org/10.1026/0049-8637/a000008

Abstract

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob sich die Persönlichkeit im mittleren Erwachsenenalter verändert. Mit Daten der Interdisziplinären Längsschnittstudie des Erwachsenenalters (ILSE) wurden die differenzielle Stabilität, Mittelwertsveränderungen und individuelle Veränderungen von Persönlichkeitseigenschaften zu drei Messzeitpunkten über einen Zeitraum von 12 Jahren untersucht. Die Stichprobe bestand aus 323 Erwachsenen mit einer Alterspanne von 42 bis 46 Jahren zu Beginn der Studie. Die Resultate weisen bei Neurotizismus und Extraversion auf kleine Mittelwertsveränderungen hin. Die längsschnittlichen Stabilitätskoeffizienten bewegten sich um den Wert .70, was auf eine hohe differenzielle Stabilität hinweist. Schließlich findet sich bei 67% der Erwachsenen mittleren Alters mindestens eine reliable Veränderung in einer Persönlichkeitsdimension innerhalb eines Messzeitraums. Insgesamt legen die längsschnittlichen Ergebnisse nahe, dass die Persönlichkeitsentwicklung im mittleren Erwachsenenalter sowohl von Stabilität auf der Populationsebene wie auch von Veränderung auf der individuellen Ebene gekennzeichnet ist.


Personality development in middle adulthood

Abstract. Do personality changes occur in middle adulthood? Using data from the Interdisciplinary Study on Adult Development (ILSE), differential stability, mean-level changes, and individual-level changes of personality traits were examined over a 12-year period with three measurement occasions. The longitudinal sample consisted of 323 adults who were initially ranging from 42 to 46 years of age. Personality traits were measured with the NEO-FFI Personality Inventory. Results indicated significant, small-sized, mean-level changes in Neuroticism and Extraversion. Stability coefficients were around .70, indicating high differential stability. Finally, results showed that 67% of the middle-aged adults exhibited reliable personality change on at least one trait in one time period. Findings from our study suggest stability of the sample-level and individual-level change in personality traits across middle adulthood.

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