Can People’s Personality Traits Change Over Time?

Published in 2024, “Do People Become More Alike Across the Lifespan? The article titled “A Meta-Analysis of Changes in the Variability of Personality Traits” is quite interesting. stunning results revealed.

“He says he will change. He promised.” If you expect someone to change with a belief like this, continue reading. Because this research examines people’s personality traits. whether it changes over time aims to detect.

First, let’s talk about the methodology of the research.

This research, which is a type of meta-analysis, Combining the results of similar studiesaims to obtain a broader and more general result.

In this regard, there are studies in the literature on the changes in the personality characteristics of individuals. 362 independent studies being analyzed.

Personality characteristics of individuals over time whether it has changed or not and it is tried to determine whether individuals become more similar to their existing personalities or different from their personalities throughout their lives.

The included studies quantitative and longitudinal studies There are criteria such as being based on people’s personality traits.

A total of 362 independent studies included in the research sample size 344,270 It is stated that .

Let’s look at the demographic characteristics of the sample.

Of the 344,270 participants included in the study 52.82% are women The average age appears to be 24.89.

Considering the countries where the participants are located, 47.21% in North America, It is seen that 38.91% comes from Northern Europe, 3.97% comes from Asia, 4.31% comes from Southern Europe, and 5.60% comes from southern regions such as Latin America and Africa.

Now let’s start examining the findings. We only change in early childhood.

In the study, big five personality traits Personality traits called extraversion, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness and responsibility are discussed, with emphasis on the Big Five.

These personality traits according to different ages and time periods The rate of variability is being tried to be determined.

As a result of the research, researchers have determined that personality traits are not only in early childhood comes to the conclusion that it varies.

For example, variability in extraversion, neuroticism, and openness increases after the first years of life. slightly decrease starting.

Researchers explain this situation because babies have various genetic reactions to the environment during this period and over time their adaptation to the environment interprets it as explaining the decrease in variability.

Neuroticism occurs in late childhood, between the ages of 5 and 13. is increasing. Researchers interpret this situation as the effect of school life and the transition to adolescence.

Generally speaking, people do not change over time!

When the research findings are evaluated in general, it is seen that the variability of individuals’ personality traits varies throughout life. It appears to have remained largely constant.

In other words, as time goes by or as people grow older, does not differ.

Of course, as every scientific research has its limitations, this research also has some limitations and it is only within its own sample Let’s end our content by stating that it can be generalized.

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